SECRET GARDEN Orchestra/Orchestration Question

My heart goes out to you as a fellow MD/Orchestrator. I have had to make this call many times and it's really a Sophie's Choice.

That said - I strongly encourage you to use a Bass. I've been in this situation where I thought extra colors were the way to go and haven't used a Bass, only to end up with a thin, nonsupported sound. Then, I did a production of "Night Music" where I had enough players to use a Bass, but the player had to miss the first half of the first rehearsal or so.

My life changed, literally, when the Bass player showed up an hour into that rehearsal and started playing. Suddenly there was a foundation to the orchestra that the Cello and the Piano could never give. It was solid, it was together - a Bass doesn't give you instrumental colors the way the Horn or the Violin does, but it gives you meat to the sound and holds it together harmonically like nothing else can. Without it, you get a murky harmonic and rhythmic bottom, even with percussion.

So - what piece goes to make room for the bass? I defer to you. I think the Woodwind is really important in that show, especially with all the panpipes and pennywhistles and such. I guess I'd suggest losing either the Horn or the Cello, since they're in similar ranges and will beef up the same part of the sound. Look through the score to see whether you're better off being able to have some string ensembles or whether you want the Horn to give you some oomph for the bigger numbers. You can always put some of the Horn figures in the Cello part or vice-versa, plus in places the Bass isn't needed to thump along on the root of the chord, a good Bass player can cover some of the Cello parts by playing them up high with a bow.

Or the other option is to lose the percussion. "The Last Five Years" is a small, rhythmic show that uses no drums or percussion and actually works surprisingly well (the Guitar and the Piano drive the rhythm) and you might listen to that for some inspiration. You might suffice with just the pitched instruments, depending on the space and your personal taste.

Best of luck!

Have you gotten to look at the books at all yet? Or are you just planning based off the orchestration list?

I can say that Keyboard II books tend to double the strings more often than not during songs where strings are integral to the orchestration. If that's the case, you can do a lot more with Keyboard 2 and Bass then you can with Cello and Violin I.

Woodwind III you can most likely get rid of without losing much. Bass Clarinet tends to double the Bass or the Piano's bass line, rarely doing anything on its own. I haven't worked on Secret Garden, but I don't recall any particularly exciting Bass Clarinet parts in the score (and I listen hard, too; I play bass, alto, and e-flat clarinet more often than b-flat clarinet and am always looking to play in shows with exciting parts for those instruments).

Woodwind II is a bit trickier. I remember the English Horn/Oboe having some really beautiful lines throughout the score. They aren't essential, but if you can work it out, the Woodwind I player (or Keyboard II player) can cover them at any really key moments. Or, you know, get a Woodwind II player.

My suggestions, therefore would be: Keyboard I, Keyboard II (if it doubles the strings, which it probably does; otherwise, give another keyboard player the string books and have her work out what book to play when in place of the Keyboard II book), Woodwind I (with Woodwind II transposed in whenever possible), Horn I, Bass, and Percussion. I'd drop the percussion in a heartbeat for a Woodwind II, but that's really a matter of personal preference.

Updated On: 1/2/11 at 05:25 PM