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Recorder MusicMail
A new collection of compositions and arrangements by Steve Marshall
SOLOS
Partita for Solo Tenor Recorder MHE 20206 £3.50
Sometimes calm, sometimes fast and rhythmic, but always interesting for player and audience alike. There are six varied movements which will challenge even a good player.
Sonatina (Latin Postcards) for Bass Recorder & Spinet MHE 10305 £3.50
The three movements of this Sonatina are very rhythmic and a little exotic - I had in mind postcards from somewhere warm and probably Spanish-speaking. The spinet part could be played on any other keyboard instrument. The bass recorder part could be played on a treble recorder an octave up. Latin Postcards was written for Caroline Jones and Rosemary Robinson, and is rather difficult (especially rhythmically).
Three Studies for Bass Recorder and Piano MHE 11204 £3.50
These little studies lengthen the small list of pieces for bass recorder and piano. If the piano part is played with care, the pieces could also be played on a contrabass recorder, which lengthens a very short list indeed. Quite difficult in places.
Four Miniatures for Bass Recorder and Piano MHE 30905 £4.50
Following the popularity of the Three Studies for this combination, these are four more pieces which give a bass player something interesting and quite dramatic in places. Inevitably breathing is a challenge, but these are not difficult pieces.
DUETS
Tales From The Cot (TrT) MHE 71203 £3.00
These pieces are from the soundtrack of an imaginary horror film, showing some doubtless bloody happenings involving dolls which come to life, and suchlike! Spiky and rather difficult.
Three Everyday Experiences (TrT) MHE 20405 £3.00
Three pieces were written to challenge a duo who specifically asked for something tricky. They are hard (especially rhythmically), and one of them finds both players playing treble and tenor simultaneously and involves many glissandi, all over a driving 7/4 rhythm. Exciting music, for those who can pull it off.
TRIOS
Five Shades Of Blue (DTB) MHE 10703 £6.50
A suite of pieces in different blues styles - from the 1920s up to 1980s funk. Bristling with accidentals and jazzy rhythms, but perfectly playable for competent trios who like jazz.
Four Winter Trios (Sno solo, DD(orTT) ensembles) MHE 40903 £3.00
Very easy pieces for two groups of descants, with a slightly harder part for a sopranino. Written for schools, but interesting pieces for adults also.
Out Of The Wood Of Thoughts (TrTB + narrator) MHE 10404 £8.00
This 15 minute piece is a sequence of eight poems by Edward Thomas, in and around which is woven music for recorder trio. The music is often quite slow, and the notes are not difficult, but the piece is nevertheless a challenge in terms of obtaining excellent tuning and a beautiful sound. Also available as a quartet.
Recorder Trio No 1 (TrTT) MHE 40305 £4.50
By turns exciting and really quite pretty. No more than moderately difficult.
Recorder Trio No 2 (TrTB) MHE 50305 £5.00
Somewhat darker in mood that the first trio. No more than moderately difficult.
Recorder Trio No 3 (TTB) MHE 11005 £6.00
Exploits the rich sounds of this unusual group of instruments, while still featuring some crisp and incisive rhythms. Of similar difficulty to Trios 1&2.
Three Pieces For Gemshorns (DTrToptB) MHE 20606 £3.50
A tradition at the Northern Recorder Course is that the student concert includes a performance by a gemshorn trio, led by Janice Ormerod. Janice asked me to add something to the small repertoire for such a combination. I tried to write something which sounded somewhat mediaeval, while still being contemporary. The pieces work well on descant, treble and tenor recorders, and I have put them in such a key that bass recorders can also play by doubling the tenors at the octave.
Three Madrigals for Recorder Trio (Set 1) (DTrT) MHE 40906 £4.50
Little gems of three-part madrigal writing: As Fair As Morn and O What Shall I Do? (John Wilbye) and Though Philomela Lost Her Love (Thomas Morley). These pieces may not be new to recorder players, but this is a new edition which tries to give as much help as possible to groups of limited experience who are unfamiliar with the conventions which often apply to music of this period. There are crotchet beats throughout, clear indications of what to do at changes of time signature, fully written-out repeats, and many other useful features.
QUARTETS
A Crock Of Jazz-Rock (DTrTB) MHE 20805 £9.50
A set of pieces in the Jazz-Rock idiom, a fusion of the improvisations of jazz with the strong rhythms (and often straight quavers) of rock. The music is no more than moderately difficult, although accurate rhythms and precise articulation are very important.
