A folksong from the province of Leyte, Philippines. Listen to the arrangement of the haunting melody, simple harmony, and the gentle influence of a Spanish habanera in the background. [ Audio clip is a recording of the piano (for rehearsal only) part. A performance of a choir will be uploaded once it is available.] A complete copy for a conductor's perusal is available upon request through http://www.amajormusicpublishing.com/contact-us/

Romanian Folk Dances Sz. 56, BB 68 is a suite of six short piano pieces composed by B�la Bart�k in 1915. He later orchestrated it for small ensemble in 1917 as Sz. 68, BB 76.

It is based on seven Romanian tunes from Transylvania, originally played on fiddle or shepherd's flute.

The original name for the piece was titled Romanian Folk Dances from Hungary but was later changed by Bart�k when Transylvania became part of Romania in 1920. It is nowadays available in the 1971 edition which is written with key signatures although Bart�k rarely ever used key signatures.

This set of dances consists of six movements and, according to the composer, it should take four minutes and three seconds to perform, but most professional pianists take up to five minutes. The list of the movements is as follows (with the original Hungarian title listed first, the most commonly known Romanian title second, and the English translation in parentheses):




Bot t�nc / Jocul cu b�tand#259; (Stick Dance)The melody of the first movement, according to Bart�k, came from the Mezand#337;szabad (present-day Voiniceni) village that was part of Mezand#337;cs�v�s (present-day Ceuaand#537;u de C�mpie) commune which was located in the Maros-Tordaadministrative county within Transylvania, and he first heard it when two gypsy violinists were playing it.
Br�ul (Sash Dance)The second movement is a typical dance from Romania called Br�ul, for which traditionally a sash or a waistband was used. This melody came from Egres (present-day Igriand#537;), in the Banat region.
Topog� / Pe loc (In One Spot)The third dance comes also from Egres (Igriand#537;), but its theme is much darker and its melody recreates Middle Eastern instruments, such as the flute.[4]
Bucsum� t�nc / Buciumeana (Dance from Bucsum)The fourth dance came from Bucsony, Als�-Feh�r County (today Bucium, Alba county in Romania)
Rom�n polka / Poarga Rom�neascand#259; (Romanian Polka)The fifth dance is an old Romanian dance similar to the Polka and comes from Bel�nyes (present-day Beiuand#351;, in Bihor county), near the border between Hungary and Romania.
Apr�z� / Mand#259;runand#539;el (Fast Dance)The sixth and last dance is formed by two different melodies: the first one comes from Bel�nyes (present-day Beiuand#537;) and the second one comes from the then named Nyagra (present-day Neagra) village within the Palotailva (present-day Lunca Bradului) commune. Both on the orchestral version and on the original piano version, the final two dances are performed attacca?without a break between movements.

This sheet music collection of 20 folk songs is notated for 13-note (one octave, C to C chromatic scale) instruments with Handbells on one staff and Boomwhackers� on a second staff creating an instrumental ensemble (requires one set of each instrument). Handbells play the melody while the Boomwhackers� keep a steady beat with three-note chords. For each song, there is a combined score with both parts on a grand staff plus a separate 1-staff score for each individual part. A note and chord reference chart is also provided for each song.

The songs in this digital book are ordered by difficulty with the easiest songs presented first. The songs progressively incorporate more challenging rhythms, some requiring rapid chord changes. Many of the songs include two verses. The first verse is ?easy? with fewer notes. The second verse is ?intermediate? and expands the melody by adding more notes (sometimes including harmony notes). If you want to learn (practice) only the ?easy? verse, an optional ending is provided or it can be skipped to perform the two verses together.

Though this sheet music is notated for Handbells and Boomwhackers�, these arrangements are playable by any 13-note, C to C chromatic scale (one octave) instrument such as a xylophone or glockenspiel. The melody could also be played by a recorder.

This set of scores uses colored noteheads corresponding to the Boomwhackers� color scheme. If you have a set of bells or tubes with a different color scheme, ?Chroma-Notes Stick Ons? can be purchased and applied so the instruments match the Boomwhackers� color scheme. This set of scores is also available (separate purchase) in black and white which will print clearer if you do not have access to a color printer.

Only filled noteheads (quarter and eighth notes) are used so the notes are full color and easier to see (this does not indicate the bells need to be silenced immediately before the next beat). Also, only quarter and eighth rests are used to help visualize the number of beats per measure. Lyrics and chord names are provided as well to aid in the learning and teaching of this song.

The number of ringers and whackers needed will vary depending on the skill level of the participants. For more advanced players, each person could be assigned two or three notes. For beginners, it is best to assign one or two notes to each person. Instrument assignment suggestions are provided for each song.

Other suggestions and uses:
* have both parts played by bells or both parts played using only Boomwhackers�
* form a choir using multiple sets of bells and/or Boomwhackers� (this would amplify the sound and allow more people to participate)
* use as part of the music education for children at school, home, or church
* these colorful, inexpensive instruments can be enjoyed by all ages and add a fun, unique element to activities and programs: senior centers, family reunions, church retreats, home school groups, children?s ministries


Each of the 20 arrangements in this collection is also available separately with accompanying preview pages and audio samples.

Titles included in this collection:
Alphabet Song
Be Kind to Your Loved Ones
B-I-N-G-O
Doo-dah-day!
Good Morning, Merry Sunshine
He?s Got the Whole World In His Hands
Hickory Dickory Dock
Hokey Pokey
Hot Cross Buns
I Love the Mountains
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Little Robin Red-breast
Old MacDonald
On Top of Old Smokey
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Simple Gifts
Skip to My Lou
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
The Water Is Wide

Boomwhackers� is a registered trademark of Rhythm Band Instruments, LLC, Fort Worth, TX. Used by permission.