Percy Grainger - Linolnshire Posy - The Brisk Young Sailor
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Lincolnshire Posy is not only a folk-song setting, but a musical portrait of the singers' performances and personalities. Th jaunty clarinet passage in The Brisk Young Sailor is for all the first clarinets, though sometimes the first nine bars are
played as a solo, and is on every military band audition. Precision is key - pay close attention to the articulation marks on each note. Though some notes in the initial passage are not marked staccato, the unmarked ones will end up short-ish because
of the mood of the piece. Phrase vocally, especially singing on the quarter notes. Be very exact starting at measure 10, and play the non-legato passage with long air support for even notes in length and dynamic.
18 starts the challenging part. Make all dynamics intentional, and phrase playfully. Play the high C a little softer to avoid an explosion - this is especially important in the band so you can support those instruments who need to play
louder just to make the note sound. Crescendo down from the high note, dip a little at the G7 chord, so you can build back up during the written hairpin. Don't rush, don't drag - sections want to play with someone they know they can rely upon.
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