Concertino No 2 for Horn & Recorders (Horn solo, DTrTB) MHE 20406 £8.00
Knowing that I was going to be conducting at a group which included the horn player Shirley Brown, I wrote this concertino so that we could explore the way that these very different instruments can work together. The 'orchestral' parts are quite straightforward, while the horn part is no more than moderately difficult. The solo part would work well on a tenor horn, and probably slightly less well on a tenor saxophone; please contact me if you would like a suitably transposed part.
Flying (D/Tr/T T/GtB GtB CtB) MHE 30404 £4.00
A very unusual item &endash; originally conceived as music to accompany a shadow theatre piece by Franzeska G Ewart. The quartet also works as a stand-alone tone poem which moves through several contrasting moods and instrumentations. This is a rather difficult piece, but quartets with the required instruments will find it an interesting addition to a programme.
Four Scenes From Hansel & Gretel (DTrTB) MHE 50303 £5.00
These easy little pieces were written as incidental music for a reading of Hansel & Gretel. Each piece 'features' a different size of recorder (even the basses get the tune!). They are for children in the sense that children might like to listen to them - they may find them rather too difficult to play.
Lampeter Rhapsody (D solo, DTrTB) MHE 11105 £4.50
This piece was written for the group of recorder players in south-west Wales, centred on the town of Lampeter. I tried to write something simple but interesting, which might capture some of the peaceful beauty of that part of the world. The descant solo is no more than moderately hard, and the accompanying parts are easy.
Not Too Hard Really (DTrTB) MHE 20804 £6.00
Fairly easy pieces in musical idioms where the available music is often much more difficult. This is enjoyable music for players and audiences alike.
Out Of The Wood Of Thoughts (DTrTB + narrator) MHE 10404a £8.00
A quartet version of the trio described elsewhere.
Prelude & Fugue in C (DTrTB) MHE 20703 £3.50
A gentle prelude and spiky fugue, peppered with dissonances. If you've always wanted to play recorder in the style of Shostakovich, this is for you!
Recorder Quartet No 1 (Pastoral) (DTTGtB) MHE 10503 £7.00
Recorder Quartet No 1 (Pastoral) (SnoTrTrB) MHE 10503a £7.00
Pieces with 'pastoral' in the title are very often slow, gentle and pretty. But this three movement quartet paints some little pictures of a more bustling countryside, including a working farm and a fast-flowing stream. So it's not slow, it's not gentle, and you'll have to decide for yourselves whether it's pretty! Moderately difficult.
Recorder Quartet No 2 (DTrTB) MHE 11205 £6.50
Fast, rhythmic and jazzy &endash; almost rocky - in the outer movements with insistent ostinati. The middle movement is a Passacaglia which is slower, but still quite a tempestuous affair. Not particularly difficult notes, but will probably need quite some work to get into the idiom.
Redland Blues (DTrTB optional CtB) MHE 60603 £3.00
A light and easy blues which leaves space for improvised solos. Useful for 'beginner' improvisers, and also useful for groups looking for something a bit different.
Spirituals You Might Not Know (DTrTB) MHE 10903 £5.00
Spirituals You Might Not Know (DTrTB + voice) MHE 10903a £5.50
Most people know Deep River and Down By The Riverside (and very good they are too), but this set contains three less-known but excellent spirituals, which may be new to you - Great Day, The Hammer Song and Hebrew Children. All bursting with rhythmic vitality (there are no soulful ballads in this set!). Not difficult to play.
The Major Pipework Tango (soloB(orCtB) DTrTB) MHE 20403 £3.00
Fairly easy music once the tango rhythms are perfected, and a sure-fire winner with audiences. If the solo part is played on a contrabass, the lucky owner has a very unusual 'feature' piece.
Three French Nursery Rhymes (DTrTB + voice) MHE 30205 £5.50
Three French Nursery Rhymes (DTrTB) MHE 30205a £5.00
Cheerful, fun and easy arrangements of nursery rhymes which are very well-known in France. In the version with a singer, the voice part has a large range (from an F to the G over two octaves higher), but two people could share the line with a little ingenuity. The words are in French, but a translation is included.
