https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgROOI-A0sc


Downton Abbey was a much loved TV series that ran for six seasons capturing the hearts of many across the world. The composer of the music, John Lunn, won two Primetime Emmys for the hauntingly beautiful score. I have arranged this wonderful piece for quartet/string orchestra, as well as for violin and piano, and cello and piano, and will probably do so again for other instruments. Make sure that you listen to the clip as well as watch the video, as the clip has been mastered since recording.

Technically, this quartet can be performed by professionals or by quite young players. There are lots of opportunities for open strings and easy positions, and experienced players can explore more complex positions with full vibrato. However, the triplets in the inner parts will need an extremely tight touch if the piece is not to sag and slow down! Perhaps younger players could try the triplets three to a bow. Cellists will need some fourth position at bars 16 and 18. If this is tricky, play bar 16 in first position and shorten the third beat of bar 16 from a previous dotted crotchet to a quaver. In bar 18 it is not possible to play this note an octave down though, as it needs to be above the viola here. First violins can change the bow whenever it runs out on the long notes eg Bars 11-13. Capriccio Quartet take a fast tempo here too, but younger players could slow it down considerably. I would love to hear this done by a string orchestra, so let me know if you perform it. I can be found very easily on Facebook

This is an essential item for any string ensemble, whether string quartet or string orchestra. The publication consists of full scores for each hymn plus separate instrumental parts and an optional simplified keyboard part. The parts include 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello and bass. You can brighten the tone quality by getting the more advanced violin players play an octave higher than the written part. (You can hear this effect in the audio demos.) The cello and bass parts appear on a single staff but there?s also a melody part provided in the bass clef should you require a cello or double bass solo. Of course, you can use any number of instruments to a particular part. Using the keyboard part, you can use the arrangements as solos, duets or trios. Because the music has been set in string-friendly keys, the arrangements are not usually compatible with the brass and wind collections of the same title.


The collection includes the following titles: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Ein? Feste Burg); All Creatures Of our God and King (Lasst uns Erfreuen); All People that on Earth do Dwell (Old Hundredth); Abide with Me (Eventide); All Hail the Power of Jesus? Name (Coronation); Amazing Grace (Trad); At the Cross (Alas and Did My Savior Bleed) (Hudson); Be Thou My Vision (Slane); Blessed Assurance (Assurance); Blest Be the Tie That Binds (Dennis - Nägeli); Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Nettleton); Come We That Love the Lord (St. Thomas); Crown Him with Many Crowns (Diademata); Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah (Cwm Rhondda); Holy, Holy, Holy (Nicea); How Firm a Foundation (Foundation); It is Well with my Soul (Ville du Havre); Jesus Christ is Risen Today (Easter Hymn); Jesus, Lover of My Soul (Hollingside); Jesus Paid it All (All to Christ); Joy to the World (Antioch); Just as I Am, Without one Plea (Woodworth); Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Hyfrydol); Nearer my God to Thee (Bethany); Praise To the Lord, The Almighty (Lob den Herren); Rock of Ages (Top¬la¬dy); Shall we gather at the River? (Hanson Place); The Day thou Gave us, Lord is Ended (St. Clement); To God Be the Glory (To God be the Glory); There is a Fountain (Cleansing Fountain); What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Converse) and When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Hamburg).

The audio demo contains the following titles (1) Abide with Me; (2) Nearer my God to Thee; (3) Be Thou my Vision and (4) What a Friend we have in Jesus.

?Lovely? by Billie Eilish and Khalid was released in April 2018. Written and produced by Finneas O?Connel, brother of Billie Eilish, it was used as the soundtrack to Season Two of ?13 Reasons Why? - a drama on Netflix. The song went Platinum in New Zealand and USA, and reached the top five in the New Zealand and Australian Charts.

I think that it lends itself beautifully to a String Quartet Arrangement and very much enjoyed working on it. At the moment I have only a computer version of the Score but will be recording it with Capriccio Quartet once lockdown restrictions are at an end.

Feel free to change the bowing, especially in the eight-quaver accompaniment bars. These do need to be heard, but very much as a background texture. I envisaged the song as played with a great deal of delicacy and subtlety, though this is hard to achieve with Sibelius software. In this arrangement the cello has less to do than usual, but there are some sudden shifts of position and that deep presence is vital to the overall effectiveness of the song. The double stopping usually includes one open string.

I experimented for a long time with different octaves for the violin to play at Letters C and E. You may like to change the score at this point if it feels easier, or just prefer one or the other. I opted for the high octave at times because the unison with the viola two octaves below seemed to have a lot of emotional power. However one octave apart also sounds good so younger players could easily tackle this song.

My Youtube Channel has many of my arrangements for String Quartet, most recorded by Capriccio Quartet, and all but two available as Sheet Music Plus products. Please visit me there :- Helen Marple-Horvat, Songwriter, Arranger, Composer.

'The Crown' is an award winning Netflix series that has won the hearts of many people around the world. Hans Zimmer wrote the theme for the main title with Rupert Gregson-Williams, from Wiltshire, composing music for the first series, joined by Lorne Balfe, a Scottish composer for series two.


I have made an arrangement for String Quartet and hope to make more for different combinations of instruments and piano in the future.

As usual my arrangement can be played by professionals for concerts, weddings and events but also tackled by young people. The key is the original one, D minor, which is easy for strings, and younger players can make use of open strings and take as many bows as they need. I have included some bowing as a guide. Most of the double stopping includes one open string but less experienced players can leave out one of the notes where necessary, especially of it is doubled by one of the other players. I have included some 'commas' in this arrangement and recommend recovering the bow and watching the leader like a hawk!

The long ?piano? sections will need lots of crescendo and decrescendo markings to sound effective. I put down some ideas, but feel free to experiment. The main thing is that they grow and decay again, to keep up the tension. Without that movement, those soft passages might sound boring, albeit the chords are gorgeous.

I have included a crescendo in the penultimate bar before each new dynamic, but ideally a long crescendo is needed between each new dynamic marking. The texture becomes gradually thicker, which will help, but I am looking forward to Capriccio Quartet recording this one as they are so good at building up excitement.

There must be a great deal of drama at letters D and O. After a massive increase in dynamic I am hoping for a ?breath? at the comma, and a very sudden softness for the chords that follow. I also like harmonics for the viola at bars 21-22, giving way to a natural note on the fourth beat of 22. I would like the harmonic in viola to be almost imperceptible as the piece closes out. I haven?t marked it as such, and I couldn?t write a ?simile? on the page without clashes of staves or an extra page. I intended it to be a harmonic to the end though.

Please send me any recordings you make because I love to hear people playing my arrangements, even if it is a phone recording, and especially younger players! I am on facebook and I have a Youtube Channel too. Helen Marple-Horvat Songwriter, Arranger, Composer.