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Description
This composition started out as a duet for sopranino recorders, in March 2004. Sopranino recorders are smaller than their soprano cousins, and have a sound very similar to the fife or piccolo.
After playing this piece over the next few months, I came up with the title "Baby Roosters on Parade" because the sopranino recorders sounded so much like little chickens. I kept hearing a larger orchestral accompaniment to back up these little instruments, so I added parts for strings, tuba and percussion.
This enlarged piece has given me an idea for a series of compositions for orchestra, performed by amateur or youth orchestras especially for young audiences. Each piece will feature various instruments in the orchestra, and portray various animals. The children in the audience will be asked which animal they think each piece represents.
My good friend Mary Ann agreed to record a "live" tuba part, so we got together when she visited me in Bisbee in May and laid down a track.
She is a very fine musician on many instruments; violin being her main axe. Years later, she took up the French horn, and later on the TUBA! (Imagine a petite woman playing the heck out of a huge brass instrument almost as big as she is!)
In June, I printed out the parts for the strings and percussion, and played them on my m-audio keystation 49e into GarageBand.
James and I recorded the sopranino recorder parts on separate tracks a couple of days ago, and since then I have spent time editing, balancing and mixing all the tracks.
I'm sure the listener will hear occasional "timing issues" and slightly out-of-control notes on the live instruments. (We did that on purpose!) I had originally considered trying to make this performance "perfect", but ultimately decided to leave it as it is, for "atmospheric" purposes.
As you can see, both extreme ends of the instrumental spectrum are the "stars" of this composition.
Imagine yourself at a kiddie concert, sitting in the audience with all these kids ooohing and ahhhing about all those strange orchestral instruments, and wondering how this tiny woman coming onstage can possibly play -- let alone HOLD -- a huge tuba!
Thank you for listening.
After playing this piece over the next few months, I came up with the title "Baby Roosters on Parade" because the sopranino recorders sounded so much like little chickens. I kept hearing a larger orchestral accompaniment to back up these little instruments, so I added parts for strings, tuba and percussion.
This enlarged piece has given me an idea for a series of compositions for orchestra, performed by amateur or youth orchestras especially for young audiences. Each piece will feature various instruments in the orchestra, and portray various animals. The children in the audience will be asked which animal they think each piece represents.
My good friend Mary Ann agreed to record a "live" tuba part, so we got together when she visited me in Bisbee in May and laid down a track.
She is a very fine musician on many instruments; violin being her main axe. Years later, she took up the French horn, and later on the TUBA! (Imagine a petite woman playing the heck out of a huge brass instrument almost as big as she is!)
In June, I printed out the parts for the strings and percussion, and played them on my m-audio keystation 49e into GarageBand.
James and I recorded the sopranino recorder parts on separate tracks a couple of days ago, and since then I have spent time editing, balancing and mixing all the tracks.
I'm sure the listener will hear occasional "timing issues" and slightly out-of-control notes on the live instruments. (We did that on purpose!) I had originally considered trying to make this performance "perfect", but ultimately decided to leave it as it is, for "atmospheric" purposes.
As you can see, both extreme ends of the instrumental spectrum are the "stars" of this composition.
Imagine yourself at a kiddie concert, sitting in the audience with all these kids ooohing and ahhhing about all those strange orchestral instruments, and wondering how this tiny woman coming onstage can possibly play -- let alone HOLD -- a huge tuba!
Thank you for listening.
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Lyrics
song art by James
Einarus
Very fitting title.
I enjoyed this very much - very playful and fun.
Nice contrast between the recorders and the tuba, yet
blends together perfectly.
Thanks for sharing!