Christmas Adventures for Cello andPiano

A New Look at Three Favorite Carols

Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick



Here are three refreshing new modernarrangements of three popular traditional carols ?like you ain?t never heardthem before?. Intended for the intermediate cello player and a reasonably competentpianist, they are sure to brighten up your Christmas events whether at home, school,church or recital hall. They could be used during a Christmas service or asstand-alone pieces at an end-of-term presentation. The audio sample includes recordingsof all three pieces.

The King Rides Out(based on ?Good King Wenceslas?) starts conventionally enough but turns into acountry-style song and then there?s a three-part Bach-like contrapuntal section,concluding with a wistful coda before the music returns to the joyful countrystyle. Waltz with Holly ? or Possibly Ivy (based of course on ?The Hollyand the Ivy?) turns into a dreamy waltz with long extended phrases and a goodvehicle to show the cellists tone quality. The Merry Gentleman go Latinis a lively rumba version of ?God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen?.

ColinKirkpatrick studied composition, cello and piano at London?s prestigious RoyalCollege of Music and after graduation followed a career in music education. Hewas a High School Music Director in London for about fifteen years and laterbecame a Music Education Adviser for local government, with the addedresponsibility for training teachers and directing the instrumental teachingservice.

Hehas been published by Boosey & Hawkes, Novello, Paxton, Schott, OxfordUniversity Press, Chester, Belwin Mills and Intrada (Netherlands). He holds MAand PhD degrees in education and his other interests include reading,photography, travel, cooking and wine tasting - though not necessarily all atthe same time.

This collection of ?Holiday Classics? contains 10 holiday songs arranged as instrumental duets (for CELLO solo with PIANO accompaniment). These fun-to-learn arrangements are a welcome addition to the repertoire for beginning cello students and suitable for recitals or just some family fun around the piano during the holiday season. Selections include classics associated with the winter holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year?s. Each song is also available separately with accompanying preview pages and audio samples.

All notes for the CELLO are playable in the first position making these arrangements an excellent choice for early-intermediate string players. For each song, there is a 3-staff score with CELLO and PIANO on each page plus a separate 1-staff score for the CELLO solo.

Song titles included in this collection:
Auld Lang Syne
Good King Wenceslas
Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah"
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
O Christmas Tree
Over the River and Through the Woods
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Up On the Housetop
We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Trajko Prokopiev is considered one of the founders of the Macedonian music culture, whose works represent its basic foundation. He was a composer and conductor. His work is known for the use of historical, mythological and folk motifs- elements of cultural significance to the Macedonian people. Trajko Prokopiev also composed and solo and choral songs, chamber suites, and vocal compositions for voice and piano. His other major works include the ballet ?Labin and Dojrana,? both opera ?Kuzman Kapidan? and ?Parting,? and the first Macedonian opera by the work of A. Panov ?Migrant Workers.?.