Orchestral Ballad

Hello Fred!

What a beautiful piece you've written to celebrate the good news about Patsy's health. There's a lot of emotional packed into that piece, which offers us a glimpse into happiness, yet touch of lingering pain, over the stress but then happy outcome of Patsy's wrestle with cancer.

I'm looking forward to hearing your MP3 version of this!

Cheers
-- Mark

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the kind compliments. Yes, there was some emotion going on. I originally felt a Kenny Gee type moment coming on, but then using the soft tenor voice sort of sent me into a little different direction. Seems funny, but it almost feels like playing the sax.

Cheers,
Fred

Hi Fred,

You have out-done yourself this time. You do that every time, but this one is special. The theme and your treatment of it is gorgeous, and the sax seems the perfect instrument for it. I like the orchestration, with the strings, harp, trombones, choir and piano; all used selectively but therefore very effectively. The harmony is particularly pleasing and the masterful way you mix chords, creating dissonances, which put the lie to the notion that dissonance must be harsh, is a pure joy. That mixing of chords makes the ending worth re-playing and re-playing. It has a definite sense of the sound ending but the music not.

A question: the consensus seems to be that the top note for the tenor sax, when writing for a standard orchestra, is the second Eb above middle C. I notice you've got it playing a whole tone higher, and I suspect it is capable of higher still. Is that so, and what would happen to the tone if it were (if possible) played higher? I wonder, too, if the baritone, alto and soprano saxes can go higher than the recommended top notes.

I tried this with the device for all staves changed to the Creative hardware synth and that made a big difference in the sound on my machine. I'm really anxious to hear your mp3 version.

all best,
mgj

Hi MG,

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The highest note on saxophones is actually F. ( concert Eb for Bb tenor ). My personal range was about a full octave higher reached by "lipping" the reed very hard. Those notes are only used for dramatic effect ( vanity ) to "wow" the audience... sort of like falsetto in singing. I would not use it with Baritone sax because the tone of the baritone is horrible even in the reachable high register. I once had to lay off playing for 8 weeks because of an operation. An audience does not allow you to limp back into shape, so after about 10 minutes of "wailing" away and hitting those falsetto notes, my lip opened up and blood dripped down my sax and onto the floor. That got the loudest ovation of my life. I thought I was playing in the colleseum for the Romans.

The arrangement is a perfect example of simplicity. I used the old "KISS" formula. There is very little trombone, modest string and choir voice parts, and simple piano part ( no left hand ). I didn't use all the insrtuments I normally do.
For the sax tone, midi forces you to either write the part an octave lower or in a lower key for a better sound. The Soprano sounds better high than Alto and Tenor because it is mellower ( at least with GM ). Although Kenny Gee plays mainly Alto, I might be able to get close to that sound with Soprano an octave higher. I'll have to try that later on. At least that works on my keyboard.
My MP3 would not sound much different because I still have to use the same voices. I don't have a sound card that accepts sound fonts ( My Synthfont is not working that well, either ).
I used the tenor sax for the lead because, more than simply a song, I wanted to personalize it. I think using the sax voice on my keyboard, rather than piano, put me into the right mood. Thanks again!
Cheers,
Fred

Hello Fred,

This is really exciting! You definitely need to go hear your piece played by such good musicians and some old friends.

Cheers
-- Mark

Hi Sherry & Mark,
Yea, I sure would like to be able to go hear it. They are playing a dance the end of May, but I don't know who is holding the dance or if it is private or public. Mickey has promised to do the sax solo. I haven't heard him in many years. I hope there is some way to get a recording. To hear it live would be a treat. Just to hear those guys play anything again would be special to me.

Cheers,
Fred

Hi Fred,

Of course you have to be there and, of course, with a recorder. Get the date, time, and place from Mickey. If it's private, crash the party in some subtle way--like pretending to the a band member, manager or make-up man.

Just wondering if Mickey will use his computer to do the arrangement. If so, perhaps we can all see the score as we listen. He appears to have some way to "midi it."

Anyhow, I'm excited and--well--Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

all best,
mgj

Hi Fred,

I'm not familiar with Finale, either. But it must have a midi option.

best,
mgj