If you're looking for another bland, soul-less transcription of a pop song for strings to collect dust in the back of your gig book while you idle away your hours providing background music behind the potted palm, this is NOT the arrangement you are looking for.

However, if you are looking to liven up your ensemble's repertoire with a hip arrangement of the summer's biggest smash from the world's bubbliest boy band... then look no further: THIS is the tune you need to take your performance to the next level! This spicy new take on the Jonas Brothers' latest jam includes an extendable solo section (in case that wedding party is taking too long to make their appearance at cocktail hour), chopping grooves that will land your quartet securely "in the pocket," a couple slick reharminizations to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, and enough flashy licks to finally prove to all those naysaying guitar players that yes, string players can be real rockstars!!!

That being said, if your ensemble is already forward-thinking enough to have brokered peace with those fret-loving, stick-twirling showboats that we know & love, this arrangement also includes an optional rhythm section lead sheet for performing with additional musicians. So whether you're striking up the band for a showcase, or simply providing the ambience for your next dinner party, reception, or corporate function, this arrangement has everything you need to keep your audience, and your ensemble, entertained.

Performance time - 3:44 without vamping solos, 5:00 if you wanna take another round, or 9:35 if the head table starts yelling "Free Bird"

Questions? Feel free to contact me via my website, www.kylepudenz.com/ or on the 'Insta @theviolinvagabond

O God, Beyond All Praising (Thaxted) (Bb) (String Quintet) - Intermediate - Digital Download. This marvelous arrangement of "O God, Beyond All Praising", a hymn tune based on the "Andante Maestoso" section from "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" from Gustav Holst's The Planets, would be a fabulous addition to any music library and could be performed for church services, especially Weddings and Funerals, but would be appropriate any time during the church year. However, if you are looking to perform this selection for concerts or recitals, I would suggest you look for the arrangement of "Jupiter" (Andante Maestoso from "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" from The Planets), also by Regis Bookshar. These arrangements are suitable for high school and college students but professional musicians would also enjoy playing these selections as well. Included are a score and a complete set of parts (9 pages). This selection is one of the many arrangements from The Regis Bookshar Trumpet Ensemble's extensive music library which are being made available for the first time. We have performed the Trumpet Quintet version of this composition quite often for numerous weddings and other special occasions.
The Planets, written between 1914 and 1917 by the English composer Gustav Holst, premiered at the Queen's Hall in London, on September 29, 1918 for an invited audience of about 250 people. In the fourth movement, "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity", Holst portrays Jupiter's supposedly characteristic abundance of life and vitality. Nobility and generosity are allegedly characteristics of those born under Jupiter, and in the slower, middle section marked "Andante Maestoso", perhaps the most well-known theme from The Planets (and the theme on which this arrangement is based), Holst provides a broad tune embodying these traits. In 1921, Holst adapted the theme to fit the patriotic poem "I Vow to Thee, My Country" by Cecil Spring Rice, and was written as a unison song with orchestra. It did not appear as the hymn tune until 1926, when Holst harmonized this melody, named "Thaxted", named after the English village where he had lived for many years. Holst's friend Ralph Vaughan Williams included it in Songs of Praise. It has since been performed at numerous occasions, most notably for the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981, and also at the funerals of Princess Diana in 1997, Margaret Thatcher in 2013 and Senator John McCain where it was performed at the Washington National Cathedral on September 1, 2018. In addition to being used as the melody for the solemn, patriotic hymn "I Vow to The, My Country", other settings of this hymn tune also include "O God, Beyond All Praising", by Michael Perry in 1982 and "We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God", a paraphrase of the "Te Deum Laudemus" by Stephen P. Starke in 1999.
Regis Bookshar thought that it would be wonderful if other instrumentalists could have the opportunity to play this beautiful melody, so, in addition to the Trumpet Quintet version and this version for a String Quintet, consisting of 2 Violins, 1 Viola (which has the lead), 1 Violoncello and 1 Double Bass, he has made quite a few other arrangements of this selection. There are Quintets readily available for a wide variety of instrumental ensembles. Please take the time to look for other versions of this composition. You may find something else that may also suit your needs. I would also encourage you to search for other arrangements by Regis Bookshar, as well, as there are numerous arrangements in a variety of styles, also available for purchase. You may find something else which might interest you. Please continue to check periodically because new arrangements are added as often as possible. I'm certain that this beautiful arrangement of "O God, Beyond All Praising" based on the "Andante Maestoso" section from "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" from Gustav Holst's The Planets, will continue to entertain both performers and audiences alike for years to come.