Kenneth Hesketh - Danceries - Tim Reynish

A GUIDE TO REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCEKenneth Hesketh’s DANCERIESMark HeronCommissioning HistoryDanceries was originally written forsymphony orchestra, the first performancebeing given by the Merseyside YouthOrchestra (of whom Hesketh was then amember) in the 1980s. The composerthen undertook the transcription for windfor inclusion in the Faber Wind BandSeries. The first performance of this versionwas given by the Royal Northern Collegeof Music Wind Orchestra conducted byClark Rundell as part of theBASBWE/RNCM International WindFestival in April 2000.Danceries is published by Faber and lastsaround 12 minutes. The work is included inthe National Concert Band Festival RepertoireList at grade 4.5. There are a number ofrecordings of the work, notably by the RNCMWind Orchestra & Rundell which wasrecorded in the presence of the composer.Kenneth HeskethKenneth Hesketh was born in Liverpool in1968. Whilst a chorister at LiverpoolAnglican Cathedral, he began composingand completed his first work for orchestraat the age of 13. By the time hecommenced studies at the Royal College ofMusic in London he had written muchorchestral music, and as a college studentcompleted his first formal commission forthe Royal Liverpool PhilharmonicOrchestra under Sir Charles Groves in1988. After receiving bachelor andpostgraduate degrees from the RCM,working in commercial music andcompleting several other commissions,Kenneth Hesketh attended Tanglewood in1995 as the Leonard Bernstein Fellow andstudied with Henri Dutilleux. In 1996,while completing a Masters degree inComposition at the University of Michigan,USA, he was awarded the ShakespearePrize scholarship from the ToepferFoundation, Hamburg at the behest of SirSimon Rattle, which included a year’sresidency in Berlin. Returning to London in1999, be became the Kit and ConstantLambert Fellow at the Royal College ofMusic where he is currently Professor ofOrchestration and Composition.In 2007, Hesketh will take up the positionof Composer in the House with the RoyalLiverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for twoyears. The scheme, devised by the RoyalPhilharmonic Society in partnership withthe PRS Foundation, is designed to allowcomposers the time and space to createnew work, and to take their place at theheart of the orchestral community.Hesketh’s tenure with the RLPO will seethe creation of works for many of theinstrumental groups within the RoyalLiverpool Philharmonic Society, from theorchestra and contemporary musicensemble (Ensemble 10/10, with whomHesketh already has a thriving relationship)to youth ensembles, chamber groups andchoirs. He will also take part in teachingand outreach projects in Liverpool andManchester during the two years.Instrumentation ConsiderationsDanceries is scored for a fairly large windorchestra: -piccolo; flute 1 & 2 (with occasional divisi);oboe 1 & 2 (second doubles cor anglais);Eb, 3 x Bb (each part with divisi and so sixplayers are necessary) and bass clarinet;2 bassoons; AATB saxophones; 4 horns;3 cornets; 2 trumpets; 3 trombones;2 euphoniums; 2 tubas; string bass; timpani& 3 percussion.Whilst with a small amount of cross-cuing itwould be possible to perform the workwithout the second euphonium and tubaparts, all parts are really essential to asuccessful performance. One of the work’smain challenges is achieving the correctbalance and missing parts affect thissignificantly.Hesketh notes in the score that a five stringdouble bass and a bass clarinet going downto low C are desirable, although ossiae areprovided in the parts.The percussion parts are vital, and all threehave some tuned work. The mostchallenging is the third part which has veryprominent writing for the vibraphone. Thetimpani and percussion parts can be playedby four players, but if you have a largersection there is plenty to keep them busy.Rehearsal SuggestionsDanceries is in four movements: ‘Lull mebeyond thee’; ‘Catching of Quails’; ‘MyLady’s Rest’; and ‘Quodling’s Delight’. Thecomposer’s programme note is mosthelpful in describing the ideas behind thework, and is reproduced here verbatim:‘The term “Danceries” can be found in acopy of Playford’s Dancing Master, anextensive collection of folk and populartunes of the seventeenth century (and nodoubt earlier). This publication was used bymaster fiddle players to teach the variousdance steps of the day to a nobleman’shouse or a king’s court. Whilst this presentset of “Danceries” cannot be said to be anaid to terpsichorean agility, it will at least setfeet tapping!The melodies themselves are a mixture ofnew and old - well, nearly. Where the oldoccurs it has been adapted in mood andcomposition and is often interspersed withcompletely new material. The harmoniesand rhythms bring a breath of the new intothese themes and add to the drama of theset.Movement 1: “Lull me beyond thee”.Gentle and lilting, almost a barcarole, thismovement is very much a reverie. Theoriginal tune had the name Poor Robin’sMaggot - a rather disconcerting title;maggot, however, in seventeenth-centuryparlance meant whim or fancy. This themecan also be found in The Beggar’s Opera byJohn Gay (first performed in 1728) underthe title “Would you have a young lady”(Air 21).Movement 2: “Catching of Quails” - acolourful, buoyant scherzo on an originalmelody. The thematic material is shuttledaround the band to contrast with fullbodiedtuttis. The last few bars fade awayto almost nothing before a final surprise!Spring 2007 WINDS 21

