Nextto nothing is known about the origins of Johann Pachelbel?s Canon in D. Theearliest manuscript dates from the nineteenth century and the piece only emergedfrom obscurity through radio play in the 1970s. Now one of the best-loved andubiquitous classical pieces, the Canon?srepeating chord sequence has inspired countless pop tunes from the Streets of London, to I Should be so Lucky and Don?t Look Back in Anger. This version is arranged andtransposed to a suitable key as a Quartet for three Clarinets in Bb and one Bass Clarinet. The originalnote values have been doubled to make the rhythms easier to read. Musicians at an advanced intermediate level and above will find this ideal for formal andinformal performances, and being a Canon, all but the bass part play themelody. Duet versions of this piece can also be found by browsing from the linkbelow. The overall performance time is around four and a half minutes. Teachers will enjoy using this arrangement as a fun way to helpwith stamina, concentration and rhythmic consistency.

Ave verum corpus (Hail, true body) is a motet in D major (K. 618), composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is a setting of the 14th century Eucharistic hymn in Latin "Ave verum corpus" in 1791. Mozart wrote it for Anton Stoll, a friend of Mozart and Joseph Haydn. Stoll was the musical coordinator in the parish of Baden bei Wien, near Vienna. This setting of the Ave verum corpus text was composed to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi; the autograph is dated 17 June 1791. It is only forty-six bars long and is scored for SATB choir, string instruments, and organ. Mozart's manuscript contains minimal directions, with only a single sotto voce at the beginning.

Fourpence ha'penny is a set of variations based on the old canon Frère Jacques (or Bruder Martin) - the idea for the title came from my father who always claims, jokingly, that I earn only fourpence ha'penny from my musical compositions. (Of course I get a bit more than that!) The canon could also be sung to words such as: Fourpence ha'penny, fourpence ha'penny... That's your lot, that's your lot! You could be a rich man, oh you'd be be a rich man! But you're not, not so hot.... The pdf file contains score and parts. The audio sample is an electronic preview.

Clarinet Quartet: 2 B-flat Clarinets, Alto Clarinet or Basset Horn, Bass Clarinet.

This arrangement for advanced players aims to present Edvard Grieg's well-known piano miniature as faithfully as possible for a clarinet quartet. The only simplification I've made is to transpose it up half a step from the original D major. It's a musically satisfying teaching piece that will also delight audiences in a "solos and ensembles" concert, or as music for a wedding. The prominent Alto Clarinet part can alternatively be played on Basset Horn.