O God, Beyond All Praising (Thaxted) (Bb) (String Quintet) - Intermediate - Digital Download. This marvelous arrangement of "O God, Beyond All Praising", a hymn tune based on the "Andante Maestoso" section from "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" from Gustav Holst's The Planets, would be a fabulous addition to any music library and could be performed for church services, especially Weddings and Funerals, but would be appropriate any time during the church year. However, if you are looking to perform this selection for concerts or recitals, I would suggest you look for the arrangement of "Jupiter" (Andante Maestoso from "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" from The Planets), also by Regis Bookshar. These arrangements are suitable for high school and college students but professional musicians would also enjoy playing these selections as well. Included are a score and a complete set of parts (9 pages). This selection is one of the many arrangements from The Regis Bookshar Trumpet Ensemble's extensive music library which are being made available for the first time. We have performed the Trumpet Quintet version of this composition quite often for numerous weddings and other special occasions.
The Planets, written between 1914 and 1917 by the English composer Gustav Holst, premiered at the Queen's Hall in London, on September 29, 1918 for an invited audience of about 250 people. In the fourth movement, "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity", Holst portrays Jupiter's supposedly characteristic abundance of life and vitality. Nobility and generosity are allegedly characteristics of those born under Jupiter, and in the slower, middle section marked "Andante Maestoso", perhaps the most well-known theme from The Planets (and the theme on which this arrangement is based), Holst provides a broad tune embodying these traits. In 1921, Holst adapted the theme to fit the patriotic poem "I Vow to Thee, My Country" by Cecil Spring Rice, and was written as a unison song with orchestra. It did not appear as the hymn tune until 1926, when Holst harmonized this melody, named "Thaxted", named after the English village where he had lived for many years. Holst's friend Ralph Vaughan Williams included it in Songs of Praise. It has since been performed at numerous occasions, most notably for the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981, and also at the funerals of Princess Diana in 1997, Margaret Thatcher in 2013 and Senator John McCain where it was performed at the Washington National Cathedral on September 1, 2018. In addition to being used as the melody for the solemn, patriotic hymn "I Vow to The, My Country", other settings of this hymn tune also include "O God, Beyond All Praising", by Michael Perry in 1982 and "We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God", a paraphrase of the "Te Deum Laudemus" by Stephen P. Starke in 1999.
Regis Bookshar thought that it would be wonderful if other instrumentalists could have the opportunity to play this beautiful melody, so, in addition to the Trumpet Quintet version and this version for a String Quintet, consisting of 2 Violins, 1 Viola (which has the lead), 1 Violoncello and 1 Double Bass, he has made quite a few other arrangements of this selection. There are Quintets readily available for a wide variety of instrumental ensembles. Please take the time to look for other versions of this composition. You may find something else that may also suit your needs. I would also encourage you to search for other arrangements by Regis Bookshar, as well, as there are numerous arrangements in a variety of styles, also available for purchase. You may find something else which might interest you. Please continue to check periodically because new arrangements are added as often as possible. I'm certain that this beautiful arrangement of "O God, Beyond All Praising" based on the "Andante Maestoso" section from "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" from Gustav Holst's The Planets, will continue to entertain both performers and audiences alike for years to come.

The Best Hymns of All Time
Arranged for Strings by Colin Kirkpatrick

Book 3

We?re really excited to present the third and last book of our collection of sixty of the best-loved hymns ever composed. The hymns are scored in four parts and could be used with virtually any combination of stringed instruments: string quartet or quintet or any size string ensemble. They are presented in a set of three books and include full four-part instrumental scores plus four separate parts for 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola and cello (and double bass). The bass part is also optional because it doubles the cello part an octave lower. There?s also an optional but useful simplified keyboard part intended for less experienced keyboard players. The left hand plays only the bass part most of the time, with the right hand part kept as simple as possible. The piano part too means that you can use the arrangements as solos, duets or trios. To make the music accessible to less experienced players, the range of the notes has been kept fairly low so that many of the arrangements can be played in first position. However, to produce a brighter and richer sound, a few of the more experienced violinists could play an octave higher. You can hear this effect in the audio samples.

