clarinets versus clarinets

During a recital rehearsal of "Sounds from the Gray Goo 2.11," my clarinetists accidentally formed what they dubbed "versus formation": half the clarinetists were on one side and half were on the other. It worked, and we kept it.

When "SftGG 2.11" was performed a few days later, some audience members did not like the stereophonic arrangement, especially when the high clarinet timbres would grate against their ears. They preferred this.

THEN James Pytko had the idea to create a surround-sound formation for his chamber recital. Too bad there isn't video of that performance.

I actually prefer the last formation; the rich clarinet timbers would surround you and travel from one side to the other. Thoughts?

[Fundraising update: We're still at $275 (of of my $2000 goal), and we only have eight days left. I think this will barely let me rent a keyboard to accompany my singers. Please support new music. (They Came...From the Future" is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of "They Came...From the Future" must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.)]