rob_dj Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Ok, I'm involved with this show for the local amateur groups - they both had licences for the same week (separately) and somehow managed to agree to work together on a show... No, really...However, when they're doing the photoshoot, the script says I've got to play an R'n'B version of jerusalem which is available from Samuel french's website - all I can find is a PDF of the sheet music - anyone know if there is an MP3 available?Ta muchly,Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtheenchanteruk Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 the soundtrack CD seems to have it on, had a quick search, only found it on US sites for import, was only a quick search mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Give them a ring but be prepared for a few calls bouncing around while the right person finds it. We had a similar issue with Rent and a track for something or other that I forget now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_dj Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Thanks both. I've found a soundtrack CD on Amazon UK, which I'll order if needed, but in the meantime, I've emailed Samuel French to see if they have any other versions, as the version on CD is only 1:20 long. I'll post in here again when I get a response from them. Hmm. SF reply: Sorry, there's only the sheet music. I've found two versions of the soudntrack on Amazon, one of which has the correct (?) version of Jerusalem as track 11, the other has a piece called One More Hour. I might just buy the CD and charge it to the group... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJones Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Have you looked on iTunes? You may be able to just buy the track that you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_dj Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Yes, I checked on iTunes, and it doesn't seem to be there <_<. In the meantime, SF have got back to me and say that I need to use the sheet music and get someone to sing and play it and record it myself - which seems odd, as there is only one page of music and it'll last around 30 seconds at most, and from looking at the script the suggestion is that it plays over the scene, not to end it. So, now to go and sweet talk the wife into playing one of the weirdest pieces of music I've ever seen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 The copyright rules on these things are rarely flexible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtheenchanteruk Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 the samuel french site definitely says end of scene. "Please note the music in the nude scene (the R&B version of Jerusalem at the end of ACT I, Scene 6) is mandatory." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_dj Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Well, this has to be one of the most frustrating things I've ever had to deal with, but I think I've finally got it sorted, even if I'm not certain I agree with it: As pointed out, it is MANDATORY to use the music. It runs into the blackout at the end of the nude scene. There is no recording in existence of the music that it is MANDATORY to use. There is a very vague piece of sheet music - it's basically 4 bars of notation, and the remaining bars are written as improvisation. I've spoken to SF this morning rather than email and explained that as it's improvisation, they will get different interpretations of it from every player they put it in front of, and some players won't do improv (my wife included!). I don't think anyone had realised this, because SF are now going back to the producers to check with them as they think there might be a CD that has the transition music on as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistermorton Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Well, this has to be one of the most frustrating things I've ever had to deal with, but I think I've finally got it sorted, even if I'm not certain I agree with it: As pointed out, it is MANDATORY to use the music. It runs into the blackout at the end of the nude scene. There is no recording in existence of the music that it is MANDATORY to use. There is a very vague piece of sheet music - it's basically 4 bars of notation, and the remaining bars are written as improvisation. I've spoken to SF this morning rather than email and explained that as it's improvisation, they will get different interpretations of it from every player they put it in front of, and some players won't do improv (my wife included!). I don't think anyone had realised this, because SF are now going back to the producers to check with them as they think there might be a CD that has the transition music on as well! Interesting - could you keep us informed how this progresses, as I suspect there will be many amateur productions falling foul of exactly this problem over the coming year (my own company are putting the show on in september, although I don't know yet who has been assigned to sound, or whether they're on top of this yet). