To many casual observers, the importance of a regularly rehearsing and performing trumpet choir may seem questionable. And for that reason, I felt compelled to defend my campaign for the value of such an ensemble.
The average high school band may have between six to sixteen trumpets in their ensemble and the level of playing ability usually rages from the very gifted to the very challenged. Building confidence in the stronger players is not a problem for the more advanced performers seem to be self-motivated. What about the middle to lower section players? The students at these levels of performance, even though they try to keep up, have a much more difficult time feeling good with their playing ability. Each band rehearsal usually begins with material listed to be performed at the next concert or contest and as the rehearsals continue, the weaker players become more frustrated with their parts as well as their performance. Now you may ask, “How can a trumpet choir help this situation”? Let me list several advantages to rehearsing a trumpet ensemble at your school.
- Trumpet choir material as indicated by its very name indicates only trumpets will be at each rehearsal and performance. The advantage of this more limited instrumentation gives the players as well as its director a more focused view of the goals and requirements for improvement. A rehearsal of a trumpet ensemble requires the players to listen more closely to each other which rules out all the confusion in a typical band rehearsal, i.e. (added time spent working with the other sections of the ensemble). Trumpet choir rehearsals focus on one thing and that is the best playing the students can do on trumpets.
- The more homogenous sound produced by an ensemble of uniform instruments has a sound which is challenging as well as rewarding to both the players as well as their audience. Whether we are speaking of a trumpet choir, a clarinet choir or a horn choir, each ensemble has a very unique sound. This “one of a kind timbre” can be used to the bands advantage for your better players will have a more profound effect on the less advanced players. The closer you are to the best player in your section, the quicker you will absorb the better players sound and technique.
- Trumpet ensemble arrangements, if written correctly will not only be challenging for the student but will also take into consideration the limits of the instrument as well as its players. An average trumpet ensemble will usually have one or perhaps two players able to play in the upper register (i.e. above written high C). For that reason, few arrangements will expect higher playing and the amount of judicious resting must also be considered. In my more difficult arrangements I usually share the difficult parts between two of the players. In this way, each has a shared responsibility and no one gets hurt.
- A trumpet choir has an advantage when tuning for the quality of the sound as well as the limited range makes tuning much easier than when tuning a full concert band. It is amazing how many directors are unable to tune their bands because of the timbre and different registers of the band instruments.
- The smaller number of members will be vast advantages to the band program for the same reason chamber ensembles have the advantage over a full band ensemble. In the chamber ensemble as with the trumpet choir, there is usually only one player on each part which adds responsibility as well as importance and pride to every player. In a full band with twelve trumpet players playing three separate parts that means you could have four players on each of the parts. In a trumpet choir most players are responsible for their own music.
- Most trumpet ensembles who compete at Solo Ensemble Contest around the country are usually a duet, trio and in some cases a quartet. Many times the literature for these smaller ensembles include the name of a flower or a star constellation. The reason for this is that many of the available arrangements were written fifty to sixty years ago when trumpet duets and trios were in the style of the times. Most of these are really bad!
Many times you can get a fair idea as to their value by their title- such as these loosers.
Basin Street Blues. For Trumpet Trio
When The Saints Go Marching In (trumpet trio)
Yankee Doodle – Trumpet Trio
The Lonely Bull
Tricky Trumpets – Trio for Young Trumpet Players
Crimson Bananas for Trumpet Trio
Danny Boy for Trumpet Trio
Jolly Trumpet Trio
Carry on Trumpets – Trio
Trumpet Trio No. 1
Smoke On The Water for Trumpet Trio
Three Little Birds. For Trumpet Trio
Or the arrangement listed as being composed as early as these –
Carmela– Composed 1955.
Gallant Brigadiers– Composed 1953.
We Three Revelers– Composed 1949.
Triad– Composed 1951
Three Jesters– Composed 1949.
Three Chums– Composed 1935
Polka Arabesque– Composed 1935
Comrades– Composed 1936.
Three Cadets– Composed 1955.
Elena Polka– Composed 1936
Chiquita– Composed 1954
Babillage– Composed 1956
Anita– Composed 1957
Polka Dots– 1935
Three of a Kind– 1937
Notice in all of the examples above, there are no recorded examples to give you an idea as to how old these are !
