Music Catalogue

Pieces for educational use

For Small Groups

The Emperor and the Nightingale

The Emperor and the Nightingale

18 minutes. For flute, violin, viola, cello and narrator. (There is also an optional percussion part). Selected audience members play gong and wind chimes (no rehearsal required). Based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen story. 

Tunji and the Giant

Tunji and the Giant

18 minutes. An African Folk-tale. For clarinet, violin, viola, cello and narrator. (There is also an optional percussion part).  Audience members play rattles and rainstick, or anything African. 

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

18 minutes. For percussion (one professional player with standard instruments), violin, viola, cello and narrator. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story. Many people know this story, as it is featured in the Fantasia 2000 movie (with music from the Shostakovitch Piano Concerto). This version has a happy ending (no one is thrown into the fire).

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

11 minutes. For violin, clarinet, cello, percussion and narrator.  Based on the timeless Aesop’s fable. Some audience participation (“Wolf! Wolf!”). We have given the story a happy ending—the wolf does not get the sheep!

The Great Race

The Great Race / The Tortoise and the Hare

15 minutes. For violin, clarinet, cello, percussion and narrator. A natural companion-piece to the Boy Who Cried Wolf. The violin is the hare; the cello is the tortoise.

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

About 25 minutes. For violin, cello, double bass, percussion and narrator. This classic tale is given a fresh presentation: all dialogue is in verse. A delight for all ages.

Up Close And Musical

For String Ensemble

Everything in this category can be performed without conductor, unless the string sections are large.

Overture For String Orchestra

Overture For String Orchestra

A sparkling curtain-raiser in the tradition of Berstein’s Candide.

Arabesque For Bassoon and Strings

Arabesque For Bassoon and Strings

This Up Close And Musical commission was designed to introduce young audiences to the bassoon. The style evokes the 19th century ballet tradition. A true character piece. Also available in bassoon/piano reduction.

Anasazi Twilight

Anasazi Twilight

For Native American Flute and String Orchestra. This evocative piece was written for a member of the Colorado Symphony flute section. It was later used as the sound track for a short documentary film about Colorado petroglyphs. It is certainly playable on the modern concert flute; in fact, that may be preferable, due to the chromatic tonal language.

Colonel Fairweather’s March

Colonel Fairweather’s March

For trumpet and string orchestra. Young audiences probably don’t really need to be introduced to the trumpet, but this idiomatic piece gives them a good idea of what the instrument can do.

Arlecchino’s Waltz

Arlecchino’s Waltz

For viola and string orchestra. Arelecchino, a stock character of Italian comedy, is a rival to the hero for the heroine’s love. The idea of this piece is that the viola gets to escape its customary supportive role and step into the spotlight. Also available in viola/piano reduction.

The Magic Lamp

The Magic Lamp

For clarinet and string orchestra. Based on the Aladdin story. The clarinet solo has a Klezmer flavor.

What Is High And Low?

What Is High And Low?

For narrator and string orchestra.

What Is Slow And Fast?

What Is Slow And Fast?

For narrator and string orchestra.

What Is Loud and Soft?

What Is Loud and Soft?

For narrator and string orchestra.

What Is Melody and Harmony?

What Is Melody and Harmony?

For narrator and string orchestra.

Curriculum Connections

Mathnotes

Mathnotes

A 40-minute presentation for fourth-graders showing the relationship between mathematics and music. For two violins, viola, cello and percussion.

All musicians also have speaking roles. This phenomenally successful program is extremely attractive to teachers and administrators who are looking for an obvious connection to “academic subjects.” The analogies covered include: scales/number line; ratios/counterpoint; ratios/intervals; series/imitation; and graphs/musical notation. There are also two story-pieces: “Beethoven’s Favorite Number,” and “The History Of Mathematics.” The music is mostly original, but there are some brief excerpts from Vivaldi’s “Summer,” the Well-Tempered Clavier, a Mozart Divertimento, and several Beethoven pieces. This presentation requires some visual aids, which can easily be produced with a computer and some poster board.