Miniature Suite (John Hawkes) (TrTTB) MHE 40805 £7.00
The Miniature Suite displays the usual rhythmic vitality and at times pungent harmony of John Hawkes' writing. The six short and varied pieces in this group have already been played quite widely, although this is the first time that they have been published. They are not difficult, although some of the rhythms may need some work.. For details of other compositions by John Hawkes, visit his website at http://www.johnhawkes.co.uk
Three Easy Water Pieces (Ann Marshall) (DDTrT) MHE 31206 £5.00
More tuneful music from Ann Marshall. They are interesting pieces, but at the same time easy and happy-sounding. Recorder groups of even limited technical ability will take to them immediately!
Recorder Quartet No 4 (John Hawkes) (DTrTB) MHE 41206 £7.00
Rhythmic, harmonically adventurous, but no more than moderately difficult. John conducted this quartet at the 2006 Cheltenham Recorder Festival, and a good performance was secured once all of the Gbs were mastered! For details of other compositions by John Hawkes, visit his website at http://www.johnhawkes.co.uk
Music That Counts (DTrTB) MHE 10806 £8.50
These pieces put the emphasis firmly on rhythm. The players are called on to clap, snap fingers, stamp their feet and count aloud, as well as play the recorder. In the easier pieces the non-recorder activities are often separate from the recorder playing, but in the harder pieces they are more closely integrated. The objective is to improve rhythmic confidence and skill. The pieces are not dry exercises - the melodic content makes them interesting and enjoyable as pieces of music.
QUINTETS
Counterfeit Country Dances (DTrTTB) MHE 10403 £9.00
Six contrasting pieces with the broad feel of traditional country dances, but where the detail is modern. There are some rhythms and chords which have more to do with the world of jazz than the village green. Not the easiest pieces ever written - there are some fairly rapid passages, and confident accurate rhythms are a must. One dance involves everyone loudly stamping their feet, which may be a first in recorder music!
Fantasy No. 1 in 5 Parts (TrTrTTB) MHE 60405 £4.00
Attractive and quite easy music which unfolds slowly in the manner of a Gibbons Fantasia, while avoiding pastiche.
Fantasy No 2 In 5 Parts (TrTrTTB) MHE 20806 £4.00
Similar in approach to Fantasy No 1. This time all of the basic musical material is heard before the end of the first page, with the subsequent six minutes gently combining and recombining it.
Five Variants For Recorder Quintet (DTrTTB) MHE 10406 £9.50
These five pieces are the result of my suggestion to four other composers (John Hawkes, Andrew Melville, Robin Powell and Rosemary Robinson) that we could take a very short original theme, and write a piece based on that theme, completely independently of one another. All of the pieces would last between two and three minutes and would be for a DTrTTB quintet. We used an 8 bar tune written by Ann Marshall, which I sent to everyone unharmonised so that they could treat the melody exactly as they saw fit. The pieces are fascinatingly different from one another, and they could be performed as a set, without any feeling of repetition. Of moderate difficulty only.
Full Of Eastern Promise (Ann Marshall) (DTrTBB) MHE 10606 £5.00
A suite of three pieces which are full of Ann's trademark good-humoured and memorable tunes. Great fun. Not difficult, but Middle-Eastern-sounding augmented seconds abound, which may not fall under the fingers to begin with.
Greensleeves (TrTrTBGtB and TrTrTTBGtB) MHE 50603 £4.50
Greensleeves (DDTrTB and DDTrTrTB) MHE 50603a £4.50
The old war-horse in modern garb. There's a lazy summer afternoon jazz feel to this arrangement. A sextet arrangement is also included. Not difficult to play, and an interesting change for players and audiences alike.
Lord My God, I Call For Help By Day (DTrTTB) MHE 61203 £3.00
A reasonably easy setting of Psalm 87. The piece unashamedly uses imitation in the style of a typical Renaissance motet, but equally unashamedly uses chords more familiar to fans of Vaughan Williams. Pleasant and interesting.
Pavan for the Earl of Salisbury (William Byrd) (TrTBGtBCtB) MHE 10603 £3.50
Pavan for the Earl of Salisbury (William Byrd) (SnoDTrTB) MHE 10603a £3.50
Byrd's famous Pavan in a new arrangement. Easy notes, but the high version is difficult to make beautiful with Sno and D on top. The price includes a version &endash; strictly for non-purists! - in which Byrd's piece is lengthened by a new middle section composed by Steve Marshall.
