A three movement set of virtuosic pieces for clarinet and piano, each movement representing a psalm. The first, Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee, Psalm 130, has a jagged melody, dissonant harmonies and literally cries with leaps of a seventh. The pastoral second movement , The Lord Is My Shepherd, Psalm 23, uses the American hymn tune, My Shepherd Shall Supply My Need, and gradually the pieces of it become the complete tune. The last, Make a Joyful Noise, Psalm 100, is a set of variations with lots of fun rhythms and meter changes, famous quotations, some klezmer, some jazz, some multiphonics and other fun techniques.

Scott Joplin is celebrated as the United States? first well-known black composer, making his name as a writer of piano rags. His life was a constant struggle with adversity, and Joplin died relatively young in 1917, at the dawn of the recording age. Few remembered Joplin?s music until a revival in the 1970s brought The Entertainer and others to the world?s attention. Nowadays Scott Joplin has taken his rightful place in the gallery of great American composers.

The Rags included in this collection are, The Entertainer, The Maple Leaf Rag, The Easy Winners, The Elite Syncopations and The Favorite.

They have been arranged as solos for one Clarinet with piano accompaniment, and include all sections of the original compositions. You will download one pdf file that contains both 22 pages of piano score and the 10 page solo part. These pieces are suitable for players at an intermediate and advanced intermediate level. Musicians will find these Ragtime solos ideal for formal and informal performances, light and fun, yet still a serious and vitally important part of the American musical heritage. The overall performance time for all five is around 25 minutes.

Teachers will enjoy using these arrangements as a fun way to help with phrasing, syncopated rhythms and light articulation.