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  • 1.  Shakespeare's The Tempest Music

    Posted 10-09-2016 15:09

    Hello!  Has anyone mounted a production of William Shakespeare's The Tempest?  When I initially took on the task, I was unaware of the amount of music in the play.  I am having trouble finding music my cast can pull off.  Has anyone else found a solution to this conundrum?  Opening night is in 4 weeks!

    Thank you!

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    Lisa Merlo Flores
    Candy High School Theater Teacher
    Canby, OR
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  • 2.  RE: Shakespeare's The Tempest Music

    Posted 10-10-2016 07:54

    Hi,

    I produced The Tempest a few years ago. I found that there was not an overwhelming amount of music, because we turned several of Ariel's bits into sing-songy rhymes rather than songs. The other bits I remember were the clowns and Caliban singing drunkenly, so it was better off-key anyway. Is there more that I am not remembering? Perhaps we took it out.

    I will have to rewatch the tape to be sure, but I don't think we had much singing at all.

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    Matthew Taylor
    Elkins WV

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Shakespeare's The Tempest Music

    Posted 10-10-2016 09:46
    This book is a great resource


    It has sheet music and a cd from every song  in every play in the canon.
    I have directed The Tempest several times, and have had success with having students set the lyrics to their own tunes.

    Billy Houck
    Fremont High School
    Sunnyvale



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Shakespeare's The Tempest Music

    Posted 10-10-2016 10:05

    I have found several members of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival company willing to share or for a small rental fee use their music from various plays in the cannon. I do know that Todd Barton, composer emeritus of the festival, does make his scores available for a small fee and offers them on his website.

    Best of luck.

    Warren

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    Warren Kerr
    Theatre Arts Teacher
    Auburn School District
    Auburn WA

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Shakespeare's The Tempest Music

    Posted 10-12-2016 09:54

    Hi,

    I have directed directed The Tempest for two high school productions. For one I tapped into my music composition students and they wrote original music for the show. For the other, I had the Ariels (yes I split the character into 4- each representing an element) chant their pieces while playing small singing bowls. I also used the Ariels in the opening storm playing large crystal singing bowls while having recorded storm sound. They again played the large bowls any time magic was happening. The bowls gave a very haunted, mystical element,

    John

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    John Doyle
    Ranney School
    Hinton Falls, NJ

    Original Message


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