SILVER BELLS [DOWNLOAD]
As Recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra
Arranged by Dave Wolpe, Prepared for Publication by Rob DuBoff and Jeffrey Sultanof
Cat #: JLP-6183-DL
$75.00Dave Volpi (known professionally as Dave Wolpe) was born in San Bernardino, CA on July 16, 1936. He attended John Muir High School and Junior College in Pasadena, CA before joining the U.S. Air Force in 1954. He served in Texas and France and was honorably discharged in 1958. After spending time in Washington, D.C., Dave joined the U.S. Army in 1959 serving in Fort Knox, KY, Stuttgart, Germany, Colorado Springs, CO and Fort Meade, MD. While Dave wrote his first musical arrangement in high school, it was his time in Stuttgart that he developed a passion for arranging. He was in the NORAD band, then the U.S. Army Field band where he was an arranger, trombone player, and later, the first and only enlisted leader of the U.S. Army Studio band - a traveling 17-piece jazz band working directly for the Army recruiting command at the Pentagon. He retired from the Army as a Sergeant Major in 1976. Dave continued arranging, playing trombone and piano in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. In 1979, he moved to Los Angeles, and realized a childhood dream: he was hired as the lead tromboninst with Les Brown and The Band of Renown. In 1982, Dave moved to Orlando where he met his wife Kim (they were married for 39 years) and played trombone in the Disney World Band. He produced many arrangements for Disney World shows including many for Disney Paris. Over his career, Dave arranged compositions for Columbia Records, Warner Brothers, Disney, and many others. He was the primary arranger of The Glenn Miller Orchestra’s holiday recordings In the Christmas Mood, In the Christmas Mood II and In the Nutcracker Mood, which to date have combined sales of over three million copies achieving Platinum and two Gold Record Awards. The music from these recordings has been used in numerous TV shows, commercials and movies including While You Were Sleeping, The Family Stone and Little Fockers. Musicians from around the world are familiar with Dave’s arrangements. He left a legacy in the music industry, where many consider him as one of the greats in big band arranging. His arrangements will be played and appreciated for years to come. When he wasn’t writing, playing, composing, or visiting with fellow musicians, Dave enjoyed carpentry, drawing, vintage cars, watching classic movies, and traveling with his wife Kim. Dave Volpi passed away on October 24, 2022.
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Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement with Vocal Group
Description: Swing Waltz - Medium Difficult
Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications
Ever since its introduction to the world in the 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid, Silver Bells has been a holiday favorite. Dave Wolpe's arrangement for the Glenn Miller Orchestra's In the Christmas Mood album maintains the song's classic feel while also giving it a coating of the trademark Miller sound.
Beginning with a brass chorale over a pedal figure in the bass, the first half of the melody is carried by the woodwinds, who eventually engage in some traditional call and response figures with the brass at measure 21. The brass play a figure that leads into a key change at measure 41, then gently set up the vocal group with another pedal figure. As both soloists and as a group, the singers command the spotlight for the remainder of the performance, with ensemble accompaniment that is simple yet effective. Toward the end of the performance, the tempo trails off a good bit before the ensemble plays the final warm chord.
This publication was prepared from the set of parts used for the recording session - this is not a transcription.
Vocal Group (SATTT)
Clarinet
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
4 Trumpets
4 Trombones
Guitar
Celeste/Piano
Acoustic Bass
Drum Set
Trumpet 1: C6
Trombone 1: Bb4