Spirituals In Words And Music (DTrTTB + voice) MHE 30204 £7.00
A piece in the form of a short history of the development of Spirituals, illustrated by six musical examples performed by voice and recorder quintet. The range of the voice is from A below the stave to G above. Written for use at meetings of the Society of Recorder Players, where the music (all quite easy) can be rehearsed, and then finished off with a 'concert performance' including the narrative.
Star In The East (SnoDTrTB) MHE 21203 £4.00
An arrangement of this ancient Christmas melody which preserves the mediaeval feel. Unison voices may also take part. Easy music, except for the slightly harder sopranino part.
The Charlbury Reel (DDTrTB, vln, cello) MHE 20404 £5.50
Good-humoured music that pictures country dancing beside a river, with the occasional train passing in the distance. Written for the annual Charlbury Festival.
Three Recorder Blues (DTrTBB) MHE 90303 £7.00
One's jazzy, one's sleazy, and the other's rocky. Nothing too frightening, although these pieces will not succeed without accurate rhythm playing, so some work may be called for! The sleazy blues is also available for a bigger group (I Got Them Chipping Norton Blues).
Two Blues Canzonettas (DTrTTB) MHE 30703 £7.50
The form is ancient (with much imitation in the parts), but the musical language is modern (the Blues). These canzonettas are of moderate difficulty, but are interesting and rewarding for those looking for something different.
The Wandsworth Swing (DTrTTB) MHE 10105 £3.50
Written for groups who had played the Two Blues Canzonettas, but wanted something with swung quavers.
Miniature Suite for Harp & Recorders (Harp, DTrTBCtB) MHE 11206 £9.00
This short, tuneful and reasonably easy suite was written at the request of Sue Danbury, for use by a recorder group which regularly plays with a harpist - unsurprisingly there is little or no music for harp and recorders together. For those recorder groups which don't have access to a concert harp, the usual stand-by of a synthesiser could be used.
Recorder Quintet No 1 (DTrTTB) MHE 21206 £8.00
A piece which is not hard to stumble through, but where a successful performance will need good and confident players. The problem is the usual one with my music &endash; rhythms, which are here even more important than usual. The wistful second movement is relatively easy, however, and could be attempted by an SRP branch on a good day!
SEXTETS
A Celtic Cluster (DTrTrTTB) MHE 10905 £8.00
Many recorder players will be familiar with Paul Clark's excellent 'Irish Suite', but given the vast array of traditional Irish tunes I thought there was room for at least another set of arrangements from the Emerald Isle! Two of these pieces need a certain dexterity, especially in the upper parts, and especially at the marked speeds, but there's nothing too virtuosic. Great fun to play, and listen to.
A Christmas Carol (DTrTT(orGtB)BB(orCtB) + storytellers) MHE 10904 £7.50
This score, parts and accompanying script is a 'kit' for a 25 minute performance of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, complete with twelve pieces of easy incidental music for recorder sextet. The music is sometimes sad, sometimes sinister and sometimes jolly, according to the needs of the story. The text used is an abridged version in play form, involving 14 characters. This could easily be covered by six readers, or even less.
Anthem: Praise The Lord (DTrTBGtBCtB) MHE 10204 £3.00
Anthem: Praise The Lord (SnoDTrTTB) MHE 10204a £3.00
This reflective piece is based on a tiny three-note motif which sets the words "Praise The Lord". The anthem is only short, but the motif is heard over 20 times in various parts. Easy, although the top part will have to work a little to phrase smoothly a melody which includes some wide leaps.
Chaconne for Recorder Sextet (DTrTT(orGtB)BB(orCtB)) MHE 30903 £3.00
A chaconne with a wistful feel. Not a difficult piece.
Christmas Twofers (DTrTTBB) MHE 20503 £6.50
Three fun pieces for Christmas. Each twofer (twofer the price of one - sorry!) merges two Christmas songs in sometimes surprising ways. The first twofer is swung quavers throughout, but otherwise they are not too difficult, and very useful pieces to have around December time!
Concertino No 1 for Sopranino Recorder (Sno solo, DTrTrTTBoptGtBoptCtB) MHE 10805 £9.50
This piece was written to provide a concerto for groups limited by their size and/or technical ability. It is particularly suited to branch meetings of the Society of Recorder Players. The solo part is a bit tricky in places (but is not in virtuoso territory), while the orchestral parts are moderate only. The solo part could be played on treble if the 'orchestra' is small.
