More than 80 arrangements
During my years with Calefax, I have produced around eighty arrangements across a dizzying range of musical genres. These pieces are regularly performed on the radio and television, for example at the Prinsengracht Concert in both 2010 and 2012.
‘re-phrasing’ of the music
When arranging music, I first set about pulling the original apart.
I try to search for the ‘why’ of the composer, the underlying concept. After I feel I have established this, I set about reassembling it in the new instrumental setting. I call this the ‘re-phrasing’ of the music, translating the music into a new context. In literature, a good translator has a strong knowledge of both the original and the target languages. It is crucial to express the original emotions of the writer. If this is achieved, the result is as effective, or maybe even stronger than the original text.
The ‘re-phraser’ illuminates a story in his own, personal way, albeit with great respect for the writer of the original. This is comparable to myself as an arranger of music; I highlight the elements I find important and then make a number of choices, for example, the role that each new instrument shall take. Each new arrangement may call for a completely different range of choices, and the greatest challenge is to remain consequent once a choice has been made.
Arranging in this manner continually affords me inspiring glimpses into the kitchen of a composer’s mind.
