String Orchestra
Grades .5 - 3
Click on the image for each piece to purchase it. You can also view the score and sound playlist on my YouTube channel by clicking here.
Happy March, Grade .5
Beginning musicians will love performing this energetic and fun piece! All sections will shine with melodies and harmonies while demonstrating basic rhythms and dynamics. The viola section is doubled with the second violin section and the cello and bass sections are also doubled together for extra confidence. Enjoy your Happy March!
A Sunny Stroll, Grade 1.5
Feel the bright sun as you perform this upbeat piece! Musicians will enjoy memorable melodies as they perform a variety of staccato and legato articulations. This piece explores the use of the fourth finger in first position for violinists and violists, notes on the G string for violinists, and moving parts for cellists and bassists. Musicians will also refine string crossings, slurs, bow lifts, and blending as an ensemble. I hope you enjoy performing A Sunny Stroll!
Sunset in Speyside, Grade 1.5
The Speyside region in Scotland is home to rolling green hills, valleys, and spectacular late night sunsets in the summer time. This short and dramatic work seeks to capture the essence of a colorful sunset with rich harmonies and straightforward melodies. With only shifting for double basses, it will help developing orchestra sounds mature and confident!
Blue Ridge Echoes, Grade 2
VBODA grade II
Blue Ridge Echoes is meant to be a bridge between traditional folk melodies and more contemporary harmonies. Musicians will focus on phrasing, intonation, balance, and expression throughout this entire piece as different melodies are stated. With few accidentals and minimal shifting for double basses, performers can focus on the blend within each instrument section and bring the cantabile character of Blue Ridge Echoes to life.
Salvation is Created, Grade 2.5
Pavel Tschesnokoff (1877-1944) was a prolific Russian choral composer and teacher. He was trained at the Moscow Conservatory and eventually created the choral conducting program there. He mainly composed sacred choral works but was forced to create secular pieces after the Russian Revolution of 1917 when the newly formed Soviet Union outlawed all religious art. This piece was written in 1912 for a six voice chorale and uses a repeating compositional structure. Unfortunately, Pavel never heard this piece performed during his lifetime but its' beauty and approachable voicing has inspired many arrangements. This arrangement should be performed legato and is a great way to showcase the viola and cello sections with soli and divisi passages. Double bassists, cellists, and first violinists will have some shifting and recommended fingerings are notated.
Russian Easter Overture, Grade 2.5
VBODA Grade III, JW Pepper Editor’s Choice
Written in 1888 as a tribute to fellow composers Mussorgsky and Borodin, this regal theme by Rimsky-Korsakov combines original melodies with traditional melodies from liturgical chants of the Russian Orthodox Church. This majestic arrangement stays true to the original key signatures and includes all main melodic and harmonic voices and structure in a continuous performance that is both accessible and rewarding to perform.
Adventure on the Water, Grade 2.5
Adventure on the Water is a fast paced and energetic piece that describes an exciting day on the water that students will enjoy performing. It starts with an optimistic and quick melody which is then answered by a counter melody. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the weather starts to shift, and a storm takes place as the B section takes over. There is a brief respite in the music as a break in the weather is starting to take place, and then the countermelody is reintroduced followed by the main melody, which triumphantly concludes this exciting adventure. I encourage students to imagine their own characters and location to this story to make it unique.
Falcon Ridge, Grade 3
VBODA grade III, Stanton’s Sheet Music 5 star feature
This exciting piece will help orchestra students soar to new heights! The brisk, consistent tempo will keep all players engaged as they alternate playing the two main themes. Light staccato accompaniments offer the opportunity to practice a brushed bow stroke, and first violin and bass sections will encounter some easy shifting. Accented syncopation with ties across the bar are performed in all sections, perfect for refining subdividing skills. This piece was inspired by the sight of a majestic falcon flying effortlessly over the scenic landscape of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.
Dynamic Powers, Grade 3
VBODA grade III
Get ready for a piece that does not let up from start to finish! The main melody presented at measure 7 should be performed in a legato articulation against the contrasting staccato accompaniment. To highlight the staccato accompaniment, a spiccato bow stroke or a light brush stroke is preferred. When the section B melodies start at measure 26, the upper and lower voices take turns accompanying and leading with the melody. The building crescendo from measure 42 until measure 48 should be powerful. From there, keep accents energetic during the pizzicato section as each section returns to arco. Enjoy a repeat back to the main melody and finally an exciting coda!
Perilous Journey, Grade 3
I wanted to create a soundtrack that would immerse the audience in the experience of a dangerous and unforgettable adventure. The first theme is aggressive and pointed which contrasts with the second theme which depicts a lull in the danger of the journey, but not the excitement. A third, and slightly more contemplative theme, is introduced that represents reflecting on simpler times. Quickly after this, we are transported back to the original melody and then a combination of the first two melodies, resulting in a powerful ending.
Rest Ye, Mountain King, Grade 3
The merry gentlemen from the traditional holiday carol have snuck into the hall of the mountain king! Follow the exciting journey through the restless darkness as each piece takes a melodic turn, In the Hall of the Mountain King, from Edvard Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite” and God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen. The themes overlap and build to a dynamic crescendo. Who will ultimately deck the king’s hall?
Wistful Spirit, Grade 3
JW Pepper Editor’s Choice
This lyrical work for intermediate orchestra is a great piece to work with students on telling a story through this ascending and hopeful melody. It starts off with an introduction showcasing the violas and then the main theme is stated by the cellos before it is passed around the orchestra. The legato lyricism of this work is a constant theme as this ascending melody transforms throughout the work. A key change ushers in a development section that requires careful listening and blending within the ensemble and at the end, the main ‘Wistful’ melody brings the listener to a conclusion as we wonder and hope for a bright future.
Festival Orchestra
Grades .5 - 3
iBailamos!
Get ready to dance from start to finish! This festival orchestra will have audience members and performers alike moving and grooving. With three separate orchestras and a percussion section, this piece is a great way to showcase performers of all levels
The Three Knight’s Quest
JW Pepper Editor’s Choice
This piece is specifically designed for a combined concert with ensembles from the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The Three Knight’s Quest is intended to have flexibility and creativity for each particular performance. You can assign each orchestra “knight” a color based upon school colors. This can be a great opportunity for student input on how to characterize each knight in order to make it more personally applicable for them.
