Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 16

Thread: Looking for Some Opinions On a Recording

  1. #1

    Looking for Some Opinions On a Recording

    Soon I will post a video of "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins. The "bridge" of the song happens twice in this arrangement. In the original there is a choir aaahhh-ing in the background. My recording will be euphonium and piano.

    BUT... I have some choices and I'd like opinions. Below are 3 excerpts from the audio, each excerpt starts somewhere before the first bridge (euphonium solo) and ends after the second bridge (which is a piano solo):

    1. Normal, just me and the piano.
    Feed the Birds, just solo/piano

    2. Choir parts added with muted euphonium.
    Feed the Birds, solo/piano/muted-euph-choir

    3. Choir parts added with open euphonium.
    Feed the Birds, solo-piano/euph-choir

    So, I'd like to know your favorite, and feel free to vote differently for the euphonium setting and the piano setting.

    FYI, this is the first time I've done a performance-type of recording using multi-tracking.

    Thanks!
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  2. #2
    I am definitely a big fan of the version with the muted euphonium 'choir', I find the open euphonium 'choir' blends a bit too much or too little at the different ranges whereas the muted one seems more uniform, if that makes any sense.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853
    I prefer the first sample with just you playing. The 'aahs' just don't sound right to me.

    my opinion FWIW.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  4. #4
    I like the "muted choir" version, for the same reason given by "Mederlock".

  5. #5
    Thanks for the feedback so far! All comments are welcome, even the ones that say "leave it out."

    But I want more, more, more!! Keep 'em coming.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  6. #6
    I also prefer just you and piano. The choir coming in is distracting from your beautiful sound and the voice sound is almost more organ like and not vocal in nature. I gather this is because it is synthetic and probably a tool limitation. Either way I love the song and loved your performance with piano. Any piano reduction (I definitely don't have to tell you this) will not have the same impact necessarily as the original performance but for me the point is the beauty of the solo instrument with piano filling in the harmonic gaps.

    I get what you are trying to do though, the original performance definitely has emphasis on that bridge section. I think your playing more than communicates this "impact" along with your piano arpeggios and arrangement. On second listen I realize my brain was filling in the gaps with what I remembered from hearing this song in the movie as a kid.
    Adams E3 0.6 with SS Bell
    K&G 3.5D
    ---------------------------------
    Founder and Solo Euphonium
    San Francisco Brass Band

  7. #7
    All along I've been considering putting up the plain version first, then possibly adding the "choir" version later for comparison. So I went ahead and did that. The non-choir version (the whole thing - not just the excerpt!!) is now live on YouTube:

    Feed the Birds, Euphonium and Piano Video

    You can even comment on the full video if you want, because I used some color effects. The original scene, at least in my memory, had lots of gray stone and started in a dusky light. So I tried something a little different. See what you think, and comments are welcome.

    But please feel free to continue with comments on the excerpts above!
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  8. #8
    For me, I liked the first bridge with just piano and solo euphonium and I agree with Jake that the beautiful melody on the solo euph creates a nice mood with just the piano arpeggios. However, the euphonium choir parts are so nice that I think they would be a great addition to the second bridge. I preferred the open horns to the muted horns.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853
    I really liked the so called 'plain' version. Very nice.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  10. Thanks for allowing our input. I'm a fan of the open euphonium choir version. IMO your solo has no problem cutting through. I'd be a fan of leaving out the piano entirely or at least reducing the volume of the piano. The Euph choir with solo is just so soothing and tranquil that the piano accompaniment, especially arpeggios could be a bit more delicately presented (just tickling the ivories).
    Bob Tampa FL USA
    Euph -- 1984 B&H Round Stamp Sovereign 967 / 1978 Besson NS 767 / Early 90s Sterling MP: 4AL and GW Carbonaria
    Tuba -- 2014 Wisemann 900 CC / 2013 Mack 410 MP: Blokepiece Symphony American Shank and 33.2 #2 Rim

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •