SKU: MB.30964

ISBN 9781513469775. 8.75x11.75 inches.

This collection of 41 timeless melodies is tastefully arranged for soprano and tenor recorders with suggested breath marks and accompaniment chords. Selections include a variety of influences which provide a historical and aesthetic view of the American musical landscape. The works of both well-known, classically trained composers and unknown folk artists are featured in standard notation arrangements suitable for performance by intermediate players. The one thing these tunes have in common is their striking melodies, which in many cases have endured throughout the ages.

SKU: MB.30963

ISBN 9781513468204. 8.75x11.75 inches.

This exceptional collection of 41 truly beautiful airs and ballads from the British Isles offers both well-known tunes by the prolific blind Irish harpist, Turlough O�??Carolan and rarely heard melodies by anonymous composers; all have stood the test of time. Arranged for soprano or tenor recorder, these include O�??Carolan�??s classically influenced �??Lord Inchiquin�?� and �??Eleanor Plunkett�?� as well as �??O Gentle Dove�?� and �??Cuckoo Dear�?��?? both examples of the strong tradition of song in Wales. Among other tunes, the haunting modal melodies of �??The Dark Slender Boy�?� and �??Enchanted Valley�?� express the melancholic heart and soul of the British Isles.

A few of these songs have taken on a life of their own in modern times. �??Bonny at Morn�?�, a popular traditional tune of northern England and Scotland, was arranged for soprano voice and harp by the 20th century British composer, Benjamin Britten. �??The Skye Boat Song�?� originally recounted Bonnie Prince Charles Edward Stuart�??s journey to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the historic Battle of Culloden. Later, the song evolved into a lilting lullaby and was more recently used as the theme song for the popular Outlander television series.

Departing slightly from recorder notation practice, author Marcia Diehl has judiciously arranged these melodies complete with spare slur markings to aid the amateur player in authentically and musically rendering these tunes.

SKU: MB.31002

ISBN 9781513474588. 8.75x11.77 inches.

This volume focuses on the medieval period from approximately the sixth to fifteenth centuries. The music of this era was traditionally performed as plainchant (sacred) or monophony (secular), that is, as a vocal melody, here reserved for the soprano recorder. Seeking to emulate medieval performance practice, the 20 tunes in this collection are accompanied by a single, drone-like power or 5-chord to be played on a modern-day stringed instrument such as guitar, mandolin or banjo. These simple troubadour songs are ideal for beginners and experienced players alike, who want to be transported back in time, immersed in a bygone era of music. .