Movement 3: “My Lady’s Rest” - atender pavane, also on an original theme,with Moorish leanings. Solos for principalwinds and brass contrast with warmer tuttipassages. The movement culminates with afinal presentation of the theme beforeevaporating in held flute and trumpetchords.Movement 4: “Quodling’s Delight”. Thefinal movement to the set combining oneof the melodies from Playford’s DancingMaster (Goddesses) with an originalcontrasting melody. A dramatic andexuberant ending to the set of Danceries.’A more detailed discussion of specificrehearsal and performance issues follows,and having a score to hand will be of somebenefit.First movement – ‘Lull me beyondthee’The tempo of dotted crotchet = 54 ispossible. Personally I think a notch belowthat gives a bit more space for phrasing,particularly in a generous acoustic.However, care should be taken to makesure the music flows in a pulse of twobeats to the bar. Apart from the very endthere is no need to go into a quaverbeat, although the style of the beatshould at times be able to suggest themerest hint of subdivision.Bar 1 The vibraphone part isconsistently important, and carefulattention should be paid to it. Thecorrect choice of mallets will varyaccording to the acoustic and I find thevibraphone one of the hardest of allinstruments to judge correctly from theconductor’s position. A second pair oftrusted ears somewhere in theauditorium is recommended.I find it works well if all the Bbclarinets other than the bottom first partplay pp at the opening. That part canthen be brought out a little as a duet withthe oboe.3 The first flute, Eb clarinet andsecond & third cornets should then beencouraged to project their mp dolcecantabile phrase, especially the cornets tomake sure the lower octave is slightlystronger than the upper one. Althoughthe phrasing goes to bar nine, try tomake sure the line doesn’t becomesignificantly louder as it goes up inregister.The bass line in low woodwinds,euphoniums, tubas and string bass maywell need some attention with lessexperienced players particularly in bar six.22 Spring 2007 WINDS7 The grace notes should be playedon the beat, not before.12 This piece is a terrific exercise inbalancing the relative importance of thedifferent voices. Often there are three orfour ideas going on, and the conductorwill need to give careful thought to therelative importance of each line in anygiven phrase. In rehearsal, it is vital toencourage the players to listen verycarefully to what is going on aroundthem and assess how important they arein the scheme of things. The usual rulesof mediocre wind band writingemphatically do not apply to this piece:very often the second or third part ismore important than the first. A perfectexample is the second clarinet at bar 12.You will need to encourage this part tobe brought out, and insist that the otherclarinets keep well down. Typical ofHesketh’s attention to detail is the wayhe marks the second of each slurredsemiquaver pair staccato. This innateunderstanding of orchestral texture andthe characteristics of the instruments heis writing for is evident throughout thework.Try also to get the euphonium and firstflute to be aware of each other, theeuphonium will tend to be a little late.17 The second clarinet shouldemphasise the 3/4 phrasing of this bar.19 The risk in the next couple ofphrases is that the general dynamicbecomes too high. More people areplaying and so achieving the mf of bar 24does not need everyone to playindividually at that dynamic. The forte of28 should in my view be very muchmeno.35 Having said that, the diminuendointo 36 is much more effective if it is notanticipated, so keep the forte charactergoing right up to the beginning of thedim. I also ask the trumpets to play theirsemiquavers mp with good cleararticulation and not into the stand.36 This is the only place in the workwhere the flute parts cannot be coveredby two players. If you choose not tohave more than one player per part,some re-scoring is necessary here,perhaps the low second flute part goingto first clarinet. However, I suggest thatyou double the second flute part.Needless