'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.

String Quartet // Digital Download // Intermediate // Advanced // Special Effects // Extended Techniques // Banging Tune Vibes

I bloody love this song. Reminds me of teenage-hood!

BALANCED ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCERT PERFORMANCE (or weddings/events etc.) + also an option to Record this arrangement (remotely if you're still in lockdown!)

Song played as per the original track. 'Heterophonic' Violins (play in Unison, but please vary your sound a bit from each other, to give it a jangly sound). I made this for Remote Recording, so the pull-up at the end is written out rhythmically. Saves any problems arising in rehearsal/performance in real life anyway, so thought i'd leave it in!
*I EVEN WROTE IN THE CAR SCREECH IN THE SECOND VERSE*
Interesting inner parts as per usual. Couple of nasty triple stops in the Viola. Have fun!

I've made this arrangement in 2012 for my String Quartet, since then we have played it lots of times and the audience loved it. It's a very clear arrangement it has bowings, so You'll be able to learn it fast, without too much rehearsal work. I recommend to spend some rehearsal time to tune well the key signature changes.
One more thing:
It's important for me to stop the waste, so I've fitted every part on a single page, so You can save some paper and ink, too.
Enjoy the music :).