In completion of the first part (Hortus Musicus 50 now out of print) this second part to the 'Music To The Midsummer Night's Dream' contains all the remaining four-part instrumental pieces from Henry Purcell's opera 'The Fairy Queen' (1692). Similar to the pieces in the first part the composer wrote them for performance by Strings but they can also be played by Wind Instruments only (in particular wood-wind) or with string and wind instruments mixed and also with one or several instruments to a part. The pieces were put in such an order that they again present a small self-contained suite.The titles to the several numbers which arepartly mentioned more exactly in this book indicate their place in the above named opera by Purcell. They elucidate at the same time the character of the various pieces. Thus No.1 Air (Second Music) is originally a (second) introductory piece of music for the opera which still precedes the actual Overture. No.2 Jig No.5 Air and No.8 Air are instrumental postludes to the first fourth and second acts of the opera respectively whereas No.4 'Dance for the Followers of Night' No.6 'Dance for the Green Men' and No.7 'Monkeys' Dance' present a motley picture of the operatic construction which provided a great number of allegoric persons and figures. From a purely musical point of view this second part too of the 'Music To The Midsummer Night's Dream' contains gems of old instrumental music. May this present book help to gain new friends for the noble art of the great Old-English composer.

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.

Written to celebrate the 110th Anniversary of the Joliet Township High School Orchestras of Illinois, 'Stone and Steel' is a modern concert overture by Richard Meyer that treats the listener and performer to a myriad of styles and moods. The piece begins with a heavy, ponderous theme marked 'Molto pesante,' which depicts the limestone quarries that first earned Joliet the nickname 'City of Stone' in the early 1800s. The mood soon changes and we can visualize huge barges laden down with stone, making their way through the city's large lift bridges and into the famous Illinois and Michigan Canal on their way to regional customers. With the construction of a steel mill in 1869, Joliet became known as the 'City of Steel.' Stone and steel were now shipped by both canal and railroad, and this exciting new age is represented by a modern, fast-moving theme in a bright major key. The two themes, 'stone' and 'steel,' are then further developed, and the piece culminates in a majestic, celebratory final statement of the 'steel' theme. (6:00) / Orchestre A Cordes

Teacher Resource Kit-This valuable source of support materials includes lesson plans reproducible student activity pages and much more on CD-ROM. It's all designed to help you get the most out of your Essential Elements experience.Over 30Lesson PlansCorrelated to Essential Elements 2000 - Book 1 and organized into three parts:- Learning Objectives- Teaching Strategies- AssessmentReproducible Student ActivityPagesThese worksheets have been developed to provide support materials to enhance learning and help develop comprehensive musicianship. Some activities can be done in class while others may be used as homeworkassignments; all pages are reproducible. Activities include:- Rhythm Studies- Creating Music- Music Theory- Listening Exercises- QuizzesAll documents are available on the includedCD-ROM. Lesson plans can be imported into any word processing program allowing you to edit personalize and print.

New Edition Score-In its sublime beauty and inspired writing for strings Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis remains one of Ralph Vaughan Williams' greatest works and his first indisputable masterpiece.This newedition contains practical revisions and editorial corrections using the composer's autograph manuscript and the first published edition as sources.

Via Della Fortuna by Sadie Harrison. Written in 2013 especially for the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra and Donatus Katkus.6; for String OrchestraWorld premiere: 25th April 2013 St. Katharine'sChurch Vilnius St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra conducted by Donatus Katkus.UK premiere: 10th May 2013 Cardiff Millennium Centre Vale of Glamorgan Festival.I - Casa di Caccia Antica (The House of the AncientHunt)II - Casa degli Amorini Dorati (The House of the Golden Cupids)III - Casa del poeta tragico (The House of the tragic poet)IV - Return to the Casa di Caccia Antica and northwards to Lithuania and the Amber Road(Gintaro Kelias)The piece is in four short movements each taking its title from one of the houses that line the main streets in Pompeii. Borrowing Mussorgsky's 'Promenade' from Pictures at an Exhibition the piece has twowalkers (violas) who take the listener with them onto the Via Della Fortuna then lead them from house to house. Several amber objects were found within the houses linking Pompeii with Lithuania. The lastmovement returns to the House of the Ancient Hunt then heads northwards along the Gintaro Kelias. The jubilant closing music refers to an earlier work (Geda's Weavings) based on Lithuanian folksongs.

Hal Leonard is pleased to introduce the first in a new series of publications by renowned conductor Leonard Slatkin long known for his commitment to music education. Leonard's arrangements feature a piano soloist with youthorchestra accompaniment each in a non-traditional creative way that brings a new and fresh approach to your Christmas repertoire. Let your students enjoy the musical touch of one of our most esteemed orchestra conductors in thislovely collection of familiar carols including Carol of the Kings; Silent Night; The Twelve Days of Christmas; Veni veni Emmanuel; Moonlight Carol; The First Noel; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Oh Come All Ye Faithful;Pat-a-Fum; and Deck the Halls with Joy. (Grade 2)Also available for $5.95 each:04490776 Violin 104490777 Violin 204490778 Violin 3 (Vla TC)04490779 Viola04490780Cello04490781 Bass04490782 Piano ($8.95)04490783 Percussion

Score and Parts available (M 1058). Violin 3 and Viola part are interchangeable / Ensemble A Cordes

These arrangements were written for string ensembles in primary and secondary schools music centres prep schools and for various ensembles at Charterhouse. They grew out of a need for playable yet musically challenging arrangements where maximum 'effect' is obtained by using naturally resonant keys and idiomatic bowings - and have been used and honed over many years. They also recognise the fact that in many schools Viola players are scarce; most of the easier arrangements are therefore in three parts with optional Viola (doubling second Violin) and optional Double Bass (Viola still optional) which can be played if necessary by a Cellist (special part provided). Thearrangements ensure that all departments have the tune or thematic material at some stage - not just the first Violins!

Of all his early chamber works the Nocturne is most clearly by the mature Vaughan Williams almost anticipating the influence of Ravel which followed his lessons from the French composer in 1908. In the veiled beauty of its highly chromatic harmonies we hear already the tone-poet of the slow movement of A London Symphony while in the fleet-footed Scherzo there is already a French influence in the way the folk-song is subtly woven into the texture only brief snatches of the tune being heard until the penultimate page when it receives fuller treatment. The work plays for about 10 minutes. The 1904 Scherzo is a vigorous march with fugal episodes whichlasts some 6 minutes and may effectively be performed by itself.

These arrangements were written for string ensembles in primary and secondary schools music centres prep schools and for various ensembles at Charterhouse. They grew out of a need for playable yet musically challenging arrangements where maximum 'effect' is obtained by using naturally resonant keys and idiomatic bowings - and have been used and honed over many years. They also recognise the fact that in many schools Viola players are scarce; most of the easier arrangements are therefore in three parts with optional Viola and optional double bass.

Un recueil plein d'esprit de comptines, avec tout le monde pour leur part dans les airs. / Ensemble A Cordes