Ein Kleines Geburtstagsphantasiestück (D(orSno)TrTTBB) MHE 10804 £4.50
Written as a birthday present, this 'little birthday fantasy' goes through various contrasting moods before a famous birthday tune is played at the end, to the accompaniment of many of the melodies which were featured before. Fun, but quite tricky in places.
Euphonic Sounds (Scott Joplin) (SnoDTrTBGtB) MHE 40303 £5.50
One of Joplin's 'late period' rags. Harmonically adventurous, but not hard to play.
Four Pieces For Recorder Sextet (DTrTTBB(orCtB)) MHE 41203 £7.00
Moderately difficult but interesting and varied music. The second bass part works very well on a contrabass, if available.
Four Pieces From The 13th Century (DTrTrTTB) MHE 20905 £6.50
These are arrangements of some examples of very early French polyphony. The tunes go their own way, with occasional violent clashes. The original manuscripts were in three parts, but they have been expanded into six parts by means of doubling, which gives them a colour and variety which sounds good (possibly at the expense of strict authenticity!).
Four Seasonal Sketches (DTrTT(orGtB)BB(orCtB)) MHE 20504 £8.00
These little pieces are sketches of typical scenes throughout the year. The notes are not difficult (except for a few bars in 'Autumn'), but some work will be needed to find the right mood in each piece. 'Winter' is the same as the low setting of Anthem: Praise The Lord.
Suite for Recorder Trio and Ensemble (TTBsolo, DTrTrTTB) MHE 40905 £14.50
I'm always keen to provide music for players who are short of repertoire. Hence, for example, my sets for bass recorder and piano. This Suite meets the need (which I hope exists!) for a solo trio together with a recorder ensemble - a sort of Concerto Grosso instrumentation. However, the solo trio I've chosen is two tenors and a bass, which gives a rare soloing opportunity for players of those instruments who ordinarily spend their time doing sterling stuff providing support for the higher instruments. The difficulty is no more than moderate for all parts, including the soloists.
Summer Sextet (T/Sno T/D T/Tr BGtBCtB) MHE 10704 £7.50
The three movements paint varied pictures, from a lazy summer afternoon to a frightening night in the woods, and the changes of mood, tempo and instruments will pose something of a challenge for six good players. The great bass and contrabass are nearly essential, although they could be read onto tenor and bass to get a rough idea of the music.
The Wind In The Pine Tree (DTrTTBB(orCtB) koto + narrator) MHE 40204a £8.00
A beautiful traditional Japanese fairy tale, for narrator, recorders and koto. The music has a strongly Japanese flavour, and is generally quite easy to play, although the (to our ears) unusual scales may lead to some tuning problems at first. The koto part could be played on a synthesiser.
Thule, The Period Of Cosmography (Weelkes) (DDTrTTB) MHE 40703 £4.50
Thule, The Period Of Cosmography (Weelkes) (TrTrTBBGtB) MHE 40703a £4.50
Possibly the first time this strangely-titled, but beautiful madrigal has been transcribed for recorders. Quite easy.
Totally Tropical (TBGtBGtBCtBCtB) MHE 10706 £7.50
Totally Tropical (DTrTTBB) MHE 10706a £7.50
Totally Tropical is a suite of three pieces written for the Plymouth-based group Incerti. This group makes much use of bigger recorders, hence the unusual instrumentation of the original pieces. The higher-pitched ensemble works well also. Why 'tropical'? While writing them I had pictures in my mind of desert islands, jungles, beach parties and the like. There are some mellow passages, but also passages with sprightly syncopated rhythms which will need good big bass players to pull off.
Winter Bike Rides On The Wirral (DTrTrTTB) MHE 10206 £9.00
This suite was written because Judith Railton asked me to write something about bike riding along wintry lanes, including feelings of cold, speed and danger. I thought back to specific places on the Wirral where I cycled as a child in the wintertime, and tried to reflect some of that in music. This is all a pretty specific programme for six recorders, but nothing ventured, nothing gained! Moderately tricky in places.
The Leaves Be Blue (DTrTTBB) MHE 20706 £6.00
Most recorder players will have played one of the many pieces based on the tune 'The Leaves Be Green' (or 'Browning' as it's often called). The Leaves Be Blue is my take on the famous melody, and sees it surrounded by bluesy chords and rhythms. The notes are not particularly difficult, but as always with this style, articulations and rhythms need close attention.