to say, the difference betweenthe quaver rest in 36 and the semiquaverrest in 37 is the thing here. The trill willalso tend to be too long; make sure itlasts only for a quaver.38 The difference in dynamicbetween melody and other parts isextreme here. The forte marking in theEb clarinet playing the lower octavecompared with mf in the flute is helpful.Perhaps the piccolo need not play louderthan mp.46 This phrase is probably theloudest of the movement. Notehowever that even so it is not a tuttifortissimo. The clarinets should project asmuch as possible, and aim of course for asmooth line as they switch betweensemiquaver groups. I have found it moresuccessful to get them to play three outof every four groups, rather than taking abeat each. The rest of the orchestrashould aim for a very warm cantabile,the dynamic should not sound forced inany way.54 The very florid and difficult writingin the woodwind parts here is scored forharp in the orchestral original. You will ofcourse want to take this to bits andrehearse it very slowly, making sure theplayers know which quaver beat they arein, but ultimately they just need to go forit and aim for the type of effect youwould get from a harp. Making sure thebrass play a true mf and not louder willhelp here, unless the woodwinds arereally struggling in which case maybe it’sa good plan to get the brass to coverthem up!58 The poco più of bar 58 suggestssomething above mf. Then in 59 on thesecond beat Hesketh writes mfp withdiminuendo and also an accent in theupper woodwinds. Of course thetendency for the players here will be togive quite a heavy fp. This results in thequaver line in first clarinet and vibes beingcovered up by a too big a forte gestureand a poorly executed diminuendo. Itseems to me that the composer saw allthis coming so please follow hisinstructions carefully! Having said that, Ithink marking the first clarinet in the sameway as the vibes would help, and theyshould both delay their dim somewhat.Everybody must be very strictabout coming off the long note in bar 60in order to leave space for the firstclarinet quaver at the end of the bar, andyou will need to encourage them to playthis mp quite strongly.64 The ending of the movementposes a number of difficulties and thetransparency of the writing requiressome rehearsal time. Make sure thedynamics are correct: mf dolce espressivoin the first flute; pp in the clarinets; the

first horn’s bell tones matching thevibraphone’s articulation; the string bassvibrating on the pizzicato to give somebody to the bass line; and the long notesin the low brass at 68 soft enough so asnot to cover the woodwind detail.The rallentando of 67 and 68 willhappen quite naturally, but make sureyou give a positive gesture to thebassoons and bass clarinet for the atempo of the penultimate bar. I beat thebeginning of the last bar in quavers (butwithout slowing down) as I find it helpsthe sfz in the horns and woodwind, andthe timpani and string bass to place theirlast quaver, stopping the beat after thesixth quaver and then releasing thefermata.Second movement – ‘Catching ofQuails’The metronome marking of dottedcrotchet = 90 is probably a maximum.In some acoustics a slightly slowertempo, around 84, is fast enough tocapture the vivace con vigoroso feel of themovement.Bar 1 Make sure the two trumpetscombine to make a smooth diminuendo,whilst still maintaining clarity.6 Throughout the movement, thedotted quaver/ semiquaver/ quaver figureneeds attention. I find the tendency is tostress the first note which leads to a lackof clarity in the semiquaver. Asking theplayers to phrase towards the followingbar helps.8 Do not allow the accented dottedcrotchet to be overdone – there needsto be something left for the sfz accenteddotted crotchets which come later.21 The bassoons especially shouldplay molto vigoroso here.37 The brass bell tones should beexaggerated with a really fp feel to eachnote.45 On the other hand, thewoodwind bell-like tremolos probablyneed a diminuendo feel in each bar orthey will be too prominent.46 You will be noticing by now thatthe articulation of the main motif isconstantly varied. If this is fully realised,the possibilities for a wide variety ofphrasing are significant.56 The horns will enjoy beingencouraged to do a very horn-likeswoop to the next bar-line.61 Make sure the dynamic comesback here.74 The subito piano is very difficult toexecute but marvellously effective if it canbe achieved. This is well worth insistingon.79 The tenuto duplet quavers can bevery cantabile but make sure thediminuendo happens to let the sfz in thefollowing bar in alto saxophone and thirdclarinet come to the fore.85 As at bar 46 of the firstmovement, the clarinets and flutes needto aim for a continuous line with theirsemiquavers.101 The character should changemarkedly here and it