ITEA Journal Volume 49 Number 2 (Winter 2022)
| back to contents
Increase or decrease font size: | |
EXPERTS' EXCERPTS:
by Joseph Guimaraes
Rufford Park Poachers from Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Aldridge Grainger
Background
Commissioned by the American Bandmasters Association in 1937, Grainger set
out to write a piece for wind band using folk songs that he and folk song
collector and researcher Lucy Broadwood collected between 1905-1906.
Notated from the singing of Joseph Taylor, Rufford Park Poachers
went on to become the third movement in Lincolnshire Posy. Each of
the six movements uses a different folk song notated from the singing of
six individuals living in Lincolnshire, England, for melodic material. The
variation in character from one singer to the next is largely the reason
for the striking contrast between movements.
Figure 1. Grainger - Lincolnshire Posey, Rufford Park Poachers Excerpt
Challenges
The long and undulating melodic lines in the low tessitura of the instrument can prove challenging even to the most experienced performer. Unlike in higher registers, where muscle and a bit of luck may get a lesser prepared player through a difficult passage, proficiency over the instrument's low range must be achieved by the musician ahead of performing this excerpt. Anything other than comfort in this register can quickly turn into an auditionee's worst nightmare. Nerves coupled with deficiencies in the low range can manifest into unstable sounds and, subsequently, a further worsening of the nerves. Only once we can operate beyond the fundamental skills required to perform the excerpt can we begin to distinguish our performance from that of others.
It is advisable to use a drone, tuner, and recording device while developing your lower register. Learn your intonation tendencies and develop the ability to start a pitch in tune and to adjust it when needed. Excerpts in which split parts are ubiquitous are the go-to repertoire for use during section playing. Relative intonation may get you past earlier rounds but will become a more significant and possibly disqualifying discussion when heard against another section member(s). As with any performance job, be it chamber, orchestral, or band, the ability to play reliably in tune will affect how your sound interacts with the ensemble. Developing a character that is both unique and easily incorporated within the section will prove a worthwhile pursuit.
Aside from the inherent challenges related to range, air management, and intonation, the excerpt is otherwise relatively straightforward due to Grainger's detailed musical guidance. Learning the upper split divisi can provide a clear musical idea to emulate when performing the lower octave split. As with any song, the words tell a story and create continuity from one phrase to the next. In omitting the words, the storytelling task now falls squarely on the lap of the instrumentalist. A wise player would view the shape of the line, dynamics, length of notes, variations in articulation, and tempi not as challenges to overcome but as storytelling tools to use.
One such means of adding character to the piece is through the performance of the mordent in measure 61. This ornament is often thrown away as a fast and unclear finger wiggle in the low register. Though seldomly the reason for someone not advancing to the next round, a lively, clear, and rhythmically accurate mordent is sure to add to the overall character of the excerpt. The ornaments and atypical rhythmic gestures used throughout the work are a means of replicating vocal nuances performed by each singer. As such, develop clarity, but not at the expense of the line. Maintain a smooth airstream throughout the phrase; in other words, blow through the line.
Figure 2. Measure 61
Opportunities
The score denotes Somewhat Faster as "about" quarter note equals 80 beats per minute. As with any excerpt, it is good practice to be equally proficient at a few different tempi, both slower and quicker. Appropriate breaths within the phrase markings are both acceptable and necessary.
The dense texture, a result of having the flutes, oboes, English horn, bassoons, the entire clarinet family, bass saxophone, baritones, euphoniums, and tubas playing this passage simultaneously, can lessen the performance undertaking of any single instrument when in the context of the ensemble. In an audition setting, aim to present the line not as the bass voice of the band but as a leading line. Be so compelling as to inspire other instruments to perform their lines differently.
Breathe as often as is necessary to convey the ever-changing dynamics. Starting the pick-up to rehearsal 51 closer to a soft mezzo-forte rather than the marked forte will allow for a broader dynamic range throughout the excerpt. Ensure an equally deliberate diminuendo each time to reset for the next crescendo.
Aside from a handful of accents, this excerpt is otherwise notably void of articulation markings. Accents should be stylized in a way that stays coherent with the smooth, slurred melodic lines.
Except for the F-sharp before rehearsal 63, where Grainger uses the accent to emphasize the leading tone to G, they are primarily used to denote direction towards the apex of gestures. Giving the accented notes an emphatic front while maintaining their full length atop the crescendo will drive the line home while capturing the listeners' attention. The accented syncopated figure in the second measure of rehearsal 63 should employ the same approach, clear left side of the note, slight decay, and full note length. Have a few variations of the accents on hand in the event the committee asks for something different. Pacing here is critical; careful not to crescendo too quickly. Leave the bulk of your crescendo for the two 4/4 measures (m. 66-67). The staccato placed underneath the final B-flat before rehearsal 68 indicates a precise release or right side of the note. Use the brief silence between these two contrasting sections as a tool to build anticipation in the listener and as a chance to recompose yourself for the second half.