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I'm a little lost. The first four bars are to set the style and then the scene fades to black during the impro section doesn't it? Some players won't do impro? How odd? If they can't improvise then just find somebody to write out their own improvisation and get her to play somebody else's version. It's actually quite common in shows where the song finishes and then the MD improvises the playoff to suit the action which is variable. Standard practice - and often if the piece is of a suitable standard, then band have the same instructions. I did one a year or two ago where one song simply said "impro ending in the style of Bo Diddley". Many shows are VERY strict on not changing things. The version of Les Mis many amateur groups have been doing allow no cuts and no key changes. They even have visiting players who come with their own version of the score and ask for a seat in the pit with their violin, and play their version. Woe betide an MD who has made cuts. They even have the power to collect the hired pads and take them away if you have contravened the rules. When you sign that form saying you agree to the terms, it's well worth reading it properly. Some ban any use of pre-recorded music, stating it must all be live. Others allow you to cut numbers, others don't. Really common stuff. They are aware the improvisational sections will be interpreted differently, but any composer who includes the word improv knows and expects it. This scene could be very tacky with different music, and it's what the author wants - so it gets done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Some Bloke Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I can quite understand players who don't improvise: if you're brought up in the classical style then you're taught to play things eaxtly to the dots and nothing else (unless you're a church organist in which case you do need to improvise to stretch a piece out until the perfect moment). The problem is that in the professional world you wouldn't get (or, let's face it, go up for) a job in the band for this show if you couldn't improvise from chords, but in the amateur world you will be very happy if a talented pianst offers to play for the show. If you then find they don't improvise then that's when it all falls down. The easiest way would be to find (or make) a recording of the music on the basis that they're not putting professional musicians out of a job as it's an amateur company who would otherwise have got someone's mate or wife to play! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_dj Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Mostly every musical I've played in for the last 15 years has had band parts which are scored during songs, play-offs, play-ons, scene changes, walkdowns and encores. Because of this, it's not unknown for us to still be playing when the theatre has emptied... Calendar Girls isn't a musical though, it's a play with some odd bits of music for scene changes (usually just to mark the passage of time, as most of the action takes place in the church hall) - as a result, none of the cast are musicians, so all of the music has to be pre-recorded for them. To quote from the script: "Music On Loan - Please note the music in the nude scen (the R&B version of Jerusalem at the end of Act I, Scene 6) is mandatory and available on load from Samuel French Ltd. It can be downloaded from our website [link removed] or send and A4 SAE to our librarian for a hard copy." Now, if you want the same piece of music in every play, to my mind, you need to write down the notes that you want played - not just the chords and ask them to improvise - I can guarantee you if you give the same four chord pattern to two different pianists, you'll get two different pieces. Heck, ask them to have another go and like as not, you'll end up with another two different pieces from the first attempt. I'm a sax and clarinet player in a Big Band, and although we rehearse regularly, I doubt if I've played the improv solos in any of the pieces the same way twice - you take the best ideas you've had, drop some of the weaker bits and hope for the best! If they want the same piece of music consistently, or even a similar feel to the music, then improvising isn't going to give them it was the point that I was trying to make to SF. When I actually spoke to SF this morning, the impression I got was that they thought the music was fully scored, not 4 bars scored them improv (it's written as four / in each bar), and I think that's possibly why some confusion has arisen in this case, and they are getting someone to look into it for me. @paulears - as a musician,I've found you tend to find there are two extremes of players - jazzers (for want of a better name) who are quite happy to improvise, but most will read music if it's there, and classical players, who play the dots exactly as written and don't like to deviate at all. Most people are somewhere between the two depending on the people they've been around when learning. My wife (who plays and teaches clarinet, sax, flute and piano) was trained by someone who didn't like improvising, so she never did any improvising. I was taught by a teacher who loved jazz & swing music, so I did a lot of it. ABRSM are aware of the issue, and they do try and get everyone to have a go at improvising on the teacher training courses now. I'm sorry, having read that it sounds a bit of a rant, but it isn't intended to be one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leebaxy Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Ok, I'm involved with this show for the local amateur groups - they both had licences for the same week (separately) and somehow managed to agree to work together on a show... No, really...However, when they're doing the photoshoot, the script says I've got to play an R'n'B version of jerusalem which is available from Samuel french's website - all I can find is a PDF of the sheet music - anyone know if there is an MP3 available?Ta muchly,Rob Hi I also came across this problem. This is the authors Webpage, halfway down on the left hand side of the screen, there is a link that says 'Amateur groups: music for Calendar Girls'. http://www.timfirth.com/amdram_forum.html Hopefully this is allowed ot be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 To Rob - I do understand the problems. Worst case was on stage for a posh recital that was being recorded - I grabbed the amazing musician who was playing the clarinet, and asked him if he could just play for me, for level in his soloist position and I discovered a problem, he'd not got the music with him, so I asked him to play anything - still couldn't! play anything without the dots! How odd! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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