First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst/adpt. Robert Longfield

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Boosey & Hawkes Concert Band - Grade 3
Robert Longfield has painstakingly maintained the authenticity, form and character of Holst's work while making it accessible to younger players. Extreme ranges (particularly in the woodwinds) have been eliminated, and the brass scoring now includes 3 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 trombones, baritone and tuba.
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[@jenkinsfamily2229]

If you played this for me and told me it was the original First Suite, I would believe you all the way until the end of the Chaccone. Incredible arrangement!

[@somethingoldish7696]

By variation 3 of Chaconne, it sounds different. You can hear the lack of a lower voice with the woodwinds. And the trumpets are lowered down the octave at variation 5. They raise/lower many octaves in this rearrangement. Once you reach variation 12 (109), it becomes obvious it has been modified. I think the overall tempo of the entire suite has been lowered as well. Intermezzo almost sounds identical with the exception of some octave changes again and the lack of a lower voice in the last 2 bars. Same comments for March with the trumpets. However, I only noticed these minor details because we played the original version for 5 months and did a full technical analysis of the work. Playing a piece for that long has you knowing it like the back of your hand. This is an expertly done rearrangement.

[@jenkinsfamily2229]

@@somethingoldish7696 exactly. unless you're an expert, you won't be able to tell the difference. great for younger players while sneakily removing some difficult spots

[@demon-worksgaming5663]

I remember when my band played this as well, only we played it at one of our concert band festivals and we received a final rating of “good”. One of the adjudicators said that we should not have attempted one of Holst’s songs.

[@ducks8056]

The band I’m in were doing this too and us the clarinets are dying trying to do this also this is only my 3rd school year playing clarinet and I can not do those high notes 💀

[@PxndaCakes]

​@ducks8056 you know that feeling when u try to play a note and u squeak? Do that as u play 3rd octave notes

[@ItsAidanGames]

@@ducks8056 im a freshman doing this right now for the spring concert, It was a little tricky me at first with the first run in chaconne but im chillin now

[@uhsilent]

0:00 1 movement 4:43 2 movement 7:46 3 movement

[@sharkisha5671]

I’m the first chair trumpet in our band. I’ve got all of the solos and play all of the top splits. My ears love this piece but my lips hate it 🫠

[@emilyfleischmann]

I played second trumpet and that low sustained note in the chaconne still gives me the shivers!

[@yaboicatman4611]

I always play the Bottom Splits when I play First Trumpet Lol

[@RoseCadenza]

I remember when my high school band played. Our group was very small, less than 20 members. We had to work around with parts. The other clarinetist and I switched a lot between the clarinet 1 & 2 and oboe parts. I think it ended up turning out really good. Pretty sure we played the OG version. I think things would've been easier if this arrangement came out 8 years ago. But now smaller groups can play it. Yay!

[@raymondwang3110]

Same here! Was part of a 19-member band playing First Suite a few years ago. If only there were adaptations for more wind band classics for smaller bands!

[@RoseCadenza]

@@raymondwang3110 I agree. It's nice to have larger band arrangements. But there are a lot of bands that are pretty small. Because I was homeschooled, our groups never exceeded around 20 members. And these classical pieces are some of the best things out there. I understand that composers back in the day composed for huge symphonies and concert bands, but I think composers and arrangers can try to please the smaller bands nowadays with more arrangements like this of the classics. It's interesting coming back to this since my community band (over 50 members) just played the original arrangement. It's always a joy to play this amazing piece!

[@Andi-zc5vp]

I can’t even explain the rush I’d feel playing the March- (2nd trumpet :) )

[@user-zq4zb1dh8f]

😢

[@cat_luver16]

Chaconne 0:00 Intermezzo 4:44 March 7:46

[@rlj489]

This looks very very close to the OG piece but i can see lacking are Alto clarinet, solo clarinet, e flat clarinet, some percussion pieces and so on. Definitely a grade 4 piece though.

