Recordings of Folk and Beyond – the new cello and piano collection for cellists Grades 4 – 8 – are now on You Tube: Folk and Beyond
You can buy the music here: Folk and Beyond
Folk and Beyond is a collection of twelve cello and piano pieces ranging from around Grades 4 – 8. Special effects – such as col legno, snap pizz,tremolo bowing, ponticello, stamping and harmonics – are used to enhance character, and the music has a strong sense of narrative.
What sort of Christmas party music would you choose to play for violin and cello duet? If you’re not sure we have a selection of sheet music in our online shop which would be fun for any occasion.
What is the programme?Tambourin, Coppelia Waltz, Dance to Your Daddy, Pick Yourself Up, Exsultate Jubilate, Charpentier’s Te Deum, and Lilliburlero are all lively and relaxed. These pieces are in major keys and project energy and joy. Christmas Variations is also ideal. And if you add some straightforward carols to this you have a lovely programme.
This is a good time to browse through our sheet music because if you buy four arrangements from our online shop you get a fifth arrangement free.
Yes, although we don’t sell carol arrangements we can arrange them for you at quite short notice. For more information click here or email us direct at info@fedorastrings.com
Are you looking for imaginative gifts for classical music lovers? Here are some suggestions:
Casals conducting the Brandenburg Concerti cds
These expressive interpretations are also refreshingly unpolitically correct with lots of string vibrato and the use of piano instead of harpsichord: Casals conducts Brandenburg Concerti
Marx Brothers: A Night at the Opera
Hilariously funny even for genuine opera lovers: A Night at the Opera
Gift card for The String Zone
A useful present for any string player. The String Zone sells rosin, strings and other essential accessories. Gift cards range from £10 – £250 and are sent by email: Gift Card
Huffnung Cartoon Books
Only available second hand but the amusing cartoons have a definite grain of truth: Huffnung Cartoons
Commission a gift or buy sheet music from Fedora Strings
For a truly original present why not commission us to compose or arrange music as a gift?:Fedora Strings Gifts Or purchase sheet music from us?: Fedora Strings Sheet Music
I went to a wonderful performance of Cinderella by Ballet Cymru recently. I was especially impressed by the choreography and music, which had been newly created.
The production was inspiring: the ballet was powerfully expressive and I loved the music , which was composed by Jack White:Rehearsing Cinderella
Telling a story or having a clear feeling, image or mood that you want to express can be a great starting point for composing music . It can also be a fun way of improvising when you practice: Cinderella Music
Ballet Cymru is an innovative company and I definitely recommend going to see them if they are performing nearby. The most comparable thing to the Cinderella music we have on our website is our music commissioning service: Gifts and Dedications
…and perhaps these opera cello duets, which have been arranged with the character of the songs very much in mind: Habanera Cello Duet
Roger has achieved music success by having his 15 Insect Songs accepted for publication by Spartan Press. The songs are based on a children’s story Roger wrote several years ago called The Quest for the Golden Orchid. The story features a bee called Hermia – and a variety of other insect characters- and their adventures in escaping dangers caused by pesticides.
The music is fun and imaginative in illustrating the different characteristics of the various insects. The number of solo voices or choruses vary per song and there is a violin and piano accompaniment.
Composing music is something we spend an increasing amount of time doing. Our focus is usually string duets in their various forms.
For me, the easiest way to start composing string music is to have a focused idea of a feeling you want to create, a mood you want to evoke, or a visual image. I then decide on the form of the music – which gives a clear structure – and the key and time signature. I have found that structure itself can be inspiring. Ternary form and Variation form – for example – are ideal for creating short pieces of music in different moods. In Variation form or in a Chaconne there is also given series of notes.
Trying out tunes on your own instrument and experimenting with harmonies on the piano is, for me, the next step. And have a good understanding of the instruments you are composing for, what sort of patterns lie under the hand most effectively, and what special effects can be achieved is also a huge help.
The video above is an example of a beautiful string orchestral piece written by Andrew Lowe Watson – a composer and pianist I was at music school with. It uses all the best traditions of string orchestral music and shows a deep understanding of string sound. I think it should be much better known.
To find out more about how we can create you a string arrangement or compose you an original piece of music visit our Gifts and Dedications page https://www.fedorastrings.com/gifts-dedications/
We are recording more arrangements and compositions this month and they will be added to our website in May. Meanwhile the following are good examples of our work: Lunchtime Blues https://www.fedorastrings.com/product/lunchtime-blues-5/, Scarborough Fair https://www.fedorastrings.com/product/scarborough-fair/, Variations on a Christmas Carol https://www.fedorastrings.com/product/variations-christmas-carol-violin-cello-duet/and Over the Hills https://www.fedorastrings.com/product/hills-far-away/
With December 25th only five days away here are my suggestions for Christmas gifts for string music lovers:
Finally, if you’re searching for a present for a string player sometime next year we now have a gifts and dedications’ page where we custom write music. Find out more here:
https://www.fedorastrings.com/gifts-dedications/
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