Within your ability to maintain a robust sound and steady rhythm, strive to impress the committee by your control over dynamics. The release before rehearsal 68, about fortississimo (fff), should be the loudest moment in the excerpt. Although the downbeat of rehearsal 68 is not the softest section, the proximity of these two opposing dynamics is enough to impress even the toughest of critics. Careful not to be overzealous with your piano dynamic entrance, as the excerpt explores yet softer sections. Dynamic mapping, or the process of comparing and matching various dynamics across a composition, is a beneficial exercise for ensuring proper pacing in-between dynamics, especially in lengthier excerpts.
The rhythm and direction towards the low E-flat two before rehearsal 76 is more important than the dynamic. A well-centered E-flat at a forte dynamic is better than an over-excited and shaky one. If you have it, go for it! Otherwise, exaggerate the diminuendo to the A-flat in the 3/4 measure (m. 72) and crescendo from a pianissimo G to a forte low E-flat.
Admittedly, the vast number of interpretations of the last several measures make discussing this section challenging. The performance goal should be to "slow off lots" while maintaining an easily distinguishable pulse to the end of the excerpt.
Practice Strategies
Drone work, or the process of hearing your note against an artificially fabricated pitch, is the best way to develop intonation. For this excerpt, I recommend devoting a reasonable amount of time playing G-major, G-minor(s), and chromatic scales around a sounding G drone. The first half of the excerpt lends itself well to being played against a G drone. Finding a pitch to use in the largely chromatic second half requires some imagination. Two possible ideas are to frame a section or to set the drone to a goal note. An example of framing would be to set the drone to an A (B-double flat) and an F while performing the first five notes of rehearsal 68. An example of setting a goal note might be to sound an E-flat as you crescendo to it from measure 73 to 74.
Helpful Exercises
No.1, Long Tones
The ability to sustain pitches free from unintended wavering is a fundamental skill that accounts for a substantial part of our ensemble experience. Whereas more acrobatic excerpts like John Philip Sousa's George Washington Bicentennial March may hide such deficiencies, the long meandering lines of the Grainger will quickly expose them. Use metered long tone exercises to work on your breath, immediacy of sound, and deliberateness of the entrance and to develop strength and control of the lower register.
Although presented very plainly, practice these exercises with the full array of dynamic variation and differing ranges. Remember to prioritize efficiency and sound above all else.
Figure 3. Long Tones Exercise
No.2, Blowing Down
Counterintuitive as it may seem, staying appropriately relaxed even amidst a crescendo into a high airflow low note is vital for producing a resonant pitch. Use the marked dynamics, crescendos, and diminuendos as a general guide. Depending on where you are in your development, feel free to play with some dynamic restraint to prevent introducing either physical or air tension.
Note the three types of releases:
Figure 4 and 5. Blowing Down Exercise
Bibliography
Pease, Andy. "Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger." Wind Band Literature, November 23, 2010. https://windliterature.org/2010/11/23/lincolnshire-posy-by-percy-grainger/.
Joseph Guimaraes is a Doctoral of Musical Arts candidate at the University of Georgia's Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Joseph earned his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music and his Bachelor of Music degree in tuba performance from the Lynn University Conservatory of Music. He has earned medals at national and international solo competitions and is a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow.
Joseph joined the United States Navy Concert and Ceremonial Band, Washington, D.C., in 2020 and serves as Adjunct Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Appalachian State University.
Joseph Guimaraes
Campaigning/Advertising Policy
ITEA's publications (ITEA Journal, ITEAOnline.org, and social networking such as ITEA's Facebook and Twitter) support the work, achievements, and overall communication among our community. However, for consistency and the avoidance of conflicting interests, these publications are not in any way intended to provide opportunities for user driven campaigning, commercial solicitation, and/or advertising for areas of financial support or profit.
Advertisers should visit www.iteaonline.org for information regarding advertising. Links can be submitted using the ITEA Links Directory located at www.iteaonline.org.
ITEA Staff reserves the right to remove any content that conflicts with this policy. If you have questions, please contact ITEA Publications Chair, Jason Smith, at editor@iteaonline.org.
Copyright 2021 International Tuba Euphonium Association.
.png)
