Kevin Mayhew Publishers has just released this interview about Folk and Beyond – my new cello and piano collection. I hope you like it:
All the music in the collection has been recorded and can be heard on the Kevin Mayhew website or on my Soundcloud site here: Folk and Beyond
If you have any questions about the music that aren’t covered in the interview please email at: jbcontact@btinternet.com
The weather is extremely hot in the UK at the moment. In response to this I am posting a beautiful interpretation of Vaughan Williams’ sensuous summer song Silent Noon. The lyrics are by Dante Gabriel Rosetti.
We now have nine new cello and piano recital pieces for sale on our website. This is an evocative collection of pieces, many folk inspired, and you can hear recordings of all of them on our website.
What standard is the music?Three of the pieces – Panache, Over the Hills and Far Away and Sleazy – are around Grades 4 -5. The other pieces – Beyond Scarborough Fair, Morning Prelude, Lilliburlero goes Scots, Highland Meeting, My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose and Christmas Variations – are between Grades 6 – 8.
If you’d like more information about the music just email info@fedorastrings.com
We have just added new string sheet music to our online shop. The new string sheet music comprises four cello quartets, two intermediate cello duets and one violin and cello duet.
The cello quartets are Pirates’ Return, Poldark, The Magnificent Seven and a new composition called Together. All of the parts are of early intermediate standard and all of the pieces are around three minutes long. Together uses the opening notes from Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells as an ostinato theme.
The new early intermediate cello duets Pirates Meet The Magnificent Seven are an arrangment of the main theme of The Magnificent Seven and a duet inspired by the song He’s a Pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean. Both use easy but imaginative effects on the cello to bring the mood to life.
The violin and cello duet is of special historic interest. It is an arrangement of a short piece written by the legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz (under the name of Jim Hoyl.) Heifetz wrote this song – When You Make Love to Me Don’t Make Believe – after he bet one of his friends that he could compose a piece that would get into the top ten. Needless to say Heifetz won his bet. Despite this less than serious start, Heifetz plays this song with great tenderness…
Fedora Strings is now selling three new early intermediate cello duets for £6.99. The three duets comprise an arrangement of Over the Hills and Far Away, an arrangement of Basse Dance and a new composition called Sleazy.
The music is around Grades 3 – 5 . It’s the first time our website has sold music at this technical level and it’s an area we’re hoping to expand. And all the duets have character:
Basse Dance is lively and energetic…
Over the Hills and Far Away is romantic…
...and Sleazy is jazzy…
You can view and buy the music here!
We have just starting selling cello quartet arrangements at Fedora Strings.
We are selling a sheet music arrangement of two movements from Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite: Basse Dance and Mattachins.This is one of my favourite string orchetra pieces.
The cello quartet arrangement is intermediate and effective. Click below to see the first pages of the scores:
Basse Dance Score Page 1
At this difficult time, when the current pandemic is making life so tough for so many people, we would like to help our customers. So we have discounted the price of our sheet music and are offering five pieces of music for the price of three. And we are also offering free sheet music which can be downloaded right away.
The free sheet music includes our arrangement of Look for the Silver Lining, by Jerome Kern, our arrangement of Scarborough Fair for cello and piano and some technical exercises for cello.
We hope you will enjoy playing our arrangements. And we will be varying the selection of free sheet music in the weeks to come.
I have just started arranging music for cello quartet. This is new for me.Previously I have only written music for two instruments: string duet or cello and piano.
As far as I can see so far it is essential that there is a clear tune in the quartet throughout. Unlike duos, where there are two soloistic parts alternately accompanying and playing the tune, in a quartet most of the parts are accompaniment at any time. It’s important that the melodic line in the accompaniment, as well as in the tune, makes sense. And, as you see in Puccini scores – you can sometimes double the line of the tune with another part and it’s effective. Having two or one people playing on their own in places varies the texture. Special effects – like tremolos, col legno, slides, pizz – are just as effective as in duets.And rhythm – as in all chamber music – is crucial. You can see many of these aspects of good quartet writing in the cello quartet arrangement below:
So far I am in the middle of arranging three short quartets for an ensemble that is starting at the beginning of February. If you are interested in having a bespoke cello or violin quartet, or indeed a standard quartet, arranged or composed for you, contact us here
The Prague Cello Quartet
Below are some inspiring (though varied) examples of cello quartets.
I love the improvisation at the beginning of this… and the sunglasses…
We hope our customers feel we demonstrate fab string playing and arrangements, but we know we aren’t the only ones out there. There are other creative string arrangements around. It isn’t always easy to discover these because google usually presents the largest companies first. So here are some examples of less well publicised small groups who are selling excellent string arrangements:
Brooklyn Classical is a real find. They sell a range of classical arrangements, including cello duets with piano. They also have videos of their work. I love the imagination they use in their trio arrangement of Bach’s Prelude from Cello Suite 1 (below). Even purists would be impressed! Their website is here: Sheet Music
Nathan is a well known virtuoso cellist who sells his own cello duet and violin and cello duet arrangements of pop tunes. The video above shows some kids playing one of these rather well. You can also see videos of Nathan playing the arrangements with his friends on You Tube. Nathan’s website is here: Sheet Music
James Barralet is another impressive cellist who also writes string arrangements. The cello octet below is an inspiring arrangement of Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s taken from a 30 minute cello octet Film Medley – but I’m sure you can adapt the music to make it much shorter if you want.
James Barralet’s repertoire of string arrangements is wide, as you can hear from the performance of Monteverdi’s Pur Ti Miro for cello quartet below. You can buy James’s sheet music here:Sheet Music
Finally, SJ Music is one of the smaller websites which sells interesting string arrangements including cello duets, cello quartets and cello octets. And of course at Fedora Strings we have a wide range of violin and cello duets, cello duets and cello and piano arrangements, which you can browse here
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
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