is important theaccompaniment parts do not balance upto the oboe and flute. Make sure youcheck your German dictionary so thatyou can field the inevitable question frombassoons and bass clarinets….109 The hemiola in the woodwindsemiquavers should be emphasised witha stress on the start of each group offour.123 The ending requires goodconducting and some rehearsal. I startthe accelerando a little earlier thanmarked and try to make sure it continuesto speed up in the 2/4 bar. Bar 128 issimply a downbeat which stops and doesnot rebound anywhere. Allow areasonable length of time for the fermataand then give an upbeat in one. The altosax, horns, string bass and timpani arethe key to the following four bars whichslow down gradually. I subdivide the lastof these (bar 132) in quavers. The 4/8bar is absolutely a tempo and beaten intwo, coming to a rest on the penultimatebar and then giving an upbeat in one anda sharp, jagged downbeat whichencourages the accented ff offbeat in thelast bar.Third movement – ‘My Lady’sRest’Again, I think the metronome marking isjust slightly on the quick side. Theemphasis should absolutely be on theandantino and therefore not too slow,but a quaver pulse of around 100 to 104still achieves this, giving the possibility ofsome ambiguity between whether thepulse is in six or two, but also a littlemore space for phrasing. The beat needsto be a very flowing six in the bar, butwith many possibilities of ghostingthrough the second, third, fifth and sixthquavers to achieve something closer to aslightly sub-divided two in the bar.Bar 1 Make sure the rhythm in the thirdclarinet and bassoons is clearly defined,and also that you hear a slight sizzle inthe horn.3 The bass clarinet and first bassoonshould play a more solo dynamic for thefirst couple of bars, coming back to pianowhen the oboe comes in.5 Make sure the oboe plays mpespressivo and is clearly heard over theaccompaniment.6 One of the most delightfulfeatures of this movement is the detail inthe accompanying parts. Whilst theirgeneral dynamic should be very soft,moments such as the third clarinet at thebeginning of bar six and again at bar 13can be featured.11 The vibraphone should beaudible, and the notes of the chordsspread in a guitar-like manner.13 Note that the flute joins the oboemelody at a piano dynamic so should notdominate the double reed sonoritywhich is such a feature of thismovement.17 The cor anglais entry on the pplow C is very difficult and should notdetract from the mp entry of the oboejust after it. You could consider omittingthat note and asking the bass clarinet andbassoon (who are in a more comfortableregister) to play a little stronger until thecor is established.21 Dynamic contrast in the lowerregisters is vital in this movement andthere must be clear differences betweenthe mp solo lines, the piano, pianissimoand at 47 the ppp. As always, you willneed to demand these lower dynamics,but equally make sure that the pianos areample enough to give the playerssomewhere to go.25 The bassoon and bass clarinet canagain come to the fore in these two bars.Be sure also that the first clarinets do notspread their upwards run on the lastquaver of 26 over too long a time.27 The mf here will come without anyencouragement so be sure it is not tooloud and that the sound does not becomeforced in any way. The one line which doesneed to be brought out is the countermelody in third clarinet and third horn.39 The flutes, piccolo, oboe and Ebclarinet have a very attractiveaccompaniment here. However, makesure firstly that they give the staccatoquaver more length than the staccatosemiquaver and secondly that the cantabileSpring 2007 WINDS 23

line in cor anglais and second clarinet isclearly heard.42 I take a little bit of time at the endof the bar which gives time to reallymake the diminuendo happen andprepare the pp of 43 which must bevery soft.47 If you have impressed youraudience with the quality of thepianissimo at 43 you can create a magicalmoment at 47 if you can get the playersto find an even softer dynamic. Cheat alittle by omitting any players who aredoubling a part and work in rehearsal atgetting the players to find out just howquietly it is possible for them to playbefore the note does not speak.49 The mp of the cornets andtrumpets is then really quite loud bycomparison. You might like to point outto the players that the differencebetween ppp and mp is the samenumber of dynamic steps as mp to ff.50 The bassoons and euphoniumshould then really sing out their cantabileline and I find a slight più mosso iseffective here to move things along afterthe hushed drama of the previousphrase.66 A slight holding back at the end ofthis bar is effective for the forte (only!) at67. In 71, the più forte final quaver is theloudest point of the movement but theplayers must diminuendo