(Mark D. Lew) wrote: >But for this particular song, it so happens that their SATB version is >lousy. Serious singers don't want to perform it, because it makes them >sound bad -- which of course is the reason I wanted to write a new >arrangement in the first place. My purpose here isn't an outlet for my own >creativity; I just want to have a presentable version of the song to sing >to put on a program.
There's an interesting provision in the Fair Use Guidelines. One is allowed to "edit or simplify" legally purchased copies of music. Now that could be taken to extremes, certainly, but it could also provide grounds for buying the published arrangement, then writing and performing your own. You don't claim written credit for the arrangement, and you've got the purchased copies in your library. >And since other singers were interested in having >copies, I was looking for permission to distribute it. Ay, there's the rub. You're not going to get permission and distributing it is illegal without that permission. I can't think of an out for you on this one. My wife wrote a lovely descant for recorder for a published piece for children's choir. The composer liked it immensely and urged her to contact the publisher for permission to publish it for use with their own arrangement, which would obviously thereupon sell more copies. The answer, "No!" End of story. John John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
