Seeking A solo for an audition but a few caveats

[YEP i play a yamaha]

Hello, I am looking for a solo for audition. The Audition requires me to play an entire solo (no cuts) that is 3 to 5 minutes long. I'm in 8th grade and on my 3rd year of playing Euphonium and am looking for something around the mid high school level. I played the Curnow rhapsody for euphonium for solo and ensemble, but its too long for this audition. I was looking at 2 songs from Holsts 2nd suite, but then remembered that along with George Washington Bicentennial and pineapple poll, my other 2 excerpts are the entire 1st and 2nd movements from second suite, so that wouldn't work. I can Get the low B natural below pedal Bb to a high Bb, but comfortably the F below Pedal Bb to high G-A.

Thanks!

[davewerden]

Welcome to the forum!

I was thinking about the solo challenge. As it happens, a few months ago I finished a new arrangement of Bach gavottes. Listen to it here and see what you think. It is 2:41 long. There is a link to get the music in the video's description.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwlA...ature=youtu.be

You could also do the Rondo movement of the Capuzzi Andante and Rondo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGGgnenJZFo

Its music is here:

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title...5?aff_id=15680

[YEP i play a yamaha]

That youtube link leads to your arrangement of beethovens Judas Maccabeus Variations.

[davewerden]

That youtube link leads to your arrangement of beethovens Judas Maccabeus Variations.

Oops! Sorry about that. Here is the correct link (I corrected the original post as well):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwlA...ature=youtu.be

[JTJ]

I've always liked the Vaughn Williams "Six Studies in English Folksong." The work plays to the euphonium's strengths as a beautiful sounding instrument. All six movements are longer than you need, but you could try the last three, say, which start at the 4:30 point. If you play these well, you'll likely win the audition because they combine extreme musicality with reasonable technique. The link is to a performance on double bass, an especially good performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqYvoP84ecI

[davewerden]

RE: JTJ suggestion - the English Folksong pieces are beautiful and can be very effective. But technically they are pretty easy, so you won't win points there. This brings up a discussion I should have mentioned that Arthur Lehman presented (euphonium legend, deceased, formerly U.S. Marine Band). He talked about choosing solos and gave some practical advice. To paraphrase...

If you have strong technique, choose a technical solo. If not, but if your musicality is strong, then choose a musical solo (like the Folksongs). If neither are very strong or very weak, then choose something in between, which does not strongly rely on either trait. (He also states some obvious points that some folks seem to not consider, like if your triple-tongue is weak don't choose a triple-tongue solo!)

If you have good musicality (or a very good coach) and a good tone, then the Folksongs can be effective, and as JTJ suggests, they might set you apart from the pack and/or give the judges something a bit refreshing. If you are in between on tone/technique, the Gavottes would work well. If your main strength is technique (within your grade level) the Capuzzi is a very engaging piece.

[tonewheeler]

Take a look at "Morceau Symphonique", originally written for trombone. I played as a college scholarship piece on my Yam YEP-321 a million years ago, and it worked out well for me.

[John Morgan]

I had thought about Morceau as well, but it is longer than the 5 minutes the poster said it needed to be (3-5 minutes).

I may be a little out of touch, but you say you are in 8th grade, and it seems you are playing well above the average 8th grader. If that is the case, then here is one:

Willow Echoes is a possibility if you can triple tongue well. It is just under 5 minutes. You can get it and the band arrangement free here:

https://www.bandmusicpdf.org/willowechoes

Note to the forum: https://www.bandmusicpdf.org is a pretty good site for getting a bunch of free stuff. Check it out. It is public domain stuff so it is older music.