Les Indes Galantes (French: "The Amorous Indies") is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Louis Fuzelier. It takes the form of an op�ra-ballet with a prologue and (in its final form) four entr�es (acts). Following an allegorical prologue, the four entr�es have distinct and separate plots, but are unified by the theme of love in exotic places (The Ottoman Empire, Peru, Persia, and North America). The most famous pieces from the work, Danse des Sauvages and the final Chaconne, come from the final entr�e (Les sauvages).

The premiere, including only the prologue and the first two of its four entr�es (acts), was staged by the Acad�mie Royale de Musique at itstheatre in the Palais-Royal in Paris on 23 August 1735, starring the leading singers of the Op�ra, Marie Antier, Marie P�lissier, Mlle Err�mans, Mlle Petitpas, Denis-Fran�ois Tribou, Pierre J�lyotte, and Claude-Louis-Dominique Chass� de Chinais, and the dancers Marie Sall� and Louis Dupr�. Michel Blondy provided the choreography. The ballet's Premier Menuet was used in the soundtrack of the 2006 film Marie Antoinette.

The Sauvages: The stage shows a grove in a forest in America, on the borders of the French and Spanish colonies, where the ceremony of the Peace Pipe is about to be celebrated

Adario, a Native American, is in love with Zima, daughter of a native chief, but he fears the rivalry of the Spaniard Don Alvar and the Frenchman Damon (Air: Rivaux des mes exploits, rivaux des mes amours). The Europeans plead with Zima for her love, but she says Damon is too fickle and Alvar is too jealous; she prefers the natural love shown by Adario (Air: Sur nos bords l'amour vole) and the couple vow to marry (Duet: Hymen, viens nous unir d'une cha�ne �ternelle). The act ends with the Europeans joining the natives in the ceremony of peace (Chorus: For�ts paisibles).

Taken fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Indes_galantes

YourFavorite Christmas Hymns and Carols for Strings, Book 1

Arrangedfor strings by Colin Kirkpatrick

Here?sa brand new collection of best-loved Christmas hymns and carols arranged for strings,to brighten up your next Christmas event. They are presented in a set of twobooks and include full four-part instrumental scores plus parts for first violin,second violin, viola, cello and optional double bass. Both cello and bass partsappear on a single staff. The arrangements can be used with string quartet, stringquintet or string ensemble. There?s also an optional but useful simplifiedkeyboard part intended for less experienced keyboard players. The left handplays only the bass part most of the time, with the right hand part kept assimple as possible. It could be used as the basis of an accompaniment whichmeans that you can use the arrangements as solos, duets or trios.

Thearrangements are intended either as stand-alone pieces that could be used asinterludes in a concert or service, or they could be used to accompany solo,choral or congregational singing. The arrangements been written in string-friendlykeys as often as possible. While the hymns mostly use the traditionalharmonies, the carols have been treated more freely.
Book 1 includes thefollowing 19 titles: Angels from the Realms of Glory (Melody: Gloria); Awayin a Manger (Melody: Mueller); Unto Us a Child Is Born (Melody: PuerNobis); Christians Awake! (Melody: Yorkshire); Deck the Halls withBoughs of Holly (Melody: Nos Galan); Go Tell it on the Mountain; GoodChristian Men, Rejoice (Melody: In Dulci Jubilo); Good King Wenceslas(Melody: Tempus Adest Floridum); I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In; ItCame Upon the Midnight Clear (Melody: Carol); Little Jesus, SweetlySleep (Melody: Rocking); O Christmas Tree (Melody: Tannenbaum); OCome all ye Faithful (Melody: Adeste Fidelis); O Little Town ofBethlehem (Melody: Saint Louis); O Holy Night (Melody: CantiqueNo�l); Silent Night (Melody: Stille Nacht); The Holly and the Ivy;We Wish You a Merry Christmas and What Child is This? (Melody:Greensleeves)

Theaudio samples include Go Tell it on the Mountain; O Christmas Tree; O Holy Night and SilentNight. Please note that the arrangements are usually not usually compatiblewith the brass collection of the same name