Balancing a Clarinet Choir

Clarinet Choir Overview

The clarinet choir has a wondrous sound. With a range of six octaves and a homogenous timbral quality from low to high, this ensemble can often resonate with the grandeur of a pipe organ.

This ensemble began in Belgium in the late 19th century. Gustave Poncelet (1844-1903), professor of clarinet at the Brussels Conservatory is regarded as the father of the clarinet choir. Several of his students came to the United States and the medium quickly gained popularity around the world.

There has never really been a “standard” instrumentation for the clarinet choir, as this can vary according to the availability of players and auxiliary instruments. In the best case scenario, an ensemble would have the following instrumentation:

E-flat clarinet

B-flat clarinet (multiple)

Alto clarinet and/or basset horn

Bass clarinet

E-flat contralto clarinet

B-flat contrabass clarinet

Forming a Clarinet Choir

The number of players available and the instruments they possess has generally dictated a particular ensemble’s instrumentation. Thus, new works and arrangements were created for a variety of instrumental combinations.

Some smaller clarinet choirs will have one player on a part, while the larger choirs can have a membership of 50, 100, and even more! The largest choir I have ever conducted was 80 strong. It was an amazing sound!

This being said, it is incumbent on each director to assess their personnel and instrumentation, and assign parts in order to create a balanced sound.

The great clarinet choir director Harvey Hermann (1934-2017) was a master of clarinet choir balance. His renowned University of Illinois Clarinet Choir was one of the greatest clarinet choirs in history. Harvey’s consummate knowledge of the clarinet family, meticulous attention to detail, and keen ear made him the most respected clarinet choir director for several decades. I was fortunate to be mentored by Harvey.

His theory of balance rested on what is called “pyramiding” the upper voices. The clarinet choir can easily become top heavy and trebly sounding. By creating a pyramid of sound from the top down, the ensemble timbre will improve dramatically. Much of this will depend on the number of B-flat clarinets and the manner in which the parts are divided. Most commonly, the B-flat clarinet parts are divided into first, second, and third. Sometimes there can be four, five, or even six divisi parts, so orchestration will need to be considered when making part assignments.

Clarinet Choir Example & Balancing Suggestions

As an example, let’s say your ensemble has 16 players on the following instruments:

1 E-flat clarinet

12 B-flat clarinets

1 Alto Clarinet

1 Bass Clarinet

1 Contrabass clarinet

Conventional wisdom would say that if the B-flats were divided into first, second, and third, that you would assign four players on each part. Harvey discovered that by having fewer players on the upper parts, and gradually having more players on the lower parts, the ensemble timbre was far superior. He might suggest an instrumentation of 2 firsts, 4 seconds, and 6 thirds. If the parts were divided in 4 divisi lines, he might go with 2 firsts, 3 seconds, 3 thirds, and 4 thirds. No matter what the case, unless the music specifically calls for divisi E-flat clarinets, never under any circumstances use more than one. A little E-flat can go a long way! Also, be sure to assign one of your most experienced players to the E-flat clarinet part, as this voice will always be heard.

With the scarcity of both alto clarinets and basset horns, the middle voice is often lacking enough sound, so it is a good idea to have the alto voice doubled in the lower B-flat clarinets. This will round out the sound of the ensemble. Arrangements will often come with alternate alto clarinet parts transposed for the B-flat clarinet. It is preferable to have at least one contralto and one contrabass clarinet, but necessity is the mother of invention! The addition of a string bass doubling the contra parts on the bottom of the ensemble will enrich the tonal foundation of the ensemble and will blend very well with the contra clarinets.

Experimentation and experience are definitely the best teachers. Try various instrumental combinations to see (and hear) what works best for your ensemble. I hope these tips will help you to achieve the clarinet pipe organ of your dreams!

About the Author

Mitchell Estrin is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Florida where he was founder and music director of the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble and a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. He served as the Artistic Director of the Vandoren Clarinet Ensemble Festival and was founder of the Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy. Prof. Estrin was the 20th President of the International Clarinet Association (ICA). He is the author of the biography Stanley Drucker, Clarinet Master published by Carl Fischer and Writing the Vandoren WAVE published by CAMco. His critical edition of the Weber Concertino for Clarinet, Op. 26 is published by Jeanné.

Prof. Estrin is a 2023 recipient of Honorary Membership in the International Clarinet Association. This accolade, marking the highest honor in the clarinet world, is said to acknowledge individuals with a distinguished background in the areas of professional service, teaching, performance, and lifetime achievements.

Mitchell Estrin studied clarinet with Stanley Drucker at The Juilliard School where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. His other influential teachers include Jerome Stowell, Walter Wollwage, Leon Russianoff, Larry Combs, Robert Bloom, and John Moses.

