THE ARRANGING TECHNIQUES OF LEON “SMOOTH” EDWARDS
Abstract
” The steelpan was invented in the 1930s in Trinidad and Tobago. It has evolved over the past eighty years. Although steelbands are now found across the globe and at all levels of music education, academic research regarding the music of the steelpan and its composers and arrangers is scarce. This paper examines six works for steelband by Leon “Smooth” Edwards, a prominent arranger of indigenous steelband music for the Panorama competition in Trinidad and Tobago. Music scores for four of the works have been notated for the first time. The paper documents Edwards’ variation development techniques, voicing, and orchestration. The analysis then guides the creation of an arrangement for steelband of J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite in D major: Air, in the rhythmic calypso style of the Panorama arrangement, similar to the pieces performed for the Carnival Bomb competitions of the 1950s and 1960s. Quote of ‘Abstract’ from the Full Text.
