I swear that the epitaph on my headstone will read…. Dies still waiting for pencil marks and dynamics!
In all our pieces, dynamic changes need to be spontaneous and exaggerated, when it’s soft, make it extra soft, crescendos start softer and grow, diminuendos need to get softer.
Tales of the sea: be careful that the opening crotchet/quaver rhythm doesn’t become even as in 2 crotchets, keep the longs and shorts accurate, this occurs again in the alla Marcia at 77 with a dotted crotchet quaver pattern.
The motto rall around bar 100 is still uncertain. The bar before it is in 2, the motto is in 4 with beat 2 silent across the band then as soon as we pass that bar it’s back in 2 so don’t hold the semibreves too long.
Pacem; this is coming together well. The third bar for trombones needs to be smooth and warm and flowing.
Allow the dynamics to flow as the work unfolds, moving parts take precedence to chords and as a rule an ascending part should be crescendoed and vice versa.
Bar before the lento; those that have the pause on beat 2…I will cut the first beat and direct the second. Baritone is the only instrument that sustains throughout the first bar of the lento.
The lento is in quavers…. First bar is 6 thence 4 quavers to the very end. The last pause is slow and if you enter on the last bar wait until it is directed.
Oregon: accuracy of the downbeat is vital throughout this work, letter C is a prime example where we tend to rush the semiquaver in the melody and arrive at beat 2 ahead of the conductor.
Pick up notes are vital in this piece and often seem to either be rushed or missing, check as to whether your pickup note is a crotchet or quaver and if need be lean on them a bit.
Letter Q is the answering phrases, be careful they don’t get rushed and catch up to the initial statement.
Watch the cut off at the G-P so we end together and restart together.
Murray