Beatles

The Trumpet Voluntary must be one of the most performed pieces at Wedding Ceremonies all over the world and yet there is a lot of confusion as to its name, its origins and its composer.

Firstly, it wasn’t originally written for the Trumpet, but as a March (or Processional) for the Organ and would have been performed using the Trumpet stop, to create a distinctive sound. It dates to around 1700 during the Baroque period.

Secondly, it was originally attributed to English composer Henry Purcell, however this is also incorrect and was actually composed by his lesser-known compatriot, Jeremiah Clarke, who in his own right was an accomplished musician and was organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The next bit of confusion stems from the title of the work “Trumpet Voluntary”. This was a popular style of writing, therefore the title was often used and trumpet players even today have to be careful that people get to hear the correct Voluntary when asked, as there is also a very popular one by John Stanley (sometimes also referred to as Trumpet Tune).

Just to keep people on their toes, the final bit of confusion lies with the fact that the piece has not one, but two recognised titles. “Trumpet Voluntary”, is also known as “The Prince of Denmark’s March”! Confused? Don’t blame you, but if you use the latter title, most competent and experienced musicians should know instantly which piece you are referring to!

The sound clips above and below will hopefully help sort the confusion, but I’m sure you’ll agree both works are great pieces of music regardless.

Probably the most famous Wedding to feature this music, was the Royal Wedding of 1981 when HRH Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer.

It’s not just weddings though that have featured Clarke’s evergreen work. It has been used by an eclectic mix of musicians and performers, including the Beatles, Sting and Peter Sellers to name but a few.

If you would like to make your “Big Day” extra-special and have Trumpet Voluntary performed at your Wedding Ceremony, then please call Andrew on 07973 869621 or e-mail me at andrew@andrewjonesmusic.com to discuss things further.

“Music for You – making Weddings memorable!”

In one of my recent blogs, I wrote about the different types of mute that a trumpet player has at their disposal, in order to create different sounds and timbres.

It therefore makes sense to develop this theme and write this time about the vast array of instruments used and needed by trumpeters nowadays.

Today, in the highly demanding and competitive world of music, the modern trumpeter is required to turn their hand to as many different musical styles and genres as they possibly can master (or get away with!) and like any craftsman, needs a fairly sizeable box of “tools” that can facilitate this.

Bb Trumpet

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Pictured – Eclipse Bb Trumpet in brushed gold

The main instrument that you’ll find all trumpeters playing all over the world, is the Bb (B flat) trumpet. This is what the vast majority of players start their musical journey on and such is its versatility, that it is used in all ensembles and styles of music, ranging from classical to jazz, and chamber music to pop and function bands. There are of course huge varieties of Bb trumpets, in terms of bore size and finish (lacquer, silver plate, raw brass, gold etc.) and this is down to player preference and budget ultimately.

It’s once the player gets to a certain level of proficiency and starts diversifying in terms of the range of styles of music that they perform, that the instrumental requirements and choice of instruments by the individual player, start to get interesting.

D/Eb Trumpet

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Pictured – Stomvi Elite D/Eb Trumpet in Silver Plate

The next instrument that many aspiring students will graduate on to will be the D and/or Eb Trumpet. This instrument is a 2 in 1 usually with interchangeable bells and slides and being a smaller instrument is the choice of kit for performing higher range repertoire and where a brighter sound is required. This would be particularly handy when performing works by Handel or Bach in an orchestra, or for soloists who are taking on the challenge of the Haydn, Hummel or Neruda Trumpet Concerti.

Flugel Horn

Pictured – Vincent Bach Flugel Horn in Silver Plate

This instrument is exactly the same length as a trumpet, however with the bore being a conical shape and much wider, the sound is much mellower. You will usually find this played in a brass band (as I do in the Regimental Band of The Royal Welsh), but this is also found in big bands and jazz combos and is a popular choice for jazz soloists wishing to showcase a more lyrical, silky sound typically in a ballad.

Piccolo Trumpet

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Pictured – Stomvi Elite A/Bb Piccolo Trumpet in Silver Plate

The piccolo trumpet is the baby of the family and plays the very highest notes in the register. This is often the choice of instrument, when the range exceeds what the D/Eb can comfortably achieve and is fiendishly difficult to master if not played on a regular basis.

It almost always has 4 valves nowadays and is pitched in A or Bb and the fingerings for each note are played an octave (8 notes) lower than written on the music.

Tunes you might have previously heard played by a Piccolo Trumpet would be the trumpet solo from the Beatles hit “Penny Lane” and the theme music to the Champions League football, Antiques Roadshow and “Brideshead Revisited” programmes.

Bach’s B Minor Mass and Brandenburg Concerto No.2 and Handel’s “Trumpet Shall Sound” from Messiah and “Let the Bright Seraphim” from Solomon are just a few orchestral pieces that would demand the use of a “Picc”.

One of the greatest exponents of the piccolo trumpet, was French virtuoso Maurice André whose mastery of this instrument is the bench-mark and reference point for all aspiring trumpeters around the world. As with all experts in their field, he makes it all seem so effortless!

C Trumpet

Pictured – B&S Challenger C Trumpet in Lacquer

The C Trumpet is the closest relative (in size) to the Bb trumpet and was historically the “weapon” of choice of American trumpeters in orchestras, however this is not so much the case nowadays perhaps.

It’s a versatile instrument which is popular for using in contemporary orchestral and chamber music, where a smaller bore is required to cover a greater range and also makes playing in certain key signatures a little more user-friendly. With many orchestral trumpet parts needing to be transposed (that’s another Blog for another day), the C sometimes facilitates easier transposition too.

Rotary-valve Trumpet

All the above instruments use piston valves to obtain the notes, but the Rotary Valve Trumpet has valves like the French Horn.

These trumpets would typically be seen in the Berlin or Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, plus other types of wind ensembles in those countries.

So now you know why trumpeters often look as if they are moving house, as opposed to going to a gig. Thanks once again for reading my blog and if you’ve enjoyed it, please share and drop me a line with brass and trumpet related topics that you’d like to hear more about.

For further information about Music for You, please visit my website

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