Ensembles

Originally written for handbell choir, this string orchestra setting uses dorian mode, very catchy melodies, and infectious asymmetric rhythms to create a compelling and memorable listening experience...

Sinapu is the Ute Indian word for wolf. This composition uses a tenor recorder to help create a Native American ambience, a rock section, splashes of percussion sounds, and strings imitating wolf soun...

Completed the last year of his life, the Mozart Horn Concerto in D Major is full of the exuberant melodic material and spontaneous creativity for which much of Mozart's output is known. This movement...

In her first published work, Wisconsin string teacher Siegler has created an intriguing and engaging work for young strings. This fun and mysterious minor waltz portrays a sense of taking a chance on...

A kaleidoscope of images from a confectionary is here captured in Mr. Bobrowitz's very fun musical excursion. 'Like a kid in a candy shop', this piece will have your students delighting in the aural t...

This light and entertaining piece is written in D Major and is played pizzicato in its entirety. Although a grade 1 piece, 'Popcorn Pizzicato' can be performed and enjoyed by players of any age becaus...

Images of gypsies in celebratory dance around a campfire are easily conjured up when listening to this delightful work that hearkens to eastern Europe. Contrasting the dance-like opening, a more serio...

The three sections of this piece can be said to describe a celebration of a close community of like-minded peoples. Their dedication and singular purpose is represented in the music by just a few simp...

Hoist the sails and cast off with this rollicking hornpipe dance for strings and optional piano. Written to give younger students exposure to changing time signatures and accidentals, On the High Seas...

Written in memory of a beloved orchestra conductor, this gorgeous piece is perfect for any occasion. The piece opens with the theme simply stated in upper strings with a soft accompanying pizzicato os...

Four short movements from the works of Bach are compiled here in a suite that encompasses many of the styles commonly performed in the baroque period. In order, the movements are March, Chorale, Minue...

Romanian Waltz, also known as 'Waves of the Danube', was originally composed for piano and published in Bucharest in 1880. It gained a following in the United States over 60 years later in film and po...

The Wing Glider has a catchy melody that captures the sensation of flight, of soaring through the air with just the sound of rushing air. The sweeping melody, and the 3/4 (in one) tempo, leaves the li...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's effervescent brilliance and perfection of the classical form are evident in the Divertimento written in 1775 for wind sextet. The informed bowings and fingerings help make th...

Inspired by the music of a ghost show his wife was watching on TV, composer Moore borrowed a fragment of the chord progression he heard coming out of his living room and used it the basis to create th...

O'Grady here has crafted a warm, lyrical piece that explores a variety of emotional nuances. Heart Strings features a passionate main theme that hovers between C major and C Dorian and a contrasting t...

Stephen Foster is said to be the father of American music, and although he tragically passed away at age 38, he left the music world with a legacy of over 200 songs. The arranger has taken two of his...

Quick and lively, Moorish Dance (originally titled 'Dance of the Moorish Slaves') comes at the beginning of Act II of Aida. This well-constructed arrangement would work well as a snappy opener or an e...

Birds on a Wire is a bouncy, twittering fantasia for strings. A chirping three note figure flits antiphonally among the upper strings before taking off into an extended melody for the viola and cello....

Dream Dancing is a work that seeks to combine the tranquility of a lullaby and the grace of a dance. Written in a waltzing triple meter, an original melody is passed around the sections of the orchest...

This easy string work is a pure joy to play and listen to. Starting with a catchy pizzicato melody reminiscent of a ticking clock, it continues to grow and grow in interest as it moves along. Lots of...

Ahoy sea-faring mates! Hop aboard this upbeat and lively sailors' tale of the high seas. Written in 'a' minor, all parts have memorable melodic lines, with some pizzicato and hooked bowings. The piano...

La Mariposa, or The Butterfly in English, gives students exposure to Latin music in the form of the Mambo. The Mambo is a syncopated style of music and dance that originated in Cuba in the early 1900s...

From a plaintive and prayerful opening in solo violin, this arrangement of a well-known spiritual builds in power and emotion with each successive verse. The melody passes between voices, and frequent...

Arranger LaPlante has taken two traditional melodies from the Catalonian (northeastern) region of Spain: Carol of the Birds and On Christmas Eve. Catalonia boasts a long and varied history of music an...