Originally inspired by a spiritual, "Stand By Me" was written and recorded in 1961 by famed R&B singer-songwriter Ben E. King. The catchy, soulful tune immediately went to #1 on the R&B charts, and ended up becoming a Top Ten on the Billboard charts twice -- once for its original release, and again in 1986 when it was used as the theme song for a movie of the same name. This song has been deemed "culturally and historically significant" and it has remained one of the most beloved songs in history for decades, so you can't go wrong having this one in your gig books! This Cellobat arrangement for your two-violin and cello trio maintains the fun groove, catchy melody, and joyful feel of the original, while adding in a number of beautiful harmonic and countermelodic layers that put this chart above and beyond the rest! Rated intermediate -- there are some fun syncopated rhythms throughout, but none of the parts go above 2nd position, and this will be playable for students and easily sightreadable for professionals.

Sarah "Cellobat" Chaffee earned her bachelor's degree in cello performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and is now based in Las Vegas. She currently performs with Aerosmith in their "Deuces Are Wild" residency at The Park MGM Theater on the Las Vegas Strip. Sarah is also the principal cellist in David Perrico's Pop Strings Orchestra, a 14-piece band that performs every Friday and Saturday at Caesars Palace, and she plays regularly for Premiere Wedding Music and Bella Electric Strings. Sarah has performed and recorded with many other artists including Halsey, Disturbed, M�tley Cr�e, Celine Dion, Kygo, Ricky Martin, Sarah Brightman, Il Divo, and Lady Antebellum. She can be found at:
http://www.cellobat.com
http://www.instagram.com/cellobat
http://www.youtube.com/c/SarahCellobatChaffee

This trio piece emphasises on teamwork / co-operation, while not setting the bar too high for the players - music appreciation / enjoyment is what all musicians like! Melodies and harmonies do cross over occasionally to gain a balance of roles between the players. That\'s why this piece is recommended to everyone, ranging from beginners to advanced, to perform professionally or leisurely during Christmas ideally!