What’ll I Do
What’ll I Do is another haunting Irving Berlin melody that tells an entire story with just a question, “What’ll I do when you are far away and I am blue, what’ll I do?”
Title: What’ll I Do
Composer: Irving Berlin. Arranged by Tim Berens.
Description: This arrangement begins with a rich introduction in the horns and brass, then strings accompany the vocalist colla voce in the verse out front, which ends with an unsettled chord and a cesura. The vocalist then sings the magic question, “What’ll I do when you . . .”
The first chorus begins with Harp accompanying the vocalist. Strings enter after a few bars. The harmonies in this arrangement are rich, and sometimes deliberately naughty. We “embrace the dissonance,” as Erich Kunzel used to say.
The second chorus begins with an 8-bar oboe solo, then the woodwinds pick up the melody, before the vocalist joins on the second half of the tune, with a quiet, lush ending.
Instrumentation: 2222/4331/Timp+2/Harp/Vocal Soloist/Strings
Length: 3:00
Rental Fee: $225.00 first performance. $75.00 per subsequent performance.
Video and Audio Recording by:
The Ohio Valley Symphony
Tim Berens, Conductor