Somewhere Duet

[rrayner]

Originally Posted by RRR

This piece is written for Soprano Recorder and Alto Recorder. Play along with Notation Composer or print the piece for playing with your friend(s). Please feel free to change the instruments and/or keys to suit your personal needs. RRR

"Somewhere" is a love song written by Leonard Bernstein in 1957 for the Broadway musical, "West Side Story". The harmonic structure of the composition is beautiful. Before my wife Cynthia and I got married, we were uncertain if there would ever be "a place for us". Thankfully, there was, and is. This song is dedicated to Cynthia on her fourth anniversary of learning to play the recorder.

We hope your enjoy it.

Ralph Rayner

[Sherry C]

Hi Ralph,

Nice arrangement (as always) and sweet story as well. I love stuff like that

Fwiw, sometimes I've been taking your duets and playing either an improv bass line or adding a third whistle improv (bass-ish in nature) just for fun. The more open duet arrangements leave some room for that type of "jam along" practice.

Thanks again for making these arrangements available to all of us!

ttfn,
Sherry

[dj]

The lyricist for West Side Story was, of course, 19-year old Stephen Sondheim. (I call him my friend Steve, because he once actually spoke to me.)

When they were looking for a title for the show, his suggestion was "Shut Up And Dance."

Thankfully, his lyrics were of a more profound nature.

Thanks for these arrangements, Ralph.

David

[JaneLewis]

Hi Ralph

Many thanks for this music, set as a recorder duet (and I see lots of previous ones that I will look at!).

I am an ex string player but am just beginning to learn tenor recorder which I think/hope is your alto line. My daughter teaches recorder (as well as other wind instruments) so your arrangements will give us plenty of lovely music to play, once I'm up to it. And, of course now I am a Notation software user I can practise along to the computer.

Thanks again, Jane

[rrayner]

Hi Jane,

Thank for your kind words, and welcome aboard!

Originally Posted by JaneLewis

I am ...just beginning to learn tenor recorder which I think/hope is your alto line.

I have never tried a tenor recorder, but (perhaps your daughter can confirm this) I believe it is a concert (non-transposing) instrument like the soprano. The alto recorder is an F instrument, similar to the French Horn and the English Horn in that it transposes up a fifth from concert. But, a very powerful feature of the Notation products is that you can easily switch the alto part to concert and/or transpose it for the tenor, if the tenor is not a concert instrument.

I've seen a tenor in the stores, and the sales clerk mentioned that he plays one. He said he has a problem with reaching all of the holes (and keys?). My piano teacher at Berklee played a bass recorder when we got together for a Handel "Water Music" Jam Session.

I wish you good fortune with your endeavors. You will find a very wide selection of pop/folk/classical/jazz duets with considerable variation in level of difficulty in this "Learning and Teaching" forum.

Additionally, if you transpose the alto part to concert, you and your daughter could play a soprano recorder/violin duet. Neat!

Ralph Rayner

[JaneLewis]

Hi again Ralph,

I think I may be wrong about the type of recorder I have - I think it may be a treble and not a tenor, I must ask my daughter!

Thank you for the very useful suggestion that I can transpose the appropriate line for the pitch of whichever recorder I have.

Jane