A work for solo violin and orchestra commissioned by Donald McDonald for the 21st birthday of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the 60th birthday of the composer. It was first performed in November 1993 in Glasgow by JamesClark and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by Maxwell Davies.The spell is one quoted by George Mackay Brown in his book An Orkney Tapestry: 'Let not plough be put to acre except a fiddle cross first the furrow.'Davies's dancing concerto imagines the fiddler following a route from field to field from dance to dance accompanied by a bunch of companions in the form of an orchestra. As the music goes on so it gets brighter and livelier moving from the dark colouring of clarinets bassoons and strings to full ensemble with prominent brass and (solo) tuned percussion as if the dancers as much as the fields were beginning to glow with new life.Score(miniature). Duration c. 20mins.

The Best of Belwin Jazz: First Year Charts for Jazz Ensemble is a collection of twelve outstanding jazz ensemble arrangements for the young player. Each chart is written by experienced educational arrangers and composers in various styles and tempos: swing, Latin, ballad, waltz, holiday and pop. This collection is written for full instrumentation - five saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, and four rhythm - but is designed to sound full and complete with reduced instrumentation of three saxes, two trumpets, one trombone and three rhythm. Optional parts are available for flute, clarinet, tuba, horn in F, and baritone T.C. The rhythm section parts offer suggestions for rhythms, piano voicings, and guitar chord frames. All solos are written out in improvised sections. The conductor's book includes full-length CD recordings of all titles. Titles include: Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home, Birth of the Blues, Embraceable You, First Time Around, Gospel, Hot Chocolate, Jazzmin Tea, Jingle Bell Rock, Poco Loco, Splanky, Sunday Morning, TMI