Caribbean Suite: Havana Moon for Clarinet Choir and Percussion: Clarinet Choir and Percussion Conductor Score & Parts

Reed wrote the first original work for clarinet choir and percussion at a moment when the ensemble was finding its voice in American schools, and "Havana Moon" captures that pioneering energy. The writing honors the clarinet family's full range—especially the newly developed low registers—while remaining idiomatic and engaging for student performers. Conductors return to this piece year after year because it sounds sophisticated without requiring advanced technical facility, and because the Latin rhythmic vocabulary keeps students invested.

Havana Moon evokes the warmth and rhythmic buoyancy of Caribbean music, with a gentle nocturnal quality suggested by its title. The writing glows from the middle register outward, with the clarinet choir's blended sonority creating an inviting harmonic space that feels both nostalgic and approachable.

Clarinet choirs at the middle school level and above will find this piece well within their grasp while remaining artistically rewarding. Directors programming ensembles that include developing low-register players (bass clarinet, alto clarinet) will appreciate how Reed gives these voices substantial musical responsibility.

• Balance the bass-register clarinets and percussion against the ensemble's upper voices; the foundation of this piece depends on a solid, audible low end.
• Shape the melodic phrases in the soprano clarinet lines with clear breath points and dynamic contour; resist the urge to play straight through.
• Lock the percussion section together as a unified rhythmic anchor; if your drummer and percussionists are not comfortable with the Latin idiom, isolate those rhythms in sectional rehearsal.
• If you are substituting string bass or bassoon for contrabass clarinet, ensure the substitute player understands that they are carrying harmonic weight, not merely doubling the bass line.

Pair this with other twentieth-century clarinet choir works to build a concert around the ensemble's literature, or use it as a accessible entry point into Latin-influenced repertoire alongside more contemporary pieces. Its moderate length and clear structure make it an ideal selection for mixed concert programs where you want to showcase the clarinet choir without overshadowing other offerings.

• Balance and blend across the clarinet family, especially integration of lower-register instruments
• Phrasing in a Latin-influenced style
• Sectional coordination between woodwind and percussion ensembles
• Reading and performing in mixed meters typical of Caribbean rhythmic patterns