Flexible String Ensemble-The Fiddle Fiesta became an important annual event for Bedfordshire Music Service at least thirty years ago and was the brainchild of a highly individual lady called Barbara Cann. The main purpose of this was to give less experienced string players an opportunity to play in a large ensemble; these young players were helped on such occasions by more senior students who were already experienced in ensemble playing perhaps in one of the youth orchestras. What began as an isolated event soon spread to many schools and nowadays 'Fiddle Fiestas' take place in numerous venues across the county every year usually during the summer term.This suite of shortmovements borrows its title from these annual events and is aimed at being performed under similar circumstances. Each of the five parts (violins 1 & 2 violas and/or violin 3 cellos and basses) exists as part 'a' and part 'b' part 'b' being a simplified version of part 'a' such that the piece can be played by virtually any combination of available players albeit with some loss of detail when played predominantly with parts 'b'. Additional string parts are available independently quickly and at little cost. Please do NOT photocopy this music!Individual parts for all Spartan Press ensembles are available separately quickly and inexpensively. DO NOT PHOTOCOPY.

This edition of Onslow's fifteenth String Quintet has the advantage of being either a two Viola or a two Cello quintet as it is published with parts for two cellists or two violists. It is a major work with good parts for all players with the 1st Violin part having a particularly large numbers of fast semi quavers (sixteenths) in the outer movements.It is known as 'The Bullet' due to the circumstances of its composition: Onslow was boar hunting in the Auvergne when a theme occurred to him. He dismounted and sat on a nearby fallen tree trunk and wrote it down. A boar then burst from the bushes and his companions fired missing the boar and hitting Onslow.The quintet was completed on his recovery and graphically illustrates his sufferings. George Onslow an Anglo-French composer was born in Clermont-Ferrand in July 1784 and died there in October 1853.