Hi!
I am currently planing a production of 'Children of Eden' for september, i am trying to book musicians, but i sadly havent seen the band parts and as a society we can't afford to hire them from now until the show. I wondered if anyone has MD'd the show and could answer a few questions for me about the parts (eg is there much on the cello part, or can i save money and not use a cello? is the keyboard part that substitutes the reeds and horns any good? etc etc)
Please email me or reply to this post if you can answer any of the above questions, thanks guys!
Wayne
(w.beecham@ntlworld.com)

I haven't actually seen the score or done that particular show, although I know the music, but can I make a few recommendations on how to go about it:

1. Phone Josef Weinberger, who are I believe the publishers, and explain your predicament to the person in amateur musicals. They are very helpful.

2. Ask them for a one-month hire of the full conductors score for audition purposes, and tell them that your Musical Director needs to see the parts before he can commit to the show....which will probably be true!! They may not charge you for this, and usually tell you not to waste money by sending the score back but to hang onto it - a fact that will endear you to him/her forever.

3. Almost certainly many of the parts will be able to be played by a second keyboard player (the first keyboard will already be complicated enough and probably played by your conductor already, so he'll be too busy for more!) but you WON'T KNOW until you see it.

4. A very important part here. Many MD's do not like working for a group who subsitute keyboards for more than one band part. This is because they often feel that you are stopping a musicians' union member from being paid for their work. Now, it's not compulsory to use the correct instrument as set for any part - but the composer does tend to know better than the rest of us. Of course, some MD's are more liberal. Neither is more right or wrong than the other. But do speak to your MD first.

5. If you are doing a large scale musical (which Children of Eden certainly is) you must be prepared to find extra funding and allow in your budget for musicians. Check how many it is scored for, allow ?30 per musician per sitting (performance or rehearsal) and work it all out first.

6. Some composers DO NOT ALLOW you to use anything less or different from that which it is scored. For example, Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" had 2 scores available until recently. Three years ago they withdrew amateur use of the 13 piece orchestra, and you're now only allowed to do it with the 27-piece score. This means you have to think seriously about your theatre size as well as your budget, and has priced it well beyond many amateur companies (or their venues!). Double check the small print in your contract and in the front of the libretto.

7. Most composers will at least let you use a keyboard for complicated or obscure instruments, such as a harp which is hard to fit in to a small venue, but you will likely need your second keyboard player to have the Sibelius or similar software installed so he can print a readable score - or be a very good sight converter!

8. These all sound very hard problems to overcome, but believe me they aren't. We all go through them every time we direct a musical! But if you can find the room and the budget to have the whole orchestra, please try to, as that will sound best of all.

Have fun.

Which area Wayne?

I can put you in touch with about 200 musicians if you like...

(Ok I know aobut 6 MDs in the Area of East Berkshire who know about 200+ musicans...)

Hiya,
thank you for the replies so far, they have been of great help to me. I am in south wales, and the production is in september in Cwmbran (near Newport).
Thanks again guys,
Wayne

Wayne, why not contact local Musical Directors (see who other groups in the area use) and ask for the name of their 'fixer'. Most MD's use a fixer, if they don't do it themselves, to fix up the required band. This wouldn't normally fall under anyone else's 'to do' list.

Usually, any band fixer will know pretty much every musician in the area.

Good luck.