Ten local clarinetists will bring their pipes together in Tuscany Hall at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, for a clarinet choir performance at Black Hills Piano Gallery. The concert is free. The sound is like nothing heard before from Black Hills performers.

The musicians hope the music will inspire younger clarinetists or spur new ensembles in the area.

"I think everybody understands the clarinet sound, but I don't think very many people have heard the entire spectrum of the clarinet choir," said David Martinson, a clarinetist and stand-in director for the group.

The choir features musicians from the wind ensemble for the Black Hills Symphony, the Rapid City Municipal Band and other musicians from the area.

A contra-alto clarinet, played by Randy Baker, a saxophonist, will bring in a low-sounding voice, Martinson said, added to by B-flat, alto and bass clarinets.

The music will be just as diverse as the instrumentation.

"We're doing some lighter stuff, we're doing a swing arrangement of Bill Bailey, we're doing one ragtime selection - 'Licorice Licks' - and then we're also doing some heavier things," Martinson said of the concert music.

One of those "heavier things" will be the "Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart, arranged for clarinet choir. A lighter one will be the "Holberg Suite" by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.

"There's five movements to it," Martinson said about the suite. "There's some things that are very quick, some things that are very slow and melodic. It's very expressive at times, and it's somewhat almost romantic in nature."

Other works will be more contemporary and fast, Martinson said, like "Danza" by Czech-American composer Václav Nelhýbel.

Nancy Williams, a clarinetist for the wind ensemble in the Black Hills Symphony, came forward with her idea for a clarinet choir after one of the symphony practices.

"We have a wonderful depth of talent - specifically in clarinet music - so they were kind of excited to show off all the talent," she said.

Williams, who moved to the Black Hills nine years ago, said she's seen a strong talent develop among local clarinet musicians within the past five years. Williams holds a master's degree in clarinet performance from the University of Missouri and had never played with a clarinet choir. Neither had most of the others.

"As I got to know people more, because I was new, I was like, 'Wow, there's a lot of good clarinet players,'" Williams said. "We'd been talking about it for a while and we just got tired of talking about it."

Martinson, a director at Sturgis High School, was able to get music, Williams said.

Martinson has been holding music for a clarinet choir with talent like this for years, and finally one formed.

He was also able to loan the musicians a few rare clarinets from Sturgis High School.

Right now, they have only one concert planned because many of the musicians have other playing obligations, Williams said. After the concert, most of them will rush to the Rapid City Municipal Band's 8 p.m. performance at Memorial Park on Tuesday, Williams said.

"We're hoping the city band concert isn't going to be too heavy for clarinets," she added.

If you go

What: Clarinet Madness concert

When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30

Where: Black Hills Piano Gallery, 333 Omaha St,. Suite 4

Admission: Free