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Level 5
2022 Sightreading
Title - Dover Castle
Composer - Clifton Jones
Key - Eb/Ab
Time - 2/4, March tempo; 2nd section is 3/4, moderate waltz
Main rhythm once the piece gets going is 1 2 a1 & & 1 & 2 & 1e&a2 &
Some slur patterns to watch out for in woodwinds throughout the first section. Some alternating ww brass choirs. Softer dynamics and a subito piano in the march section. Make sure to balance to the melody.
Low brass plays a simplified version of the main theme when it’s their turn.
Not many accidentals in either section. Biggest focus is articulation and slurs.
Flutes have D flats in the start of the waltz. Both sections end with a rit and fermata. Overall a pretty easy to read piece.
2021 Sight-reading
Title: Snake River Sage
Composer: William Owens
Key: Eb to Bb (7 measures) to Eb
Time Signature: 4/4 throughout
Tempo: Allegro/Andante/Allegro
E natural & Db accidentals in the first section, Db in last section. *8th followed by 2 6ths - happens on beat one or beat 3. Dotted 8th/16th *Dotted quarter/8th *8th-quarter-8th syncopation occurs either on beat one or beat 3 (but not both in the same measure). Fermata and GP to go to Bb, direct change to return to Eb. Contrast in articulation markings is important. Multiple articulation syles throughout (staccato, accents, tenuto, etc). Perc is very straightforward Very reader friendly for a level 5.
2020 Sight-reading
Title: ?
Composer: Willie Owens
Key: ?
Time Signature: ?
Tempo: ?
2019 Sight-reading
Title: Unknown
Composer: Clifton Jones(?)
Key: F/Bb
Time Signature: 4/4 and 3/4
Tempo: Moderato then Allegro
Good piece. F then Bb 4/4 then 3/4. A few repeating 16th note passages for upper WW. One syncopated rhythm pattern passed around the band. 1st trpt has a big jump to high G. One small fugal part but not bad. Baritone on c when trombone on a Bb. Suggestion is to read ALL the prior Clifton Jones pieces from the past-It’s kind of a combo of all of them. WW 16th (pretty distonic) in both moderato & allegro Little fugue between WW/Brass count carefully Big intervals in exposed Tpt/Clar/Oboe in moderato. Exposed horn, then sax/horn dotted quarters... Syncopated low brass at start. Funky little ending in 3/4 weird rest at end
2018 Sight-reading
Composer: Tim Rhea
Key: Eb and c minor
Time Signature: 4/4 and 2/4
Tempo: Andante to moderate
Slow 4/4 is lyrical. Careful with counting in trumpet part. Horns have a counter melody they must play strong. My horns kinda missed it. Rit. Into fermata and caesura. 2/4 stays in same key. Goes into minor key. Almost sounds Russian or polish. Eight rest then 3 eighths notes. In many parts. Upper woodwinds and alto have some scalier noodles. 1st clarinet doubles flute.
Lots of accidentals! Saw some concert f# and b. Trombones don’t see too many accidentals. I think just concert f#
It’s actually a great piece. It was such a great piece kids were actually humming the melody.
Have to read it carefully and conductor must not go too fast
2017 Sight-reading
Piece: Tower Bridge
Composer: Jones
Key - F/Bb/F
Time Signature - 2/4 (A section), 3/4 (B Section), back to 2/4
Tempo - Fast/slow/fast
ABA form, F Bb F (damn Eb's). Tonality is tricky in the A' section - lots of accidentals, so don't ignore it because it looks the same like I did. 1st Tpt, 1st clar, 1st trombone do most of the melodic heavy lifting. There is a spot where alto & horn have the melody with 16th notes that I wished I had spent more time with in exp. lots of upbeat and count 2 entrances throughout. Melody is thin in spots with lots of kids on other parts (1st clarinet, 1st trumpet, 1st trombone need to play very convincingly, confidently and know that their parts are unusually independent of the other parts in their sections in both A sections).