Prior to his academic appointments, he had a 25-year association with the New York Philharmonic. He performed in hundreds of concerts and on 19 international tours with the Philharmonic as principal, second, and E-flat clarinetist under music directors Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Leonard Bernstein, and many distinguished guest conductors including Erich Leinsdorf, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Klaus Tennstedt, Andre Previn, Sir Colin Davis, and Leonard Slatkin. He performed on dozens of recordings with the Philharmonic and on numerous occasions performed with the orchestra on the PBS award winning series, Live From Lincoln Center.

As an international concert artist, Mitchell Estrin has performed in over 40 countries on 5 continents. He performed and recorded the world premiere of The Shadows of October for clarinet and orchestra by Michael Whalen with the Janacek Philharmonic.
“This beautiful and lushly scored tonal piece…. is performed by clarinetist Mitchell Estrin…. He plays beautifully with a lovely colored tone.”
The Clarinet

As a chamber musician, he has performed with such notable ensembles as The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New Arts Trio, American Chamber Winds, at the Newport Music Festival, and was a founding member of the Amadeus Ensemble.

Prof. Estrin has an extensive discography of solo and chamber music and recorded hundreds of television commercials and Hollywood motion-picture soundtracks. He has performed and recorded with many leading popular artists including Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Peter, Paul and Mary, Ray Charles, The Fugees, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Natalie Merchant. His motion picture soundtrack credits include recordings for Columbia, Walt Disney, Paramount, MGM, 20th Century Fox, United Artists, and Warner Brothers on feature films including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Alamo, Intolerable Cruelty, The Score, You’ve Got Mail, Primary Colors, Fargo, Batman Forever, Interview with the Vampire, Home Alone 2, Pocahontas, Doc Hollywood, Regarding Henry, The Untouchables, Reds, and Dressed to Kill. His television credits include recordings for ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, HBO, TBS, and ESPN. Prof. Estrin was principal clarinetist for the NBC 75th Anniversary Special; broadcast from the famed NBC Studio 8H in New York City. He has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Phil Donahue Show, the television series Nurse, and in Kramer vs. Kramer, the 1980 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture. His clarinet playing has also been heard on hundreds of television and radio commercials. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognized him as a Most Valuable Player nominee for his outstanding performances in the recording studio.

Prof. Estrin has presented recitals, masterclasses, workshops, and seminars at many prestigious educational conferences and institutions. This list includes the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Arizona State University, Florida State University, University of Maryland, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, University of Texas, Texas State University, Texas A&M University, Midwest Clinic, New York State School Music Association, Connecticut School Music Association, and Florida Music Educators Association. In 2019, he was a guest clinician in Australia at the University of Melbourne. He has performed in recital with clarinetists Stanley Drucker, Karl Leister, and Mark Nuccio.

Widely acclaimed as a conductor and proponent of the clarinet choir, Prof. Estrin has served as director of the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest® College, Festival, and Professors Clarinet Choirs, Texas State Clarinet Fiesta Clarinet Choir, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium Clarinet Choir, Texas Clarinet Colloquium Clarinet Choir, and United States Navy Clarinet Choir. He held a Guinness World Record for conducting the world’s largest clarinet choir (367 members) in 2019. He has conducted the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble throughout the United States and Europe, including three feature recitals at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest®. The ensemble has produced four critically acclaimed CD’s for Mark Masters, Christmas Clarinets (2016), Clarinet Choir Classics (2012), Clarinet Thunder (2009), and Wind in the Reeds (2006). Each of these recordings was selected for the Grammy Nomination eligibility list. Prof. Estrin has authored multiple articles on the history, development, repertoire, and logistics of the clarinet choir.

As a music producer and annotator, he has worked on projects with such renowned artists as trombonist Joseph Alessi, jazz pianist Lynne Arriale, and saxophonist Mike Smith. He has produced five clarinet choir CDs for Mark Recording.

Prof. Estrin’s students have performed with such prestigious ensembles as the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, New York Pops, United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, United States Army Field Band, and West Point Band. His students hold educational positions at several major universities including Indiana University, University of Arizona, University of Florida, and University of South Alabama.

Mitchell Estrin is a Buffet Crampon Legacy Artist and performs exclusively on the Buffet R13 clarinet. As a Vandoren Performing Artist, he endorses and performs exclusively on Vandoren reeds (V.12) and mouthpieces (BD2). Prof. Estrin’s educational articles are published regularly in the Vandoren WAVE and his biography is listed in Who’s Who in Classical Music, Who’s Who in American Music, and Who’s Who in International Music.