This clever and unique arrangement of the well known "Do-Re-Mi" distinguishes itself from others in numerous ways, and is certain to captivate performers and audience members alike. Not merely a transcription from the score, the arranger strove to make the work idiomatic to the clarinet quartet, and included the "do-mi-mi -- mi-sol-sol..." strain absent from most other instrumental arrangements. Each voice is featured, and the accompaniment varies from the mundane barrage of downbeats and afterbeats so often mechanically transcribed in other arrangements. The arranger has above all striven to encapsulate the joy and elation he felt many years ago when he was responsible for "la" while portraying Friedrich Von Trapp in a theatrical production. This arrangement can be inserted between Professor Hays' arrangements of "The Sound of Music," "My Favorite Things," and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" to create a performance suite.

With an extended introduction and countermelodies (both transcribed from the original soundtrack and of the arranger's own creation), this arrangement captures the warmth and beauty of one of Disney's most beloved tunes. All members of the quartet are featured, working in concert to recreate the tenderness of one of filmdom's most cherished scenes.

La Feria (The Fair) is a Spanish fiesta! All the sights and sounds of a traditional Spanish street festival.
Paul Lacome wrote mostly operas-bouffes, light comic operas. That same drama and delight comes through in this piece. Originally written for orchestra, there have been many popular arrangements for band. I have arranged it for Clarinet Quartet without losing any of the Spanish tradition or dramatic character of the piece.
The Suite is in 3 sections. The first is entitled Los Toros (The Bulls). The running of the bulls is a tradition of nearly every Spanish fair. This highly energetic and rhythmic section is traditional Spanish fiesta music at its best. The second section is entitled La Reja (loosely-The Gate). This one is in the form of a Serenade. Every fair has a street barred off with a special archway entrance or gate. Inside, tents are set up serving local wine. Strolling street musicians will visit each tent and serenade. This section is scaled back dynamically and also in texture to imitate the solo or duo strolling musician. For the B theme of this section I move the melody to the Clarinet 3 part down low. I like to amuse myself and think of this brief growling melody as a tipsy patron of the tent singing back to the musicians. The street musicians then quickly resume their original song. The final section is entitled La Zarzuela. The Zarzuela is a uniquely Spanish comic opera that is heavy on dance and spoken dialogue. It has much in common with the American vaudeville shows. This section is in the form of a brisk waltz, another high energy rhythmic dance where Clarinet 2 takes the B theme melody.
This piece is of Advanced Intermediate difficulty due to constant movement, articulations, rhythm, and range. Clarinet 1 in particular uses the full range of the instrument.
21 page score, 4 pages @ part, 38 pages total booklet
4:30 minutes
temporary MIDI recording

Toto's iconic hit 'Africa' is still as popular today as it was when it topped the charts in 1982. This rhythmic and inventive arrangement for Clarinet Quartet (wit optional Alto Clarinet part) will quickly become a favourite among your repertoire.
View on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ToX_aIuq20M

2018 New ArrangeMe Song Contest Entry

Arrival of the Queen of Sheba: the Sinfonia from Act 3 of the oratorio, Solomon. This was played at the 2012 London Olympics when Daniel Craig goes to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

For Clarinet quartet (3 Clarinets & Bass Clarinet).

Duration about 3 minutes, 15 seconds.

The Carmen Suites are two suites of orchestral music drawn from the music of Georges Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen and compiled posthumously by his friend Ernest Guiraud. They adhere very closely to Bizet's orchestration.

This arrangement includes:

Marche des Contrebandiers ? Act 3, chorus: "Écoute, écoute, compagnon!"Habanera: Act 1, aria (Carmen) ? "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle"Nocturne: Act 3, aria (Micaëla) ? "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante"Chanson du Toréador ? Act 2, introduction and aria (Escamillo): "Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre"La Garde Montante ? Act 1: "Avec la garde montante, nous arrivons, nous voilà!"Danse Bohème ? Act 2, Gypsy Dance: "Les tringles des sistres tintaient"

Die Moritat vom Mackie Messer, more commonly known as Mack the Knife, is a song by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht from their play The Threepenny Opera, which was first performed in Berlin in 1928. This song was hastily written before opening night for the lead actor, who complained that his character didn't have a good introduction. Mack the Knife quickly became a jazz standard, and has now been covered countless times by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Robbie Williams, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald.

This arrangement is for standard clarinet quartet of 3 Bb clarinets and 1 bass clarinet. The PDF download contains a full score and all four parts.

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The Pie in the Face Polka by Henry Mancini comes from the film, The Great Race that included Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Natalie Wood. The scene in the movie is a massive pie throwing festival where even the clean Tony Curtis gets it in the face. As you might imagine, the music is comical and fun, too. This has been set for clarinet quartet by John Gibson. (Bb Soprano 1 - 3, and bass).

2017 Holiday Contest Entry. This arrangement is suitable for professional and college ensembles. Approximate duration is 2:30. My clarinet quartet arrangements have equally balanced parts, so that all three Bb's are playing melody, harmony, and any technical passages equally.