The Music Of Life

The Music Of Life

A 40-minute presentation for fourth-graders showing the relationship between the life sciences and music. For violin, clarinet/bass clarinet (double), viola, cello and percussion.

All musicians also have speaking roles. In this piece, the analogies include: growth/crescendo/accelerando; ecosystems/ensembles; metamorphosis/theme and variations; and life-cycle/round. In addition to the original music, there are excerpts from “The Hall of the Mountain King,” the Haydn “Lark” quartet, and Vivaldi’s “Spring.” For visual aids, we had an artist do large color drawings of the four stages of the butterfly’s life-cycle.

Chamber Music

Thirteen Ways Of Looking At A Blackbird

Thirteen Ways Of Looking At A Blackbird

18 minutes. For piano, violin and cello. Inspired by the famous Wallace Stevens poem.

Fables

Fables

12 minutes. For piano trio. Four movements: The Grasshopper and the Ants; The Wolf and the Goat; The Baby Crab and Her Mother; The Tortoise And The Hare. This piece has been presented with great success on both young-audiences concerts and serious recitals. There are unlimited possibilities for dramatic reading and/or choreography.

Cello Quartet

Cello Quartet

11 minutes. For four cellos. Three movements. In the tradition of the Rossini String Sonatas.

Nightwatch

Nightwatch

8 minutes. For oboe and organ. This contemplative piece was commissioned by Hollis Ulakey, principal oboist of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, for a performance at the Convention of the International Double Reed Society.

Seasons of the Heart

Seasons of the Heart

12 minutes. For soprano and piano. Four songs. Based on the poetry of Robin McNeil. Sentimental—in the tradition of Samuel Barber, or perhaps the Strauss Four Last Songs

The Gray Unsettled Light

The Gray Unsettled Light

Song cycle for soprano, piano, violin and cello. Eight songs based on the poetry of Oregon poet Carol Ann Lantz. Commissioned by the Chintimini Chamber Music Festival (Corvallis, Oregon). Recurring theme: Oregon birds.

Prologue, Meditation and Dance

Prologue, Meditation and Dance

About 25 minutes. For violin, cello, double bass, percussion and narrator. This classic tale is given a fresh presentation: all dialogue is in verse. A delight for all ages.

Divertimento for String Trio

Divertimento for String Trio

Commissioned by the Denali ensemble. Three movements.

The Cell Phone Song

The Cell Phone Song

About 25 minutes. For violin, cello, double bass, percussion and narrator. This classic tale is given a fresh presentation: all dialogue is in verse. A delight for all ages.

The Frozen Castle

The Frozen Castle

About 25 minutes. For violin, cello, double bass, percussion and narrator. This classic tale is given a fresh presentation: all dialogue is in verse. A delight for all ages.

Suite Antique

Suite Antique

19 minutes. For clarinet and piano. Homage to Mozart, plus a little John Williams. 5 Movements. 

Voice of the River Han

For soprano, piano,
violin and cello.

Commissioned by the Colorado State Music Teachers’ Association and the Music Teachers’ National Association. The text is taken from ancient Korean poetry (translated into English), and there are quotations from Korean folk songs.

Old Age

Old Age

Spring

Spring

A Mountain Remains

A Mountain Remains

Awakening

Awakening

Drinking Song

Drinking Song

I Bade You Farewell

I Bade You Farewell

A Dash of Rain

A Dash of Rain

The Lantern Feast

The Lantern Feast

Orchestra / Chamber

Orchestra works involving stories.

The Hardworking Cobbler

The Hardworking Cobbler

For narrator and full orchestra. 8 minutes. The story for this piece was created by a fourth-grade student, as part of a story-writing contest sponsored by the Colorado Symphony. It’s about a workaholic cobbler who is so busy making shoes for other people that he never has time to dance.

The Bremen Town Musicians

The Bremen Town Musicians

15 minutes. Concerto Grosso for clarinet, trombone, solo violin, solo viola, string orchestra and narrator. (There is also an optional percussion part for one or two professional players).  The clarinet is the rooster, the trombone is the donkey, the solo violin is the cat and the solo viola is the dog. This piece was recently choreographed for children, with great success. Requires a conductor.