2016 Sight-reading
Piece: Unknown
Composer: Unknown
Percussion: Unknown
Key: F/Bb
Tempo: Quick/slow
Notes: Starts in F, quite a few accidentals. Tempo was marked as "quick". Fermata key change to Bb slow tempo and more accidentals. Then fermata back to quick tempo but stay in Bb. No real "tricks" except for some isolated lines between 2nd sax and 2nd trumpet.
More info: Starts in concert F. Allegro Full band at the beginning Something similar to quarter note 2 8th notes. Second 8th note tied to half more and tied to another dotted half note quarter note on beat 4 Very melodic melody in Flute/ 1st Clarinet and 1st Alto Sax while band holds long notes. Same sequence repeats one or two more times. Those three sections come in on the and of 2 or and of 3 with 8th notes After intro. I think the melody begins with trumpets. First measure of melody have dotted quarter note 8th note Next measure immediately has dotted 8th 16th note on beat two I think. Be ready for that It is a challenging melody with a scalular line and leaps. Goes up to a high concert G. While that melody is playing low brass have an 8th note ostinato pattern. One and rest and three and rest and one and Over and over again The low brass then have the melodic line that has a dotted quarter note A section ends with a ritard and Fermata on one and three. Beat three has accidental getting ready for Key change To B flat concert B section in B flat Concert and in 3/4 Andante or slower if I am correct Now be ready for this. 2nd clarinet and 2nd Alto Saxophone have an 8th note moving line while half notes are being played on a THINLY written section. All 8th notes. Something very similar to (in concert pitch) "A Bflat A Bflat A Bflat A Bflat A Bflat C Bflat and then it repeats it self I don't know remember who has the melody but it was not as exposed and should be playable I had week players in those parts so I put my emphasis there. Will come to a Fermata again at the end of the B section. And then the same restatement of the 8 section BUT in BFLAT CONCERT!!!! Last measure the wind rhythm is "one rest three and four.
2015 Sight-reading
Title: Unknown
Composer: Unknown
Percussion: unknown
Key: F/Bb
Tempo: Allegro
Time Signature: 4/4 and 3/4
Notes: A few accidentals throughout (do not know which specific ones). Lots of 8th-16th-16th. Very playable. More info from The Yellow Board….tarts off with 4 measure percussion intro. Snare mostly.
Key of F but with Ab and Eb accidentals throughout.
A LOT of dynamic markings. A lot of crescendos and de crescendos. If does change to Bb but again there are many accidentals. Only one entrance occurs on an up beat. Measure 6 in low brass. A lot of entrances on count 2. Hardest rhythms are the eighth note - 2 sixteenth and the 2 sixteenth- eighth note. The middle sections has some question and answer between low and high voices. Last 4 measures or so is a timpani solo with chords on count one.
Accidentals are the biggest issues.
2014 Sight-reading
Title: Appalachian Melody
Composer: Timothy Rhea
Similar to Wayfaring Stranger. There are two time signatures and two keys. Fermata in the middle of a piece and there are 16th notes in the low brass. More information from the Yellowboard: Key signature is Eb for most of the piece. Goes to F near the end. It is minor. A few accidentals Db and E natural. 4/4 - Moderato with rit. into Andante Legato. There is some echoing so make sure to point this out. Fermata and cesura. 2/4 allegro. Very repetitive rhythms. The key changes to F without warning (no fermata or rest, etc.) Nice melody, pretty straight forward. More info on Level 5 - the beginning starts with three flats (Eb) but it's really C minor, and it is in 4/4 time. It is slow and the melody of Wayfaring Stranger may be in there. There are lots of ties across the bars so watch out. They happen in the low brass. There are several forte pianos throughout and in the middle of the piece there is a fermata. Key of Bb but it's really g minor, and the time changes to 2/4. It moves a little quicker but not too much. There are 16ths in the WWs, Trumpets, and the low brass. The ending is the trickiest part because there are several entrances on the & of 2. There is no timpani part. Was told the toughest thing was the holding of ties across the bars and the end which hand the entrances coming in on the & of 2. They said it was very playable but it does have a few pit falls.