For Clarinet Choir-There???s a Boat Dat???s Leavin??? Soon for New York/It Ain???t Necessarily So/Summertime/I Got Plenty o' Nuttin??? is a song from the American opera Porgy and Bess composed in 1935 by George Gershwin (1898-1937) to a libretto by DuBose Heyward and his brother Ira Gershwin after Heyward???s novel Porgy - a story about the love between the crippled negro beggar Porgy and the girl Bess in the city of Charleston in South Carolina. The premi?re - not a huge success - took place on 10 October 1935 in New York.With his opera Gershwin wanted to gain recognition as a composer of classical music. Incidentally he demanded that all parts were sung by black performers; only a few unimportant parts without sung lyrics were allowed to be performed by white actors. This rule still applies: Gershwin has stated in the terms of his will that only black people were allowed stage the opera.Porgy and Bess has become popular only after Gershwin???s death. In 1959 a wonderful film was made; the soundtrack won a Grammy Award. The work is not very often performed possibly because of the difficulty of finding a whole cast of black opera singers. However various pieces from the opera are still regularly performed in numerous arrangements.

From the Television Series-It???s the instantly recognisable theme from the incredibly popular US TV show now known by a whole new generation of fans thanks to the 2010 revival of the classic series. This is a brilliant arrangement by Mike Sheppard that gives every musician in the ensemble something cool to play. It???s the instantly recognisable theme from the incredibly popular US TV show now known by a whole new generation of fans thanks to the 2010 revival of the classic series. This is a brilliant arrangement by Mike Sheppard that gives every musician in the ensemble something cool to play.

This book contains practice material for Options - the musicianship tests that are part of Music Medals. Options covers a range of skills from improvising to sight-reading and are a means of developing musical understanding and awareness. Designed as a teacher's resource this book introduces the four types of Options and demonstrates the standard of musicianship required for each of five Music Medals.

With its simple memorable melody and folk-song style You Are My Sunshine is undoubtedly one of America???s most successful love songs of the 20th century. Its success in the 1940s massively boosted the popularity of the song???s original performers Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell so much so that it helped to springboard Davis??? political career culminating in his successful election as Governor of Louisiana in 1944. This arrangement for a quartet line-up is very playable and was arranged by Mike Sheppard. This piece effectively guarantees success at your next concert.