The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling

14 minutes. For clarinet/bass clarinet (double), trombone, percussion (one player), narrator and string orchestra. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen classic. This piece has proved to have great appeal to listeners of all ages—especially the very young. It can certainly be performed without conductor, unless the string sections are large. The concertmaster and principal cellist cue entrances.

Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit

14 minutes. For clarinet [Peter], trombone [Mr. McGregor], percussion (one professional player with standard instruments), narrator and string orchestra. Designed to be played without conductor.

The Great Race

The Great Race / The Tortoise and the Hare

15 minutes. For clarinet, trombone, percussion, narrator and string orchestra. This is a fuller orchestration of the piece by the same name for four solo instruments and narrator. Commissioned by Theater In The Park for outdoor performance. Playable with or without conductor.

The Three Bears

The Three Bears

13 minutes. For clarinet, trombone, percussion (one player with standard instruments), narrator and string orchestra.  A fresh treatment of the classic tale. All dialogue is in rhymed verse.

The Three Pigs

The Three Pigs

10 minutes. Commissioned by the Evergreen Chamber Orchestra. Instrumentation: 2 (picc doub),2,2,2—3,2,2—2 perc—strings, narrator. This piece is in two parts which can be performed separately or as a whole. Part 1 is the traditional story (12 min). Part 2 is based on the Jon Scieszka book, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, told from the standpoint of the wolf. 

Oboe Concerto

For solo oboe, harp, tympani, 2 percussion and string orchestra. Four movements, 24 minutes.

This piece was commissioned by Colorado Symphony board member Erna Butler. It was recorded in 2001 by CSO principal oboist Peter Cooper, along with Neville Marriner and the Academy of Saint Martin In The Fields.

The Oboe Concerto has garnered a lot of favorable comment from many oboists and teachers, including former Cleveland Orchestra principal oboist John Mack.

First Movement

First Movement

Second Movement

Second Movement

Third Movement

Third Movement

Fifth Movement

Fifth Movement

Kasselberg Suite

For bassoon, contrabassoon and string orchestra. 5 movements, 15 minutes.

The soloist alternates instruments by movement, beginning and ending with bassoon. Commissioned by James Rodgers, contrabassoonist of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and premiered at the convention of the International Double Reed Society.

This enthusiastically neo-classical suite evokes the flavor of the German high baroque period (first movement: “Sinfonia Alla Brandenberg”).

First Movement

First Movement

Second Movement

Second Movement

Incidental Pieces

For small ensembles 

Espresso Rush

Espresso Rush

For 14 instruments (2 violins, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion) String parts can be played by sections. Written for an educational program called “Classical Connections,” featuring this ensemble.

Variations on a Theme—DSA

Variations on a Theme—DSA

For string orchestra. 11 minutes.
Commissioned by the Denver School of the Arts String Orchestra. Theme, 12 variations and passacaglia, based on the notes D, E flat, A.

Arrangements

Bach: Fugue in C minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier

Bach: Fugue in C minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier

For violin, viola, cello and percussion (in the style of the Swingle Singers)

Bach: Two Gavottes from the D major Suite

Bach: Two Gavottes from the D major Suite

For violin, viola, cello and percussion (in the style of the Swingle Singers)

Flight Of The Bumble Bee

Flight Of The Bumble Bee

For clarinet, trombone, percussion and string orchestra.

Traditional Sing-Along

Traditional Sing-Along

For clarinet, trombone, percussion and string orchestra. Created for the Petite Musique Project. Twinkle, Twinkle; Old MacDonald; Mary Had A Little Lamb; London Bridge; The People On The Bus (with additional verses about the instruments in the orchestra).

Traditional Dance-Along

Traditional Dance-Along

For clarinet, trombone, percussion and string orchestra. Created for the Petite Musique Project. American March; Mexican Hat Dance; Viennese Waltz; Irish Jig; Russian Dance.

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