for String Quartet op. 35a-Josef Suk played second Violin in the Bohemian String Quartet. Since 1914 the ensemble was obliged to perform the Austrian national anthem at the opening of every concert. Suk decided to supplement this obligatory piece with a work inspired by the ancient sacred Bohemian St. Wenceslas hymn. The hymn?s message a plea for the well-being of the Czech people directed at their patron saint was immediately understood by the audience.The Bohemian String Quartet performed this single-movement Meditation for the first time on 27 September 1914; the premiere of the version for string orchestra followed on 22 November 1914 played by the CzechPhilharmonic. That same year the piece was published by Fr. A. Urbánek together with arrangements for Piano and Organ.This first Urtext edition prepared by the Sukscholar Zdenek Nouza is published in two scorings one for string quartet and another for String Orchestra (BA9584). The orchestral version differs in some details and has an added part for Double Bass.First Urtext editionInformative trilingual Foreword (Cz/Eng/Ger) and Critical Commentary (Eng) by the editorTwo versions published in two separate editions

The composer from Polar Express Forrest Gump and Back to the Future has another hit with this year's box office smash that appeals to all ages. Several themes are combined into this impressive showcase for string orchestra including Full House Heroes Return and Main Theme. Dur: 1:50

This work for string ensemble was commissioned by the BT Scottish Ensemble and was first performed in June 1996 at the Hellenic Centre London by the BT Scottish Ensemble with Clio Gould (violin).Quoting Tavener: Tears ofthe Angels should be played at the extreme breaking point of 'tenderness'. In other words totally beyond our compassion and beyond our comprehension. Wrapped in a depth of inner silence of which we have no idea a stateof being not an emotion a tender light piercing the agonising darkness of the world. Also a humility of which we have no idea because it is not rooted in a hypocritcal or contrived deprecation of self but in the blindingvision of God Himself.Since we are 'human' and not angels the music can only be 'imagined' by us. All th strings are muted throughout except for the part marked solo violin. The solo violin is 'the chief among theAngels' and the whole piece must sound 'serene' and 'seemless'.Duration c. 17mins.

Robert Saxton's The Resurrection Of The Soldiers for String Orchestra.Composed and published 2016.Duration: c. 12 minutes.The Resurrection Of The Soldiers for String Orchestra was commissioned by George Vass to whom it is dedicated and the English Symphony Orchestra for the 2016 Presteigne Festival with funds generously provided by the John S. Cohen Foundation and the Arts Council of England. The title derives from the final panel of Stanley Spencer’s Sandham Chapel visionary series of paintings which were the result of Spencer’s experiencesin the British army in World War One and depicts soldiers emerging from their graves on the last day. The music is in three continuous sections: a slow sustained introduction which is in essence a descent from the note E by means of a prolation canon but which ascends to a rather intense climactic point before finally falling and giving way to an active fugue which after arriving at an anguished sustained climax is succeeded by a closing slow movement consisting of a rising melodic line which permeates the entire texture heterophonically leading to the closing E major triad. The work thus traces a cyclical pitch path which while tracing a cyclical path also develops expressively towards a sense of hope and resurrection. - Robert Saxton April 2016

“Celebrating our common bond of peace” This remarkable song was developed through an experimental computer program that combined the words and music from 193 national anthems into an astonishingly beautiful WorldAnthem. Create a multimedia experience at your concert with the optional video featuring a montage of faces from around the world as photographed by some of the world's top photo artists.

