Transpositions Available for Each Part in the ENSEMBLE CONCERT BOOKS SERIES

This chart describes each transposition available for each voice in the Ensemble Concert Books Series, along with a list of most of the instruments that can be appropriate for playing that part. This will give you a good idea of which books to order, based on which instruments you have. The preferred instruments for each part are highlighted in red.

SOPRANO 1:

In C. This part includes both the high octave, suitable for flute, piccolo, and violin, and the low octave, suitable for oboe or brass instruments in C.
In Bb. This part is suitable for trumpets, (soprano) clarinets, and soprano saxophones.
In Eb. This part is suitable for and voiced for the Eb soprano clarinet. It can also be played by an Eb sopranino saxophone. If necessary, it can be played by an alto saxophone, but it will not be in the right register, and it would be good if the alto sax player could play it an octave above the written notes.
In F. This part will be available only on request. Please allow six weeks for us to produce it. It is available in the event that a French horn or F trumpet is the only instrument you have to play this voice, and it will require a horn player with a good high range to play it.

SOPRANO 2:

In C. This part is voiced for oboe and violin. It is possible for a flute to play it as well, but this part will frequently be in the lower range for a flute and therefore might lose some power.
In Bb. This is the part to get for (soprano) clarinets, trumpets, and soprano saxophones.
In Eb. This part is voiced for alto saxophones and alto clarinets. It can also be played by an Eb soprano clarinet, but should be played an octave below the written notes.
In F. For French Horns.
In Alto Clef. For violas. This part is only available on request. Please allow six weeks for production.

ALTO:

In C. For violin, viola, or any other C-pitched instrument playing treble clef n the alto range.
In Bb. For soprano clarinets. It can also be played by a trumpet, as it has higher-octave cue notes for those notes that go below the range of a trumpet. It can also be played by tenor saxophones and treble clef baritone horn, but that player should play an octave above the written notes.
In Eb. For alto saxophones, and alto clarinets.
In F. For French Horns.
In Alto Clef. For violas, and those rare (and strange) trombone players who prefer to read alto clef. This part is only available on request. Please allow six weeks to produce it.
In Bass Clef. For trombones and baritone B.C. players. This part will usually be in the higher end of the range of these players, but not uncomfortably so.

TENOR:

In Bb. This is for tenor saxophones and baritone horns who play treble clef.
In Eb. This can be played by alto saxophones, although it will be somewhat low in their register.
In F. For French Horns. This is not the preferred instrument for this part, but they CAN play it.
In Tenor Clef. For violas, and others who prefer tenor clef. This part is only available on request. Please allow six weeks to produce it.
In Bass Clef. For trombones, baritone horns, and cellos. It can also be played by bassoons when needed.

BASS:

In Bb. For Bass clarinet and contra-bass clarinet. Also for Bass Saxophone and brass band type tuba/bass players who read Bb treble clef bass parts.
In Eb. For baritone saxophones and Eb Contra-alto Clarinets.
In F. For experienced horn players only. This part is only available on request. Please allow six weeks to produce it.
In Bass Clef - High. For string bass players.
In Bass Clef - Low - for tubas and bassoons.

MISCELLANEOUS PARTS:

Piano. If you cannot fill in all five other parts, adding a piano player may give you all the extra harmony notes you need.
Drum Set. While not required, adding a drum set to your performances, especially when you are using ten or more players, will definitely enhance the presentation.

SUCCESS! I have finally made contact with the right person in the right office at the Space Force!

A little bit ago, I got an email from the Lieutenant Colonel in charge of the Bands Division (I’ll call him LTC M. for reference), who explained to me where they are in the song selection process, and a little bit more about the guidelines they are using for the selection.

We have now exchanged a couple of emails, and I more completely understand where they are, and where this song, Always Above, fits into what they are doing.

LTC M told me he would at least listen to the tune, and that’s all I could ask. Since this tune came to be very late in the selection process, I’m not going to hold my breath that it will be selected, but I cannot ask for any more than it be at least heard.

LTC M is a courteous and pleasant person to deal with, and he seems like exactly the right person for this job. So kudos to LTC M for what he is doing – it can’t be easy – and for taking the time and trouble to correspond with me to let me know what’s going on.

Oh, and by the way, those four letters I wrote this morning, to all the really, really high up people in the Space Force, I was about to take them out to the mailbox when I got LTC M’s email. Since all they did was beg to know who to contact, and now I know that, I won’t be sending them. Whew. It’s always a bad thing to break protocol and jump any chain of command, but I was getting desperate, and I sensed this was time-sensitive. I am so very relieved NOT to be sending those letters.

Thanks again to LTC M.

Meantime, I’m going to continue developing Always Above, as there’s still a LOT to do on it – finish the full band arrangement (short version), create another full band arrangement (symphonic version – this with a more involved intro and coda, and a break strain and verse recap), a full band version intended for solo or SATB voice accompaniment, and the SATB-Piano score. So the project is far from complete.

As to the future of the work, well, that’s still up in the air.

Stay tuned.

Transpositions Available for Each Part in the ENSEMBLE CONCERT BOOKS SERIES

What is a VIRTUAL CONCERT?

And how do we make one?

Semper Supra Blog

SS UPDATED! Status as of 11 May 2022 pm

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