Clarinet choir

Clarinet family French and German System
French: clarinets in E and B (boxwood), basset clarinet in A, basset horn, bass clarinet and contralto clarinet
German: bass clarinet, basset horn, clarinets in D, A, B, high G and E and a basset clarinet in A

A clarinet choir is a musical ensemble consisting entirely of instruments from the clarinet family. It will typically include E, B, alto, bass, and contra-alto or contrabass clarinets, although sometimes not all of these are included, and sometimes other varieties may be present. The size of the ensemble varies; it may have between 10 and 40 members.[1] There are also clarinet trios, clarinet quartets, and clarinet quintets, usually consisting of two to four B clarinets and one bass clarinet.

The sound produced by a group of clarinets has been compared to that of a concert organ. Though varying in range, members of the clarinet family have homogenous timbres. Therefore, the clarinet choir may be thought of as a woodwind equivalent to the string orchestra.

  1. ^ "The Clarinet Choir". 1st-clarinet-music.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012.