HELP! Concert Band Orchestration

Hey guys!

I am about to get started composing a piece for a concert band/wind symphony based around the character(s) of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This will be my second piece for this type of ensemble and am wondering if I could get any advice regarding orchestration. I will accept general advice, but if anyone would have tips to make this playable for a tiny ensemble (3 flutes, 1 clarinet, 3 alto saxophones, a tenor saxophone, a baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, an euphonium, 2 trombones, and a handful of percussionists), that would be amazing! Thank you!

On 11/25/2024 at 5:36 PM, AlexL said:

will accept general advice, but if anyone would have tips to make this playable for a tiny ensemble (3 flutes, 1 clarinet, 3 alto saxophones, a tenor saxophone, a baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, an euphonium, 2 trombones, and a handful of percussionists), that would be amazing!

I think the smaller the ensemble the more challenging it is to create a homogeneous sound, especially with winds.  In a regular concert band I'd imagine that (I haven't actually written anything for concert band mind you) what would facilitate a fuller ensemble sound is having multiple instruments per part, and multiple parts per section of the ensemble (Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Bass Clarinet).  Without either of those you have to write knowing the blending capabilities of the different instruments that are doubling each other.  I mention Clarinets because I consider them to be the mid-range all-purpose blending instruments in the ensemble, although the Saxophones can also do this, albeit they're a bit brighter.  You might get away with using the one Clarinet you've got with the Saxophones to do this, especially since you've got a couple of different kinds of Saxophone which can cover a wider range.  It's also important to know the skill of the players in each section.  Are the 3 Flute players that you have skilled enough to be able to stand alone on a part?  If so, you might be able to get away with writing 3 different Flute parts for more variety in how the piece of music you're writing is arranged both in color and function of the instruments in the music.  If the Flute players are at a beginners level then I'd advise to only write one Flute part.  That's about as much as I can say on the matter.  Thanks for asking!