BIGGER THAN SEXTETS
All Creatures of Our God and King (DDDDTrTrTrTrTTTTBBBB) MHE 60303 £6.00
The poor man's Spem In Alium! There are four DTrTB quartets and all parts are independent. Some problems in counting, but otherwise straightforward.
Bite-Sized Blues (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 10304 £8.50
Three varied blues &endash; one funky, one wistful, and one big-band blues which uses a theme from Bach's 3rd Brandenburg Concerto! Written as crowd-pleasing 'stocking fillers' for Helen Hooker's Bretton Hall orchestra, they are unashamedly fun. Reasonably easy music for orchestras who are good at rhythms.
Concertino No 3 for Treble Recorder (Tr solo, DTrTrTTBGtBCtB) MHE 30606 £11.00
In the same way as the Concertino No 1 for sopranino recorder, this piece was written to provide a concerto for groups limited by their size and/or technical ability. The solo part is a bit tricky in places (but is not in virtuoso territory), while the orchestral parts are playable by &endash; for example - a typical branch of the Society of Recorder Players.
Concertino No 4 for Contrabass Recorder (CtB solo, SnoDTrTrTTBoptGt&CtB)
MHE 40606 £12.00
As an enthusiastic contra player myself, this was a piece that just had to be written in the end! The dialogue between soloist and ensemble is cunningly managed so that the contra remains centre-stage and audible throughout. There is some gentle music, but perhaps surprisingly many vigorous and exciting moments as well. The solo part needs some nimble playing, but is not particularly difficult. It fits on all makes of contra, as there are no low F#s or G#s..
Double Concerto (Tr, Spinet solos, SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 21105 £23.00
Written for the duo of Caroline Jones and Rosemary Robinson. The solo parts are tricky, but the orchestra parts are of normal recorder orchestra difficulty only. Given that the instruments used are so gentle, this concerto includes much muscular music, guaranteed to stir the sleepiest audience. The spinet could be replaced by a harpsichord, or even a piano.
Folk Song Suite (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 21104 £13.00
Three pieces, each of which combines two traditional songs from the British Isles. The arrangements are not intended to be authentic in style &endash; they are very rhythmic, with clear influences of the 'folk-rock' movement of forty years ago. Always, however, the timeless melodies are allowed to come through, in music which is exciting yet tuneful. Moderately difficult in places.
Four Mediaeval Tunes (SnoDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 20604 £9.00
Four short mediaeval pieces. These are essentially melodies over a drone, but the range and dynamic variation of a recorder orchestra is exploited to produce exciting music which is quite easy to play, apart from the occasional hint of virtuosity from the higher instruments.
I Got Them Chipping Norton Blues (Dsolo, DTrTrTTBGtBCtB) MHE 80303 £3.50
An arrangement for larger forces of one of the pieces in Three Recorder Blues, described under quintets.
In Memoriam: Dennis Bamforth (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 10106 £4.00
Written for the 2006 Northern Recorder Course, I hope that this short (4 minute) piece is an appropriate memorial to Dennis Bamforth, without whom we would not have the recorder orchestras that we have today. In a very formal way it reflects the range of a standard orchestra, as a slow-moving chromatic scale underpins the whole piece, starting on the lowest contrabass note, and finishing on the highest note of the sopranino. Along the way it also has several changes of texture, typical of recorder orchestras. The music is poignant, slow moving and very chromatic &endash; accurate tuning is difficult, but essential.
Introduction & Fantasy (DDDTrTrTrTTTBBBGtBCtB) MHE 30805 £16.00
Written for Grace Barton to use at the Northern Recorder Course at a session involving all course participants. There is a solo quartet, two DTrTB choirs, and a 'low choir' of great basses and contrabasses. The piece makes much use of antiphonal effects, posing as many problems for the conductor as for the players! The Introduction and the Fantasy share similar tunes, but these are treated vigorously in the first, and more reflectively in the second. No more than moderately difficult for players who can count confidently.
It's All Yours (SnoDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 20205 £7.50
This piece uses some of the conventions of jazz and rock music, in that basically it has a tune at either end, framing 'feature' sections for each part of the orchestra. Yes, even the great basses and contrabasses! Designed to allow each section of the orchestra to show what they can do, it is quite difficult, but makes a stirring programme opener.