The composer writes:Pilgrim was inspired it will be no surprise to learn by reading Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress - Vaughan Williams's great opera on the subject had fascinated me from its first performance yet it was a long time before I caught up with this essential item in any well-stocked library of English classics. It made a great impression not least because of its theme of a journey of self-discovery and a rediscovery or renewal of faith. These are ideas which have a strong interest for me not in religious terms but in their application to every aspect of human life (including great journeys) and this piece reflects my response in musical terms to this concern. The tempo of the whole piece which lasts about 18 minutes is basically slow. There are two quick episodes but these act somewhat like the trio sections of a classical scherzo save that the tempo relationships are inverted (the classical trios would have been slower not quicker) and the canvas is much larger being that of a single substantial slow movement. The form of the whole is perhaps fantasia-like rather than having any relationship to classical forms such as sonata or rondo - some motifs and themes are varied as the work develops and the opening chords are of primary importance throughout the work. There has been no attempt to convey any pictorial elements deriving from Bunyan's great book. There is however one feature which upon completion of the score struck me with some force which is that almost all the thematic material is essentially striving upwards - there is a constant upward movement (sometimes over a lengthy period) throughout the work. Pilgrim was commissioned by the Luton Music Club for the Raphael Ensemble with funds provided by the Eastern Arts Board and Bedfordshire County Council and is dedicated to the Luton Music Club. The first performance was given in Luton on February 10th 1997 and followed as part of a joint scheme by performances in the same week at the Music Clubs of Bedford and Leighton Buzzard.

The composer writes:Pilgrim was inspired it will be no surprise to learn by reading Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress - Vaughan Williams's great opera on the subject had fascinated me from its first performance yet it was a long time before I caught up with this essential item in any well-stocked library of English classics. It made a great impression not least because of its theme of a journey of self-discovery and a rediscovery or renewal of faith. These are ideas which have a strong interest for me not in religious terms but in their application to every aspect of human life (including great journeys) and this piece reflects my response in musical terms to this concern. The tempo of the whole piece which lasts about 18 minutes is basically slow. There are two quick episodes but these act somewhat like the trio sections of a classical scherzo save that the tempo relationships are inverted (the classical trios would have been slower not quicker) and the canvas is much larger being that of a single substantial slow movement. The form of the whole is perhaps fantasia-like rather than having any relationship to classical forms such as sonata or rondo - some motifs and themes are varied as the work develops and the opening chords are of primary importance throughout the work. There has been no attempt to convey any pictorial elements deriving from Bunyan's great book. There is however one feature which upon completion of the score struck me with some force which is that almost all the thematic material is essentially striving upwards - there is a constant upward movement (sometimes over a lengthy period) throughout the work. Pilgrim was commissioned by the Luton Music Club for the Raphael Ensemble with funds provided by the Eastern Arts Board and Bedfordshire County Council and is dedicated to the Luton Music Club. The first performance was given in Luton on February 10th 1997 and followed as part of a joint scheme by performances in the same week at the Music Clubs of Bedford and Leighton Buzzard.

The film score for the blockbuster movie Black Panther is as dramatic and powerful as the movie itself. Here is a practical accessible setting of the main themes carefully arranged for strings. Includes: Ancestral Plane Waterfall Fight and United Nations/End Titles.

From the blockbuster movie Black Panther comes an equally powerful score by Ludwig G÷ransson. This dynamic collection features many of the important themes including Ancestral Plane Waterfall Fight Killmonger and United Nations/End Titles.

With the release of the recent film the music of this renowned stage production has found yet another new audience. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless melodies will most certainly appeal to your students with this superb medleyfor younger string groups. Includes: Phantom of the Opera (Theme) All I Ask of You and Music of the Night. (Grade 2)

Pop Special String-The hauntingly beautiful theme from one of Hollywood's best series of films is ideal programming for a string orchestra who enjoys dramatic film music. Robert's new arrangement is written to let your players sound their very best on this memorable melody.

Perfect companion to the method All For Strings suitable for classroom or individual study. Including exercises and games encompassing music fundamentals introduced in the method books the workbooks are correlated withthe method and provide beginning string players with essential elements for a thorough understanding of music. Theory Workbook 1 will help you to understand the fundamentals and theory of music. The study of musicfundamtentals and theory together with careful practice in playing your instrument will help you to develop into a complete musician with the ability to perform with musical understanding. Best Wishes!Gerald E.AndersonRobert S. Frost

Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone has provided Hollywood with some of its monumental film scores including the engaging music from The Mission. This memorable theme can feature either an oboe flute or violin solo backedby an impressive rich string orchestral accompaniment. Dur: 2:55