Flexible Woodwind Ensembl-This suite of folk songs is scored for woodwind quartet and a single unpitched drum. Although the nominal scoring is for flute two clarinets and bassoon the piece has considerable inbuilt flexibility of scoring. The options for instruments on each part are as follows: Part 1: Flute oboe or soprano saxophone Part 2: Bb Clarinet or alto saxophone Part 3: Bb clarinet alto saxophone or tenor saxophone Part 4: Bassoon bass clarinet or baritone saxophoneThe piece may be played by any combination of these instruments. Where necessary some passages have been transposed down an octave in the soprano alto and tenor saxophone parts.Where this occurs the lower pitch is also included in the score. There are also a few notes in the bass clarinet part of the March which have been taken up the octave through necessity; similarly this is indicated in the score.The drum should be unsnared and of medium low pitch. A bodhran tenor drum low tom-tom or floor tom are suggested although in the end it is up to the performer!The folk songs used in the piece are not particularly well known these days. 'Gan to the Kye' is an example of the rich culture of traditional music from Northumbria. The title means 'Go to the cows' and is a love song in which the herdsman asks his lover (in a gesture possibly lacking somewhat in romance) to accompany him whilst he tends his herd of cattle.The second movement is a setting of 'Rosemary Lane' a beautiful Somerset song. It tells of a serving girl ill-used by a sailor; as so often in traditional music the beauty of the tune is quite at odds with the unpleasant circumstances related.'Gently Johnny' is a good-humoured song in which the enthusiastic suitor is teased by the object of his affections: he is asked to cool his ardour whilst at the same time being left in no doubt that his attentions may be as bold as he wishes! The middle section uses another song this time from Middlesex called 'Jack Williams'.

The sisters Ruth Anita and June Pointer from West Oakland in California learned how to sing in the sixties in church where their father was a minister. At the beginning of the 1970s they entered the music business where they proved to have a mastery of many styles - including rhythm & blues jazz and country. However the Pointer Sisters acquired international fame at the beginning of the eighties with their soul-like pop music. A great hit was the up-tempo number I’m So Excited which is still a success on every dance floor. This sparkling arrangement by Peter Kleine Schaars certainly provides the excitement that is suggested in the title.

The sisters Ruth Anita and June Pointer from West Oakland in California learned how to sing in the sixties in church where their father was a minister. At the beginning of the 1970s they entered the music business where they proved to have a mastery of many styles - including rhythm & blues jazz and country. However the Pointer Sisters acquired international fame at the beginning of the eighties with their soul-like pop music. A great hit was the up-tempo number I’m So Excited which is still a success on every dance floor. This sparkling arrangement by Peter Kleine Schaars certainly provides the excitement that is suggested in the title.

The sisters Ruth Anita and June Pointer from West Oakland in California learned how to sing in the sixties in church where their father was a minister. At the beginning of the 1970s they entered the music business where they proved to have a mastery of many styles - including rhythm & blues jazz and country. However the Pointer Sisters acquired international fame at the beginning of the eighties with their soul-like pop music. A great hit was the up-tempo number I’m So Excited which is still a success on every dance floor. This sparkling arrangement by Peter Kleine Schaars certainly provides the excitement that is suggested in the title.

Note from the composer: Little Lucas is dedicated to my 2 year-old son. It is a happy medium swinger that captures his mischievous nature with the deceptively difficult movement of major 7th chords in the A sections. The melodynotes are for the most part the 7th of each chord and these notes follow a diminished scale sequence--going up a half-step and then down a major third repetitively. The B section features a 2 five sequence that moves in majorthirds. Originally I wrote this tune for a quartet date. For this arrangement I added a line played by the bass and piano at the end of each A section and voiced out the horns in open drop 2 voicings for a clear and cheerysound.

Youre sure to fill the dance floor with this vocal solo version of the funk classic by Earth Wind and Fire!