The Christmas Concerto is the popular title of one ofthe 12 Concerto Grossi written by ArcangeloCorelli. This Concerto inG minor bears the inscription, "Made for the Night of Christmas". Sincethe Concerti were first published after Corelli?s death in 1711 we have no wayof knowing when it was first performed. This arrangement is of the Allegro second movement and isscored for Clarinet Quartet, three Bb Clarinets and one Bass Clarinet. Thescore and all parts are combined in one pdf file. Musicians at an advanced intermediate level andabove will find this ideal for formal and informal performances. The rhythmsare straightforward, and sound best played fast. The constant movement of thebass part is challenging. All players will enjoy experiencing the rich textureof Corelli?s counterpoint. Theoverall performance time is around three minutes if played at full tempo.

Nextto nothing is known about the origins of Johann Pachelbel?s Canon in D. Theearliest manuscript dates from the nineteenth century and the piece only emergedfrom obscurity through radio play in the 1970s. Now one of the best-loved andubiquitous classical pieces, the Canon?srepeating chord sequence has inspired countless pop tunes from the Streets of London, to I Should be so Lucky and Don?t Look Back in Anger. This version is arranged andtransposed to a suitable key as a Quartet for three Clarinets in Bb and one Bass Clarinet. The originalnote values have been doubled to make the rhythms easier to read. Musicians at an advanced intermediate level and above will find this ideal for formal andinformal performances, and being a Canon, all but the bass part play themelody. Duet versions of this piece can also be found by browsing from the linkbelow. The overall performance time is around four and a half minutes. Teachers will enjoy using this arrangement as a fun way to helpwith stamina, concentration and rhythmic consistency.

Here we have an abridged version of ?Spring? from Vivaldi?s famous ?The Four Seasons? suite, arranged for a clarinet quartet. A little challenging perhaps but instantly recognisable and enjoyable to play. Suitable for intermediate players and above - no fiendishly difficult bits - the main points to watch out for are the tempo changes at bar 28 (where the first clarinet slows the tempo before a slight accelerando) and bars 32 (rall.) and 34 (a new tempo, slightly down on the opening one, is established). These tempo markings are not obligatory and the piece can ebb and flow rubato fashion at these points, if you wish. Also, note the rallentando at the end.In a few places where long sixteenth-note passages occur, breath marks may be needed. These have been deliberately omitted to enable the players to work out what?s best for them.Enjoy yourselves!