Jingle Bells (SnoDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 20802 £4.50
A fun arrangement of an old favourite. Other tunes keep appearing and there are some sudden changes of mood and texture. Moderately difficult, but a good 'show-off' piece.
Recorder Concerto No 1 (Tr solo, DTrTBoptGtBoptCtB) MHE 70303 £15.00
This mildly jazzy piece can be performed with a soloist and only eight other players (there is some divisi), although the ensemble could be a lot bigger. The ensemble parts are never more than moderately hard, although unsurprisingly the solo part needs a very good player.
Recorder Concerto No 2 (D solo, SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 11004 £18.00
Composed for Helen Hooker, who gave it its first performance at the Cheltenham Recorder Festival in July 2005. There are passages where the recorder orchestra creates exciting, driving rhythms, spurring on the soloist to ever-more virtuosic display, but then other passages of reflective, beautiful music. Although the solo part is very difficult in places, the orchestral parts should cause little difficulty for most orchestras.
Sinfonietta (Sno/D TrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 10405 £13.00
An arrangement for (non-standard) recorder orchestra of the Summer Sextet. The piece requires rather odd instrumentation: the same players double on sopranino and descant (but still have very long rests), and the trebles (one part only) don't play anything for the first two minutes (and could nearly play their whole part on a tenor). Nevertheless, this is an interesting 12 minutes of music, which explores several different moods. The difficulties are primarily musical, rather than technical.
Symphony No 1 (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 31203 £16.00
A four movement symphony for recorder orchestra. Symphonies for recorder orchestra are now commonplace, but its often insistent rhythms and jazz feel mark it out as something different. Not particularly difficult to play, as long as players count carefully, and have the courage of their convictions. There is some beautiful music for a solo great bass in the slow movement.
Symphony No 2 (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 10605 £23.00
A second symphony for recorder orchestra, this time in three movements. The jazz influences in this symphony are much less obvious than in the first, although strong &endash; even violent &endash; rhythms are again much in evidence. In its quieter moments there are many attractive tunes, often tinged with sadness. There is nothing which is particularly difficult to play in this long (23 minute) piece, provided that extra care is taken with the rhythms.
The Charlbury Reel (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 20404a £6.00
The orchestral version of the piece described under quintets. This makes a bright start to a concert programme.
The Lone Ar-Ranger (Philip Buttall) (GSnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 50204 £4.50
This barnstorming tribute to Rossini by Philip Buttall, crams a host of well-known tunes into a piece which is great fun for players and audience alike. The piano original was such a success that Philip arranged it for several instrumental combinations, from saxophone quartet to full orchestra. This arrangement by Steve Marshall for recorder orchestra (including garklein) is fast, furious, and pretty difficult in places. But persevere &endash; this is a piece which is guaranteed to send your audience home happy!
The Night (DTrTrTBBB(orGtB)GtB(orCtB)) MHE 30303 £4.00
The Night (DTrTrTBBB(orGtB)GtB(orCtB) + SATB choir) MHE 30303a £5.50
Mood music where it might be hard to find the right feel, but where the notes are easy.
The Swan In The Evening (Dsolo, SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 10803 £12.00
A set of variations for recorder orchestra on the traditional Irish folk song She Moved Through The Fair. Some variations are as one might expect (such as 'waltz' and 'canon'), but many are rather surprising (such as 'reggae' and 'jazz-rock'). All parts are guaranteed a very 'different' recorder experience in this substantial (15 minute) piece. Moderately difficult in places, and needs a very good descant soloist.
The Wind In The Pine Tree (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB + narrator) MHE 40204 £8.00
The orchestral version of the piece described under sextets.
What We Did On Our Holidays (SnoDTrTrTTBBGtB(orB)CtB) MHE 30802 £12.00
A suite of six tuneful and colourful pieces. Two of the pieces are fast and a bit tricky; the others are fairly easy.
Wired For Sound (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 50405 £8.00
A fast and furious curtain-raiser in a jazz-rock style, written for the Wirral Recorder Orchestra. The notes are not too hard, but players (and probably conductor) will be put through their rhythmic paces as they tackle music involving many triplets and quite a few quintuplets.
