An elegant new duet arrangement of Amazing Grace is now available. It is suitable for church or recital performance. The cello and the piano both have melodic sections. The cello part requires some shifting but doesn’t go higher than fourth position. The sheet music is available as a digital download. If you would like to hear it, listen to the video on YouTube.
The next four canons for string ensemble are in G Major. All of the rounds have one part doubled so they would be playable with only two parts. In score form, each tune also has an optional piano part for extra rehearsal options.
Go Bananas! is working the eighth, quarter, eighth syncopated pattern. It can be helpful to chant the rhythm as a teaching hook. “Bananas, bananas, Go (shh) Bananas!”
In Apple Pie the two eighth note, quarter note pattern is the hero of the day. Speak “Apple pie, apple pie” to get the hang of it.
Watermelon Wizard is the next tune in the collection. For this one, the violin and cello parts are doubled leaving the violists to shine as an independent part. The spellbinding rhythmic chant is, ” Watermelon Wizard, Watermelon Wizard, watermelon, watermelon, Watermelon Wizard!”
The fourth round is an entire Fruit Salad. I used “cherries, apples, cherries, grapes and watermelon, pears, pears, watermelon, peaches, cherries, apples, bananas,” but feel free to substitute fruits of your choice.
The sheet music for all four rounds is now available.
Listen to the canons here:
Thanks, Sophie for helping to make the Fruit Salad recording!
Canon status update: 8 new pieces this year. If you have forgotten, it started with
March of the Elephant, Cat’s Meow, Elf’s Dance and Penguin Party
Congratulations! First, Second and Third Place in each category.
Piano A
Kaylynn 252
Sebastian 127
Logan 66
Ignatios 66
Piano B
Grace 267
Charley 212
Karsen 204
Piano C
Philomena 288
Megan 237
Reagan 217
Piano D
Gabriel 366
Joe 310
Margie 222
Piano E
Kate 455
Rori 312
Mia 298
Piano F
Bingan 1,972
Andrew 700
Jacob 652
Strings A
Bingan 486
Amy 433
Kate 158
Strings B
Grace 531
Molly 326
Isla 247
Strings C
Alex 469
Bella 324
Katrina 169
Adult
Lorinda 1,535
Jacob 530
Carla 426
I’ve created some play-along videos to facilitate learning the March tune in A Year of Folk Tunes for Piano.
To work through all the videos, you will have learned the first verse.
A new duet arrangement of Amazing Grace is available as a digital download. There is a version for two violins or treble clef instruments. A second version is in alto clef for violists. The third set is for cello or two bass clef instruments. All of the duets are compatible with each other for mixed ensemble playing. You can hear the cello duet in this video.
Beginning shifting has never been more fun! This canon for string ensemble with optional piano is in the key of C. All the parts get to glissando as the cat meows. Listen to The Cat’s Meow in this video. Get your copy of the sheet music here.
The Elf’s Dance is a lively canon for strings and optional piano. The violin and viola part double for smaller ensembles. The sheet music is available here. Minimum of two players are required. Listen to the Elf’s Dance in this video.
12/8/12 and 12/21/12
Miriam Troxler 