Three Pieces For Violin And Piano Op.11 were the first works to be written by composer Ian Venables after he moved to Worcestershire in 1986. The pieces Pastorale Romance and Dance have been called some of the most beautiful pieces for Violin and Piano ever composed.   Brimming with melodic invention and radiant lyricism the music of Three Pieces For Violin And Piano is both rich and varied. Pastorale begins the interplay between the Violin and the Piano with a beautifully relaxing melodic accord with an Elgarian influence firmly on its sleeve.Romance exhibits the best kind of artistic simplicity a musical love-letter featuring an achingly heartbreaking conversation between the two instruments often ambiguous in its outlook. Dance concludes the Three Pieces with a rhythmically upbeat melody laden with staccato that unfolds into a lovely harmonic concordance a fitting end to this series of dialogue between the Violin and Piano.   Ian Venables' Three Pieces For Violin And Piano Op.11 is a beautifully composed work that is guaranteed to have audiences craving more of such a lovely interplay of these two instruments.

Serenata Notturna by Edward Gregson was first performed by Helena Smart (violin) and Caroline Jaya-Ratnam (piano) at the String Final of BBC Young Musicians 2000 Royal Northem College of Music Manchester 23 February 2000.'As the title suggests my Serenata Notturna evokes the atmosphere of night music. Following a reflective opening where the pitch development outlines a twelve-note series the music gradually becomes more agitated developing into a kind of danse macabre eventually reaching a powerful climax. The music then subsides into a much more tranquil atmosphere and the previous dissonant material transposes itself into a simple melody(like a lullaby) uttered by the violin the outline of which both melodically and in terms of the accompaniment figuration has already been present in the piece since the beginning. Thus the turmoil of the first part of the work becomes transfigured into something much more peaceful - hence the quotation that prefaces the score: ?out of darkness cometh light?. After I finished the work it became apparent to me that it might become the sketch for the slow movement of a Violin Concerto on which I had just begun working. It did indeed form the basis of that slow movement and the concerto was premiered by Lyn Fletcher and the Halle Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano at Bridgewater Hall Manchester in February 2000 the same month as Serenata Notturna itself was first played in public.'Edward Gregson

Concerto for violin and small orchestra arranged by the composer for violin and piano. Duration: c. 25 minutes.

Six Country Dances is an anthology of tunes from Playford’s ‘The English Dancing Master’ selected and arranged by Richard Rodney Bennett. Playford’s collection was first published in 1651 and contained 535 popular tunes for country dancing. Richard Rodney Bennett’s skilful and inspired arrangements are perfect for intermediate standard players adding as they do a contemporary slant to these classics of the English folk repertoire. This edition is for Violin and Piano.

Benedictus is a work of depth and feeling that some listeners claim ?out-Elgars Elgar.?Composer conductor and educator Alexander MacKenzie is perhaps best known for his Choral works and his works inspired by Scottish melodies and themes as in this well-known work Benedictus . Benedictus is extracted from Benedictus is a work of depth and feeling that some listeners claim ?out-Elgars Elgar.?Composer conductor and educator Alexander MacKenzie is perhaps best known for his Choral works and his works inspired by Scottish melodies and themes as in this well-known work Benedictus . Benedictus is extracted from Six Pieces for Violin and is dedicated to Lady Hallé. During hislifetime 1847 to 1935 MacKenzie?s programmatic Scottish-inflected work was extremely popular and he is regarded as one of those who set the scene for the British musical renaissance of the late 19th century. and is dedicated to Lady Hallé. During his lifetime 1847 to 1935 MacKenzie?s programmatic Scottish-inflected work was extremely popular and he is regarded as one of those who set the scene for the British musical renaissance of the late 19th century.

Composed in 1884 for Violin or Cello and small Orchestra this is one of Elgar's most popular works for accompanied soloist and has been transcribed for a variety of instruments This arrangement is for the original solo instrument - the Violin with a Piano reduction of the Orchestral accompaniment.

These dances were composed early in 1957 and are dedicated to the BBC Light Music Festival. They are all based on original melodies except one the melody of which was composed by Robert Burns. Arranged for Violin and Piano by David Gedge.