One of the most famous orchestral works of all time and now available in a setting for younger players Blue Danube Waltz will introduce your players to one of the most performed genres in orchestral playing the grand waltz. Dur: 0 1388888888888889

Arranger Steven Frackenpohl brings us yet another outstanding teaching and performance piece from Vivaldi. This edition is set in 3/4 time and offers the opportunity to teach duple versus triple rhythms in an energetic Baroque dance movement.

Well known for his fresh settings for holidayªworks for strings John Leavitt once again provides a new sound and senseªto aªfamiliar tune. The tuneful ?Il Est Né? is charming in this new treatment forªstringorchestra enhancedwith tasteful simple percussion (opt.)

Reminiscent of the Dark Ages when kings ruled and knights protected this fantastic work for beginning strings has an epic sound. Optional percussion adds a regal feel and sets the perfect mood for life in medieval times. Outstanding!

The tender ballad from A Charlie Brown Christmas is a perfect jazz-flavored choice for younger orchestras. Well-crafted moving lines within the the skilled ensemble writing assure success.

This medley of folk songs came from a recent trip to Russia by arranger Jamin Hoffman. Katyusha Moscow Evenings and Kalinka are all rich in tradition each with a distinctive taste of the land that has given the world so much important music.

David Shaffer provides this excellent teaching tool which focuses entirely on pizzicato technique. Written as a march this piece is perfect for changing the pace of your concert and even includes some optional percussion to enhance the overall effect. Very easy and sure to be a delight.

From Album for the Young here are two movements arranged for younger players to help build confidence teach important performance concepts and introduce them to the distinct musical talent of Tchaikovsky. I. Pavane II. Contredanse

With the melody in all sections, everyone in your ensemble can enjoy the epitome of Baroque string playing. These energetic movements lay well in the hand of the player while making the performers sound virtuosic. Perfectly adapted by Jan Farrar-Royce, Vivaldi's 'Sinfonia for Strings, #1' will delight! (1:45) / Orchestre A Cordes

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.