These arrangements are intended either as stand-alone pieces that could be used as interludes in a service, or they could be used to accompany solo, choral or congregational singing. This is essential music for schools and many churches and contains probably all the hymns you?ll ever need. The scores and all the parts of Book 2 are contained in a single 65-page PDF file.

Book 3 contains the following twenty popular hymns: All Hail the Power of Jesus? Name (Miles Lane); All things Bright and Beautiful (Bright and Beautiful); Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (Hyfrydol); Blessed Assurance (Assurance); Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (St George?s Windsor); Father, Hear the Prayer we Offer (Sussex & Gott Will's Machen); For the Beauty of the Earth (Dix); Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken (Austrian hymn); How Firm a Foundation (Foundation); Jesu, Lover of my Soul (Hollingside); Jesus Loves Me, This I Know (Jesus Loves Me); Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Hymn to Joy); Kum Ba Yah (Afro-American folksong); Mine Eyes have Seen the Glory (Battle Hymn of the Republic); O God, Our Help In Ages Past (St. Anne); Morning has Broken (Bunessan); Praise to the Lord the Almighty (Lob den Herren); Shall We Gather at the River? (Hanson Place); The God of Abraham Praise (Leoni); When Peace Like a River (Ville du Havre).

The audio samples include (1) All things Bright and Beautiful, (2) How Firm a Foundation, (3) Kum Ba Yah and (4) Morning has Broken. The music has been set in string-friendly keys so they are not compatible with the brass collection of the same name.

Thisnew collection of Thanksgiving and Harvest hymns contains all your favorites,or at least, most of them. It?s probably all you?ll ever need for thanksgivingand harvest festivals and the arrangements can be used for virtually anycombination of stringed instruments. This is an essential title for any stringlibrary or for any string ensembles that are called upon to provide music forschools, Thanksgiving events or churches.

Thearrangements can be used with string quartet, string quintet or string ensembleor performed as solo pieces. There?s also an optional but useful simplifiedkeyboard part intended for less experienced keyboard players. The piano parttoo means that you can use the arrangements as solos, duets or trios. Thesearrangements are intended either as stand-alone pieces that could be used asinterludes in a service, or they could be used to accompany solo, choral orcongregational singing. To make the music accessible to less experienced stringplayers, the range of the notes has been kept fairly low so that many of thearrangements can be played in first position. However, to produce a brighterand richer sound, a few of the more experienced violinists could play an octavehigher. You could also use the arrangements as flute or oboe solo pieces, with thewind instrument playing the 1st violin part. Each hymn has a four-staff scoreand parts are provided for Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello and optional Doublebass. The scores and all the parts are contained in a single PDF file. Becausestring-friendly keys are used, these arrangements are NOT compatible with thosein the wind collection of the same name.

Thefollowing 25 hymns are included: AllCreatures of our God and King (Lasst uns Erfreuen); As the Sun doth Daily Rise(Innocents); All Things Bright and Beautiful (Bright and Beautiful); Bringingin the Sheaves (Sowing in the Morning); Come Ye Thankful People Come (StGeorge?s Windsor); Fair Waved the Golden Corn (Holyrood); Fill your Hearts withJoy and Gladness (Ode to Joy); For the Beauty of the Earth (Dix); For theFruits of His Creation (Ar Hyd y Nos); Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken(Austrian Hymn); Immortal, Invisible (St Denio); Let all Things now Living (AshGrove); Let us with a Gladsome Mind (Monkland); Now Thank we all Our God (Nundanket); Praise and Thanksgiving (Bunessan); Praise God for the Harvest(Stowey); Praise my Soul the King of Heaven (Lauda anima); Praise to the Lordthe Almighty (Lob den herren); Rejoice the Lord is King (Darwall?s 148th);Sing to the Lord of Harvest (Wie lieblich ist der maien); This is my Father?s World(Terra Beata); To thee, O Lord, our Hearts we Raise (Golden Sheaves); We GatherTogether (Kremser); We Plough the Fields and Scatter (Wir pfl�gen) and PraiseGod from whom all Blessings Flow (Old Hundredth)