Grand Mesa Music

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...

Having taught in the New York City area for most of his career, much of Bobrowitz' writing is indelibly marked by his experiences in the great city. The composer opens this work with a quiet principal...

After a brief introduction, this charming new work for string orchestra features a spritely original tune which hops along through a series of variations before incorporating Beethoven's famous 'Ode t...

A wonderful new work that is a theme and variations on America. Bobrowitz has weaved six unique variations: (Moderate) - (Fast and Driving) - (Staccato, Moderato) - (Slow and Expressive) - (Very Fast)...

A nebula is an interstellar cloud where new stars are formed, and this piece captures the beauty and mystery of this cosmic body. Stark motives are presented in simple forms early on in the piece, and...

This engaging, minor key piece by new composer Lind spins an intriguing musical story of a cat-and-mouse game between a very clever pickpocket and the new inspector in town. In a fugue-like middle sec...

This beautifully written piece for young string orchestra tells the story of an old European watchmaker who builds the world's first music box. In his excitement to share his magical invention with th...

This famous folk song originated in County Derry in Northern Ireland in the mid-1800's, first published in 1855. Though there are other settings for strings of this beautiful ballad already in print,...

In this well-known Scottish ballad, a rider rides his horse away from home one sunny day. Later, his horse returns, but he does not. The melody of this ballad depicts his bride's emotional reaction to...

Borodin's original work for full orchestra idyllically depicts an interaction of Russians and Asians in the Steppe Lands of the Russian Caucasus. Stevens' skillful setting of this classic work capture...

This work for advanced string orchestra begins with a haunting refrain in the violas and cellos which becomes the accompaniment for a plaintive melody featuring the 1st violins. Following this opening...

The originality of the composer's thought process and compositional approach is clearly evident in this meditation on the nature of time as it intersects with transcendent musical moments. Long ropes...

Written for the composer's son, Wondrous Flight alternates between insistent syncopated rhythms and flowing melodic passages. As the piece progresses, an increase in tempo drives the melodies through...

A New Dawn is a lilting and joyful work that celebrates new life, growth, and new beginnings. Written in a Neo-Classical style, this melodic piece spreads the wealth among the different sections of th...

An intrada is defined as a musical introduction, and this specific intrada is an exceptional way to start off your concert. Modern harmonies highlight a bold melodic idea that appears as a thread thro...

Two engaging melodies, one long and one short, soar over an energetic pizzicato accompaniment with a life of its own in this brief and adventurous scherzo.

Perfect for the developing string orchestra, this piece features a lilting melody with an adventurous ‘pirate' feel. Useful for reinforcing low-2 finger patterns in the key of E minor, as well as slur...