[@TylerMazone]

Heh. Might as well just play the OG version.

[@FloppityFloppify]

Hi!

[@maryanngilliam3951]

Right?? This version isn't that much easier than the original. It'd make more sense if they made a Level 2 version

[@garywashere_]

@@maryanngilliam3951 Instrumentation purposes. Not every band has 4 horns, or 3 trombones... etc, you get the point. Meant for smaller instrumentation.

[@paulroutledge4923]

@@garywashere_ Remember the history of the instrumentation of it and how it 'evolved'. It still can be played with 19 parts with the other parts marked 'adilb' as it has in the last couple of years mainly due to this covid season.

[@soooooowhat4604]

​@paulroutledge4923 but some bands can't. your point with 19 parts if you look in this very comment section people want this version to exist. so you won't have a clarinet having to switch between an oboe and a clarinet part. I get it's an art form but there also convince as well you have to think aboit

[@taramay782]

I played the old version in band and I played the e flat contra clarinet and i had a little solo in it! I thought I was the best ever! Lol i love this song

[@jncrook5409]

This is so cool!

[@strikedace]

As a baritone sax, I need to say I can’t feel honored for finally having my own line and not cramped with tuba or bass clar on the conductor score

[@j9rq560]

This arrangement is pretty cool! Although, why'd you remove the bass clarinet solo in Mvt. 2 tho?! T_T

[@tritl6571]

Yeah bari sax and bass clarinet were removed probably because of instrumentation since there’s no bass bone and bass sax in this version. (That would be my guess)

[@lenaz1178]

Oh my god thank you for bringing the oboe chaconne run down an octave

[@pgsilver6873]

My school band is playing this song this year for competition and I somehow got the euphonium solo at 6:44. It's cool but puts a ton of stress onto me.

[@FloppityFloppify]

No alto clarinet :( no Eb :(

[@Composer_Piggy]

It was arranged so that bands with limited instrumentation (like small high school bands) could still play this great music. Unfortunately, most small bands don’t have alto or Eb clarinets

[@bbo101]

Even if the band lack some instruments , find a way to have a good performance is also a part of art .

[@FloppityFloppify]

@@Composer_Piggy Ikik still sucks and hai!

[@dylanhatton5178]

I think this is rather just an arrangement for smaller bands than an easier version

[@RosaAngela_Music]

Are there available parts for instruments seperatly?

[@aliciadalbey1201]

definitely not a grade three, this is is easily a 4, maybe a 4.5.

[@trontren95]

it's too complicated to be a grade 3 for sure idk what they are thinking

[@dylanhatton5178]

the OG is grade 4

[@dr_mercio]

What is that melody!!!

[@SomeGuyRandom893]

9:46

[@Big_Z_217]

1:04 3:30

[@NMC21887]

…why?

[@t0kyo711]

1:56

[@alhampton2005]

@tomatocouch I care

[@sillsdog]

this arrangement is literally so mid they changed so much stuff that didn't needed to be changed the original is fine

[@tritl6571]

It was just reduced instrumentation

[@superior_nobody07]

This arrangement is quite literally the original with barely noticeable changes up until a certain point. With most of the arrangement it's hard to tell what exactly changed

[@Bob-gt7lk]

​@@superior_nobody07not from oboe perspective TBH

[@superior_nobody07]

@@Bob-gt7lk remember this is a grade 3. The overall sound is almost identical but changes were made to compensate for a less advanced/smaller ensemble. Some parts were water downed as a result, and some parts were cut to compensate, but if you played this arrangement without telling anyone it wasn't the original, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference

[@Bob-gt7lk]

@@superior_nobody07 That is true but as a oboe perspective, I was little sad that Longfield moved oboe solo to first clarinet. I understand a lot of school bands does not have oboe players at all though.

[@Accordion_Guy]

7:50

[@vedantdave579]

5:44

[@tdogfightr9022]

Magic!