Choosing music to perform is probably the most important factor in several effects:
1. How much the ringers enjoy the class.
2. How much the audiences enjoy the performances.
3. How much improvement the students make over the course of a year.
This are some of the guidelines I use when selecting and programming music.
1. Melody is key. A piece has to have a clear melody line. If it's a familiar tune, it needs to be recognizable. If it's not a familiar tune, the melody needs to be clear and compelling. "Tempest" is an amazing piece, but its melody line in the main parts of the piece is pretty weak. In the 6/8 section, it's much stronger. and I find that the most compelling part of the piece.
2. Don't be difficult for the sake of being difficult. We're not performing for adulation, but for the joy of music, and to share an experience with the audience. Too many times, beauty and melody are sacrificed in order to make something really difficult, and I don't find that enjoyable to listen to. I am kind of picking on "Tempest"--it's very complex. Because of the meter, it's hard to follow for the listener, which makes it less enjoyable. *
3. Try to make it enjoyable for every ringer. It's difficult to find pieces that engage every ringer. "Roundelay" is one of them, and that's one of the reasons why it is my favorite bell piece. Some pieces have pockets of extreme busyness and other players hardly play at all. If a certain ringer doesn't play much in a certain piece, choose another piece where that spot does get to play a lot.
4. Try not to be gimmicky. Syncopation for the sake of syncopation can be forced, and then it overtakes the entire piece. If you're going to write syncopation, make it fit in with the piece as a whole, and not control every aspect. Variety is nice within a piece.
5. Try not to be cheesy. Too many groups try to be funny by being silly. That can be enjoyable for the audience, but they won't respect your musicality.
6. Slow/Reflective is usually boring. If there's a slow piece, I generally won't choose it unless it has some unique chords and a section with some steel to it. What I mean by that is that it has a strong, driving section despite being slow. Excellent examples of this are "Fantasy on Kingsfold" and "I Vow to Thee."
Genres
I select one or two pieces in each of a set of categories for a specific year's repertoire. That is to avoid having too many pieces in the same style/genre. Variety is the spice of life! It also helps us learn more over the course of a year. Some years I won't fill each category, and sometimes I will have two or three in the same category. But I still like to program a variety.
These are the general categories I like to fill:
1. How much the ringers enjoy the class.
2. How much the audiences enjoy the performances.
3. How much improvement the students make over the course of a year.
This are some of the guidelines I use when selecting and programming music.
1. Melody is key. A piece has to have a clear melody line. If it's a familiar tune, it needs to be recognizable. If it's not a familiar tune, the melody needs to be clear and compelling. "Tempest" is an amazing piece, but its melody line in the main parts of the piece is pretty weak. In the 6/8 section, it's much stronger. and I find that the most compelling part of the piece.
2. Don't be difficult for the sake of being difficult. We're not performing for adulation, but for the joy of music, and to share an experience with the audience. Too many times, beauty and melody are sacrificed in order to make something really difficult, and I don't find that enjoyable to listen to. I am kind of picking on "Tempest"--it's very complex. Because of the meter, it's hard to follow for the listener, which makes it less enjoyable. *
3. Try to make it enjoyable for every ringer. It's difficult to find pieces that engage every ringer. "Roundelay" is one of them, and that's one of the reasons why it is my favorite bell piece. Some pieces have pockets of extreme busyness and other players hardly play at all. If a certain ringer doesn't play much in a certain piece, choose another piece where that spot does get to play a lot.
4. Try not to be gimmicky. Syncopation for the sake of syncopation can be forced, and then it overtakes the entire piece. If you're going to write syncopation, make it fit in with the piece as a whole, and not control every aspect. Variety is nice within a piece.
5. Try not to be cheesy. Too many groups try to be funny by being silly. That can be enjoyable for the audience, but they won't respect your musicality.
6. Slow/Reflective is usually boring. If there's a slow piece, I generally won't choose it unless it has some unique chords and a section with some steel to it. What I mean by that is that it has a strong, driving section despite being slow. Excellent examples of this are "Fantasy on Kingsfold" and "I Vow to Thee."
Genres
I select one or two pieces in each of a set of categories for a specific year's repertoire. That is to avoid having too many pieces in the same style/genre. Variety is the spice of life! It also helps us learn more over the course of a year. Some years I won't fill each category, and sometimes I will have two or three in the same category. But I still like to program a variety.
These are the general categories I like to fill:
- Unique Hymn Arrangement (a different style from the original)
- Sacred Bouncy
- Sacred Original
- Hymn in Minor Key
- Spiritual
- Contemporary Praise Song
- Christmas Bouncy
- Christmas Cultural (outside of the traditional carols)
- Christmas in Minor Key
- Classical
- Secular Bouncy
- Secular Showpiece
- Secular Jazz
- Secular Popular Genre
* That also goes for speed. It is impressive to hear a group play super fast music, but a lot of the intricacy and counterpoint gets lost in the mix. The audience will hear so much more if the piece is played at a slower speed. Compare this performance of Tempest with this one. So much is lost to speed, although the Hong Kong group is undeniably talented.
Compare this performance of Dorian Dance with this one. Wow, that first group is talented (and young!) , but you miss out on so much: Dynamic contrast, interplay between melody and supporting parts, stressed beats, and plenty of repeated notes.
Compare this performance of Dorian Dance with this one. Wow, that first group is talented (and young!) , but you miss out on so much: Dynamic contrast, interplay between melody and supporting parts, stressed beats, and plenty of repeated notes.