An instrumental for communion

Hi Sherry,

Thank you for your kind words.

I think maybe I have finally got some terminology fixed in my head. You said "just with the soundfont sounds." Each instrument, then, in the selection list (such as 0 acoustic grand piano, 49 string ensemble 1, etc.) is a soundfont?

A "bank" would be all the choices that appear in the list of these soundfonts?

If the answer is yes to both, then I have something (first grade level as it may be) fixed in my mind.

I'm pretty bad when organization is involved, too I was aiming to put the piece on the "Religion" branch of the tree, but missed that spot a bit, In the words of the song, I didn't have the "gift to come down where we [I] ought to be..."

I'm excited by the idea of hearing this in GPO. Anything you need to ask, I will answer directly. One question you implied had to do with the soprano part. I have tried any number of instruments to represent her as well as the four "voice" soundfonts I have available. Of 86 lead 6 (voice), 53 choir aahs, 54 voice oohs, and 55 synth voice, 53 is the best I've found, perhaps because it is closest to the timbre of Bonnie Jo Hunt's voice (the soprano I wrote the original small ensemble version for), or perhaps it is because it seems to be able to stand out more against an orchestra.

There are three staves with instrument changes, as I recall. The double basses switch between bowed and pizzicato frequently, and the cellos play pizzicato, once, for several measures. The other is the oboes/Eng Horn staff, where I have done an instrument change for the brief oboe solos. I think I might put the Eng Horn on its own staff before I'm finished, so the cellos and basses would be the only staves with instrument changes.

Speaking of articulation, in a few minutes I am going to start adding slurs to the score--a boring task since I already know where they go. I haven't done this in Composer yet, so first I'll need to read the HELP file. I am wondering if GPO will be able to make wind instruments, especially the flute, play groups on notes on a single breath, without tonguing each. Exciting, if it can, as one demo on the GPO web site leads me to believe it might. My main complaint about midi, other than how limited it is by 16 channels, is the sound of woodwinds.

The .not file of Simple Gifts (which I think I may call a Fantasy on "Simple Gifts") is currently 2.5MB. I don't think what I have yet to do will grow it much, but it's still a pretty long e-mail download, so I'll ask when a convenient time to send it would be...when it's finished...a couple of weeks, I'd guess.

Thanks again.

all best.
mgj