Sing It Together–Steel Band Performance Notes
Sing It Together was written by Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas for Music Monday, 2017. I have arranged it for steel band (steel pan ensemble)to be within the ability of pan players with one to two years of experience (high school, grades9 & 10).
I have stayed true to the original with very few exceptions. Here are some things to consider when teaching this version to your steel band:
a)Instrument Names: Instead of using the Trinidadianinstrument names for the pans (tenor, double-tenor, double-seconds, guitar pans, and six-bass), I have used the names soprano pan, alto pans, tenor pans and bass pans, which are more common in Canada. Since not all steel bands have double soprano pans (called double tenor in Trinidad), the single soprano pans and double soprano players will play the same part if you have both instruments.
b)Since the song does not have a requirement for improvising, I have removed the chord symbols from the parts to make score and individual parts easier to read.
c)Notation & Interpretation: In some places, I have used quarter note triplets rather than the dotted eighth tied to a sixteenth, followed by an eighth rest and eighth note. This attempts to capture the essence of the vocal line while bringing out typical steel band rhythms. It is also easier to read for weaker music readers. As the teacher, you can modify this interpretation accordingly.
d)If you listen to the original audio version of the song, the singer takes more liberties with the rhythms which I chose not to copy note for note.
e)Rolling: In steel band music, everything longer than a quarter note should usually be rolled on steel pan using a single-stroke roll(for soprano and alto pans).When rolls are notated in Sibelius, however, it does not sound correct and is distracting when students listen to these rolls in the pan recording. Therefore, I did not “make Sibelius play the rolls” for this version. You will want to explain to students to roll everything longer than a quarter notefor soprano and alto pans. Pay special attention to the rolls in bars: 10, 18, 22, 49, 51, 64-65, the whole notes in section I, and bars 103 to the end.
f)Tenor pan half notes are not to be rolled, they simply play “double-stops” tapping the notes. If you feel it sounds fuller at certain sections, though, go with your own judgement.
g)Range: Steel pan design varies between pan makers and not all pans of one kind are the same with regard to range. Not all players will be able to play the notated range of notes or play in the notated octave. Use your judgment and choose which octave works best. Usually, the lower octave gives a fuller sound.
h)At section I (instrumental lead), you might wish to have some front line soprano pan players duplicate the part of the alto pans (fiddle part) for a fuller sound. Depending on the level of the players, you might also try reversing the parts (switch the soprano part with the alto parts).
i)If you are playing the Sibelius version for your class and are able to adjust the mixer volumes, try having soprano at 110, alto, tenor and bass at 95, and drum set at 80 for a good sounding mix.
Good luck with this song!
Joe Cullen