https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SYROYYYOc8


‘At Last’ was composed by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical ‘Sun Valley Serenade’ in 1941. It was recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, becoming a chart hit in 1942, and in 1960 by Etta James, who was subsequently inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song is a frequent wedding favourite for quartets.

Why chose my arrangement?

This is a song from my gig repertoire, and as such I have spent a long time on the piano part to make sure that it lies under the fingers. I have assigned the opening to the piano as it is tricky, even for very experienced violin players, and I shortened the introduction to make it more appropriate for concerts, wedding venues and pub gigs. I have also made the piano notation slightly smaller so that it falls onto two pages. It’s very important for a live performance to be able to see it easily. And unlike some sheet music that you can buy, I make sure the treble and bass clefs are easy to read….very few horrible ledger lines!

The violin part has difficult rhythms but I enclose a midi version to help you. (Watch the video) Having said that, although the pianist needs to hold a steady pulse, the violin part can be extremely varied and you can play around with the tune as much as you like. I have included a cadenza that my daughter sings in live performances, but feel free to change it, or miss it out altogether.

I have also included an Easy Violin version for your pupils, or as a way in to working on the more difficult version.

My tips for the performance.

The first piano chord is tricky, but works if you do a glissando in the left hand, and land on the A on the first beat of the bar. I tried many different spacings of the chord but this is the one that sounded best. I have largely written a quaver accompaniment throughout the song, but sometimes I hint at it rather than playing it literally. There are some fingerings that I have found helpful, but feel free to change them, of course! The same goes for my bowing. Take as many bows as you need to feel comfortable.