rapidly on thefermata and the conductor must givethem time to do so.73 The brass always misread thisrhythm! In the penultimate bar, beatclearly in nine. Quaver eight is directedto the vibraphone, quaver nine to thefirst clarinets, and the downbeat of thelast bar is concerned with trying to getthe triangle, flutes and trombones toarticulate together.Fourth movement – ‘Quodling’sDelight’Bar 1 Of course, the movement beginsattacca from the previous one. Themetronome marking of crotchet = 144is spot on. The low brass and windsneed to lock into the snare drum rhythmand be careful not to be late starting theirquavers at the end of the bar.3 The tenuto marking in the brassneeds quite a clear articulation, and thenthe dynamic should be released whenthey reach the minim.6 The placing of the accents issomething often overlooked in other24 Spring 2007 WINDSperformances I have heard.7 Make sure the horns andtrumpets link the crotchet to the minim.The tendency is for them to play it tooshort and not loud enough.14 I ask the players to make sure thefirst three quavers are all fortissimo beforedoing a rapid diminuendo.16 The flutter-tonguing flutes andhand-stopped horns should be heard.24 I find I have to make sure theclarinets, bassoons and alto saxes doenough with the mfps. Of course themarking suggests that the attack shouldnot be too heavy, but it is important thatthey release the sound sufficiently. Thetrombone figure might need to beencouraged, given that it is muted.36 This passage is difficult for the firstflutes and will need some attention to getthe right effect.43 Make sure the trumpets andtrombones play their dynamics accuratelyhere.46 The tendency here is for thetempo to slow. This can be made towork but I prefer to keep the samespeed with as much of an alla breve feelas the metric changes permit.50 The staccato notes in the bassoonare a nice touch, and can be broughtout. The piccolo and second oboealways seem to want to rush theirsemiquaver group.55 The 5/4 bar is best thought of as2/4 + 3/4.59 Try to find a gesture whichencourages the low brass pedal note notto be late.73 The dynamic might have got quiteloud here, so you could bring the start ofthis bar down a little to make a moreeffective crescendo. If you have lost anytempo in the cantabile section, makesure you have an atempoat 74. Be withthe trombones to make sure they don’tget behind.80 The mf always seems to comeout too loud so I ask them to start muchless than that. At 82 the long notes needto release in order that the detail of thearticulation in the theme comes through.90 Asking the cornets to play notnecessarily any louder, but the bells up alittle will help to bring this through. 92and 93 are tricky and it is worth spendingsome time making sure the dynamic issoft enough; the semiquavers are placedafter the quavers; and the tempo doesnot drag.102 Ensemble often seems to be aproblem in this section. The woodwindsalso like to over-blow which can makewhat should be a cantabile mf soundharsh. At 109 make sure the people withthe melody are aware of the horns andsecond and third clarinets. Sometimesthis whole section can work nicely in allabreve.126 I like to bring the trumpet part outhere, the top Cs bring this episode to adramatic conclusion.130 The tempo of letter K is veryquick, particularly with ancora più mossoand a con fuoco to come. You might gofor something a little slower, but thepoint is that it should be quicker than themain tempo of the movement. Ofcourse, getting this to work at a quietdynamic will require some rehearsal.137 I find if the players think of thethree quavers into the next bar as allabreve the necessary forward impetushappens naturally. The fortissimo hereshould be controlled – if the players areplaying as loud as they can you will losedetail and tempo and in any event youneed something left for bar 149.152 The rhythm here is of coursedifficult to play at this speed. Thetendency is actually for the players to getto the last two semiquavers of the bartoo soon, the tied quavers immediatelybefore those being longer than theythink.156 The players with long notes andtremolos should delay their crescendo sothat the rising scales can be heard. Thehorns can use this bar to put their bellsup in preparation for their blazingtremolo in the last bar.In summary, Danceries is a terrific concertwork which is extremely popular withaudiences. However, its challengesshould not be underestimated and inorder to do justice to the range of detailin the score careful preparation andrehearsal is needed. Much of the varietyis very subtle and even very fine playerswill not instinctively take care of itthemselves. Therefore, as an exercise inscore study and rehearsal preparation forconductors it is an excellent work toprogramme, in addition to being arewarding and enjoyable piece toperform.