Clarinet choir

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Clarinet family French and German System

French: clarinets in E♭ and B♭ (boxwood), basset clarinet in A, basset horn, bass clarinet and contralto clarinet

German: bass clarinet, basset horn, clarinets in D, A, B♭, high G and E♭ and a basset clarinet in A

A clarinet choir is a musical ensemble consisting entirely of instruments from the clarinet family. It will typically include E♭, B♭, alto, bass, and contra-alto or contrabass clarinets, although sometimes not all of these are included, and sometimes other varieties may be present. The size of the ensemble varies; it may have between 10 and 40 members.^[1] There are also clarinet trios, clarinet quartets, and clarinet quintets, usually consisting of two to four B♭ clarinets and one bass clarinet.

The sound produced by a group of clarinets has been compared to that of a concert organ. Though varying in range, members of the clarinet family have homogenous timbres. Therefore, the clarinet choir may be thought of as a woodwind equivalent to the string orchestra.