Hymn Without Words

The work introduces a simple hymn tune that, after a short bridging passage, is offered in five variations with a closing coda section. The variations form was chosen to show off the potential of wind bands, their tone colours, moods and technical possibilities in a single, coherent work of one movement.

The usual instrumentation applies, except that there are no cornet parts, the 2^nd oboe doubles on cor anglais, and the 3^rd clarinet doubles on alto clarinet.

Alto clarinets are rare so the part is cued in other instruments, but the part would be best played on that instrument. It is used during the fourth variation where a clarinet quartet is needed since during some passages the tenor line is too low for a B^b clarinet, bands usually not having two bass clarinets. The part is cued into the 2^nd clarinet (up an octave for the few notes where necessary) enabling bands without access to the instrument can still perform the work.

Cor anglais rarely feature in bands so access to the instrument may be difficult, therefore its part is also cued. It appears during the double reed quartet sections of the fourth variation.

There is an E^b clarinet part; it can be dropped if there is no access to an instrument, but it is hoped that one player will be on the part.

The work is playable by bands of good standard and above. There are four clarinet parts - the players should be distributed evenly between them.

Although written for large band there are many cues to allow the piece to be played by bands with smaller forces.

Hymn without words was written to offer to the wind band movement the type of music that has been available to brass bands for many years. You can read more about the writing process behind Hymn Without Words here.

You can listen to an MP3 of a Garritan Personal Orchestra rendition of this setting.

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