Missing Bugler

[mjgrieveson]

I will apologise in advance if I'm asking this question in the wrong place.....

The bugler for Sunday's service has been double-booked. As I am playing there I  have been asked to provide a safety net with the organ and have sourced a copy of the Last Post and the Reveille (or Rouse, as I believe it is correctly named).

I understand some may be exercised as to whether even a trumpet is an acceptable substitute for a bugle, never mind an organ. My copy is written in C major. Do I need to transpose it down to B flat to be as authentic as possible? or are bugles tuned to something else?

I know no one will be fooled (and there isn't even a trumpet stop on the instrument!) but I'd rather not jar too many sensibilities if I can avoid it.

[handsoff]

I have previously and shall again use a C Major version on my single manual reedless organ on Sunday. In my opinion the key isn't of much importance on such an occasion; the music itself trumping all else and fact that it is being played being paramount. I know nothing of brass instruments' tuning anyway!

[mjgrieveson]

I know practically nothing about them either, other than the part I have was written for Bb trumpet.

Thank you for replying - it's good to know that if the vicar can't muster another bugler by Sunday, I will not be the only one sitting at an organ pretending to be something else!

[innate]

It’s hardly a difficult transposition—play it in Bb and at least you’ll have to concentrate a little!

[Tony Newnham]

Hi

I'd not worry about the key, just find a reasonably reedy sound (a 12th might do the job if you have one).  Trumpet is perfectly acceptable - my youngest son will be playing Last Post etc. on his Trumpet tomorrow morning, and I've also seen a trumpet used by an army musician, so no problems there.

Every Blessing

Tony

[Colin Pykett]

As well as the pieces mentioned above, another one I have used on these occasions is 'Sunset', as often played by the Royal Marines band (Green's arrangement for full band plus solo).  It seems to go down well as a fairly gentle piece at the beginning or end of a service, and not too difficult to play on the organ either.  Be aware, though, that people tend to stand up when they hear it, so don't get taken by surprise!

[handsoff]

13 hours ago, mjgrieveson said:

Thank you for replying - it's good to know that if the vicar can't muster another bugler by Sunday, I will not be the only one sitting at an organ pretending to be something else!

I bet I'm the only one who will be pretending to be an organist!🙄

I've just recovered the feeling in my hands and feet after a practice session and have found that the Open Diapason + Larigot with the box closed sounds good - there's no point in me trying to imitate a brass instrument and feel that the plaintive sound of the above combination will be appropriate. I shall play Thaxted for a short voluntary after the service and shall use, for the second playover, the OD alone in the closed box and draw the Larigot (twice, pause and twice again) on the final chord (having repeated the final phrase so as to end on Middle C) to echo the sound in Dupré's Cortege.  It souded effective to me, at least, earlier today.

 

[Clarabella]

-You are not alone. I will be playing it on an organ too - in the absence of a bugle, I persuaded the Vicar that a live organ is preferable to a recorded bugle (keep music live!). Actually I think it sounds rather good on our trumpet stop (courtesy of our hosts).

Strictly speaking it should be played in Bb, which I do, but nobody will notice or mind if it's in C.

I always end service with so-called St Anne fugue as well as a nod to the hymn which we will have sung - does anyone else do that? Also before the service I often play Nimrod which goes quite well on the organ.

[mjgrieveson]

I reckon even I can manage to transpose a 4- note piece down a tone, although I wouldn't care to try it off the cuff for anything more complex.

I'm not quite up to the St Anne fugue though; it was only after a run- through yesterday that I realised I didn't have a copy of Nimrod so hastily found a free download, to my great relief.

After all my careful prep it could happen that an obliging bugler will be in place after all, but it's as well to be ready for the worst.

I hope everyone's Remembrance Sunday goes well.

 

[Martin Cooke]

Though inspired by this topic, I am starting a new one on the theme of Remembrance.

On 08/11/2019 at 16:25, mjgrieveson said:

I will apologise in advance if I'm asking this question in the wrong place.....

The bugler for Sunday's service has been double-booked. As I am playing there I  have been asked to provide a safety net with the organ and have sourced a copy of the Last Post and the Reveille (or Rouse, as I believe it is correctly named).

I understand some may be exercised as to whether even a trumpet is an acceptable substitute for a bugle, never mind an organ. My copy is written in C major. Do I need to transpose it down to B flat to be as authentic as possible? or are bugles tuned to something else?

I know no one will be fooled (and there isn't even a trumpet stop on the instrument!) but I'd rather not jar too many sensibilities if I can avoid it.