Help with Orchestration - Our House

[AlanB]

Hello All,
I have had a go at orchestrating 'Our House' by Madness for our band's horn section. I have never really done this before properly so don't really know what I am doing. Could anyone run an experienced eye over my lead sheet and tell me if it is going to work. It would be even better if someone could look at it while listening to the song. Maybe, if you have experience' in these things you might be able to tell if it will sound good. For example I have replaced the strings on the record with alto and soprano sax in the top register.

Any help, advice, suggestions would really be helpful. Just PM me with e-mail address if you can help. After I've got it right anyone can have it off me if they like.
Cheers,
Alan
P.S. I can e-mail the audio of the song if anyone wants to help, but doesn't have the song.
Al

 

[RSPINDY]

Hello All,
I have had a go at orchestrating 'Our House' by Madness for our band's horn section. I have never really done this before properly so don't really know what I am doing. Could anyone run an experienced eye over my lead sheet and tell me if it is going to work. It would be even better if someone could look at it while listening to the song. Maybe, if you have experience' in these things you might be able to tell if it will sound good. For example I have replaced the strings on the record with alto and soprano sax in the top register.

Any help, advice, suggestions would really be helpful. Just PM me with e-mail address if you can help. After I've got it right anyone can have it off me if they like.
Cheers,
Alan
P.S. I can e-mail the audio of the song if anyone wants to help, but doesn't have the song.
Al

Hi Alan,

I don't know how much help that I can be but I would be interested in trying. I recently worked on some ideas with "Chicago" style and "BS&T" style, etc. to try to convince a community band that has a concert band and jazz band to create a smaller wind ensemble that includes keyboards and rhythm section.

I'm a keyboard player and a year ago I signed up to volunteer for the jazz band. A member got a hold of me and needed help in the percussion section last summer and I was game, but I want to play keyboard. Well I've been stuck in percussion and I won't get into jazz band (except as a first call last minute sub) until Kurt dies (bless his heart).

Anyway, I was trying to create some smaller wind ensemble arrangements to work on trying to build this smaller group (that I could play in). I'm not sure if they were great but the hearings received positive responses (no gun to their heads).

I do have a Roland RD-700 and Cubase on my computer so I was, even with the limitations of truly sounding like each instrument, give a reasonable sense of the solo and ensemble sounds. My groups were based around "Chicago" with trumpet, sax, and trombone. I have doubled one or more on some because I wanted some flexibility in the idea since it was new.

That's my experience. I would be interested to know what the combination of instruments in your wind section and your thoughts about the arrangement. Is it strictly a wind group or are there vocals and rhythm?

One thing I discovered is that, while Chicago, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears, and Tower of Power, et. al. sound like great fodder for small contempory pop wind ensembles with rhythm, it is more difficult than you think because those iconic sounds were almost always momentary and between vocals. Except for intros and interludes, which usually had nothing to do with the main theme, they were minimal!

How do you do melody, harmony, rhythmic spikes, etc. with such a small group?

Anyway, I'm available if you are interested.

RSPINDY

 

[AlanB]

Dear RSPINDY,
Thanks alot. We have a Funk/Afrobeat/Ska type band. It is quite large now. Here are the parts

Lead Vocals
Backing singers (2-3)
Percussion (1-2)
Congas (we're still looking/auditioning)
Drums
Bass
Guitar
Keyboard (we're still looking/auditioning)

Then the horns -
Flute
Trumpet
Soprano (doubles as Alto)
Alto
Tenor (2)
Baritone
Trombone (we're still looking/auditioning)

I am trying to do orchestration for the horn parts only. Maybe I can send you the PDF I have so far (or NWC) if you use NoteWorthy. Could you send me your e-mail address by PM. If you like I can send you the audio file as well.
Cheers,
Al