Sulgrave Suite (Rosemary Robinson) (DTrTrTTBGtBCtB) MHE 40405 £7.00
A suite of five miniatures which are charmingly easy on the ear. They do however give players something substantial to work on, as they require accurate tuning, and include some rhythmic difficulties &endash; the Air, for example is graceful music, but 5 in a bar throughout.
Sunrise To Sunset (Marg Hall) (DTrTrTTBGtB(orB)CtB) MHE 10505 £5.00
This suite of three light and tuneful pieces will be very welcome with groups which have a contrabass, but want something outside the normal orchestral repertoire. Sunrise To Sunset was the winner of the Big Bass 2005 competition, set up to encourage the writing of accessible pieces involving bigger basses.
Calm Is The Morn Without A Sound (choir, DTrTTBGtB(orB)CtB) MHE 10906 £7.50
Calm Is The Morn Without A Sound (DTrTTBGtB(or B)CtB) MHE 10906a £5.50
This fairly easy setting of the poem by Alfred Tennyson is dedicated to Ann Lyall, who has done so much to popularise the combination of voices and recorders. The voices are soprano, mezzo, contralto and baritone; all vocal material is doubled within the recorder group for ease of pitching. The recorder-only septet version also works well.
Short Journeys (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 20906 £12.00
Short Journeys is the result of a collaboration with the artist Judith Railton: Judith shot four short videos, and I composed music to 'fit with' them. The music, which is of no more than normal recorder orchestra difficulty, works well as a stand-alone suite, but an ideal performance would involve projecting the videos at the same time as performing the music. This needs quite some conducting skill, but is perfectly possible. The DVD of the videos is available on request, to groups intending to perform the work.
Three Bagatelles (SnoDDTrTrTTBBGtBCtB) MHE 30906 £12.00
These little pieces were written for Helen Hooker to use at the 2007 Northern Recorder Course. They are colourful musical representations of three holiday videos.
Spam In Atrium (GSno(2)D(8)Tr(8)T(8)B(8)Gtb(4)CtB(2)) MHE 11006 £35.00
Written for the 2007 Northern Recorder Course, to use in a session involving all course participants. A big event seemed to call for a big piece, and this one is in 41 independent parts: four choirs of DDTrTrTTBB, a high group (garklein and two sopraninos), and a low group (four great basses and two contras). The piece is dedicated to Justine Spence, who encouraged me to write something "Honey Nut Loopy" - I hope I managed it! Spam In Atrium is very loosely based both on Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition, and also Tallis' 40-part motet Spem In Alium, but my 'pictures' are in a variety of approachable modern styles, including rock, jazz and minimalism. The high instruments (even the garklein) must play nicely in tune. The notes in this 22 minute piece are not difficult, but everyone needs to count very carefully indeed.
Little Suite (Tr, Cello solos, DTrTrTTBGtBCtB) MHE 21006 £7.50
Little Suite (Tr,T solos, DTrTrTTBGtBCtB) MHE 21006a £7.50
Written for Dick and Carolyn Little, the piece takes the form of a short (7 minute) three-movement suite, with no gap between the movements. The same musical ideas appear in all movements, in different guises. The solo parts are of moderate difficulty, but the accompanying parts are reasonably straightforward. The version where a tenor recorder is substituted for the cello sounds different, but still works well.
MHE 10108 Steve Marshall: Scarborough
Fair for recorder orchestra, SoSSAATTBBGbCb, £4.50
To bring the pleasures of recorder orchestra to players who are
technically not very strong
MHE 11007a Steve Marshall: Barthram's
Dirge for recorder orchestra, SSAATTBBGbCb, £6.00
A setting for recorders of the ancient poem which tells the dramatic
tale of Barthram who was shot to death by nine brothers, whose sister
he had seduced. At her request he was buried near the burn where they
had met, rather than in holy ground.
MHE 20108 Steve Marshall: Variations on
"A Chantar" for recorder orchestra, SoSSAATTBBGbCb,
£7.00
Another piece to bring the pleasures of recorder orchestra to players
who are technically not very strong. This is an easy arrangement of a
14th-century French tune, using some elements of the period to
dramatic effect.
MHE 20307 Steve Marshall: Symphony No 3
for recorder orchestra, SoSSAATTBBGbCb, £23.00
"... comes closer to jazz, blues and rock music than any other piece
for recorders I have written to date."
Recorder MusicMail,
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or e-mail Last updated 22/1/2008