Rodgers & Hart - Blue Moon

By: Rodgers & Hart arr John Humphries & Robert Ramskill

Blue Moon is as popular today as it was when Richard Rodgers wrote it in 1934. Horn players will enjoy this gently syncopated arrangement.

"...Blue Moon is based closely on Robert Ramskills arrangement from his Jazzed Up Too album and retains the dotted quaver semiquaver notation in preference to traditional swing quavers. Many young players will of course be familiar with the horn and piano version and there are no reading difficulties so long as all concerned understand the swing style. The result is an outstanding addition to the repertoire for medium sized horn ensemble. Two particularly attractive features are the sixth part which allows your low horn specialist to have a ball, and the fact that the solo part is actually in horn 2 whilst horn 1 shimmers above. The only problem Ive come across in several performances with various of my student groups is the little playout for first horn, which I would guess John wants to sound like a harmon muted trumpet but requires very strong hand stopping in order to get across even a very delicately played last chord. It might have been better marked at about forte!"
Reviewed The Horn Player