Ann's Choice: Volume 12 (TrTrTB Quartets Book 1) (TrTrTB)
MHE 10421 £9.00
Sleep Now, My Muse (Kirbye)
Farewell, my love (Kirbye)
When Cloris Heard (Wilbye)
Three Fooles (Bennet)
There is not much music for adults that is both interesting and easy. All too often music that is easy is also a bit childish. I hope that the series 'Ann's Choice' will help to fill the gap. Volume 12 comprises arrangements of four madrigals. What they have in common is that they were written in the late 1500s or early 1600s, and their composers contributed to the famous set of madrigals ‘The Triumphs of Oriana’. I also wanted to give some visibility of the work of George Kirbye – I like his madrigals, but they are not much played, perhaps because they tend to be rather serious in tone. I hope you enjoy playing these pieces!
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Deep in the Forest (DTrTB)
MHE 11021 £9.50
Up high, in the trees
A calming wind blows through the trees
A rainy day in the woods
A summer's day in the forest
This set of pieces tries to conjure up the different moods of a forest. Given that I live on the edge of the Forest of Dean, and often walk there, it’s tempting to think that the pieces were inspired by specific places I know. That wasn’t my intention, but maybe it’s true! The music is moderately easy, but there are some passages that may need work. Total playing time is about seven minutes.
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Marine Life vol 1 (TrTrTB)
MHE 11024 £12.00
I wrote this set of four pieces to suggest different species of marine life. (1) A pod of belugas (with both their strength and gentleness), (2) A colony of penguins (with their speed in the water, as well as their comical walking on land), (3) A galaxy of starfish (very slow pace) and (4) A shiver of sharks (with extreme changes from quiet to dangerous!). Total playing time is about ten minutes.
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Miniature Suite No 1 (TrTrTB)
MHE 21021 £10.00
Allegro
Largo
Dance
Allegro
This suite is of moderate difficulty. The notes rarely cause problems, but the rhythms and articulations can. The music can be played by larger ensembles, but one-to-a-part brings out the best in it (if played accurately of course!). Total playing time is about five minutes.
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O Magnum Mysterium (Morales) (TTBB)
MHE 21022 £5.00
Cristóbal de Morales (1500-1553) was a skilled and prolific Spanish composer. The vast majority of his output was religious vocal music. Morales is often said to be the most important Spanish composer before Victoria, and he was also the first Spanish composer known outside the country. ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ is a short but beautiful piece that works well with the sonorous TTBB instrumentation. For a particular treat, try it an octave lower!
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Love Leads To Battle (TrTTB)
MHE 30224 £5.00
Bononcini was an Italian Baroque composer (1670-1747). Although little-known today, he was a prolific composer and well-regarded in his day. ‘Love Leads to Battle’ is a pleasant instrumental piece from one of Bononcini’s thirty operas. Playing time
is about three minutes.
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Miniature Suite No 2 (TrTrTB)
MHE 31021 £6.50
I
II
III
I was challenged to write a piece of music where the entire score would fit on four sides of paper, while still being legible as a playing score. I then decided to attempt the further challenge of writing a set of pieces. The resulting Miniature Suite comprises more than three minutes of moderately difficult music for recorder quartet.
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Ann's Choice Volume 14 (TrTrTB)
MHE 31024 £9.50
There is not much music for adults that is both interesting and easy. All too often music that is easy is also a bit childish. I hope that the series 'Ann's Choice' will help to fill the gap. Volume 14 comprises arrangements of music in TrTrTB by Wilbye, Geminiani and Morley. The music is about love (and why not!). Combined duration is about eight minutes.
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Three Tunes by O'Carolan (DTrTB)
MHE 40222 £9.50
Carolan's Draught
Planxty Irwin
Maggie in the Woods
Turlough O'Carolan (1670–1738) was a blind Celtic musician who was famous in his lifetime as a singer, harp player and composer. His compositions are still popular to this day, and we have chosen three of our favourites to arrange. We have given metronome marks, but these are purely suggestions. The two outer movements are probably fastish and the inner movement probably slowish, but they can work really well at any speed you like (or are capable of).
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Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (DTrTB)
MHE 40324 £7.50
Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) was an English composer, considered to be one of the very finest of English composers. He was especially renowned for his vocal music. The work presented here is the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from the Short Service in the Dorian mode. It is elegant and yet straightforward to play. Total playing time is about five minutes.
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Musical Poems No 4: Dreaming (DTrTB)
MHE 41021 £9.00
Introduction
A strange little dream
Under each lid
Rivers and rocks
A land of flowers
And a cellar small
Fred woke too soon
My pieces ‘Musical Poems’ are an ongoing series of poems with musical interludes, sympathetic to the verse. These pieces have been well-received by audiences and players. Number 4 - ‘Dreaming’ - is a work by the poet
William Allingham (1824-1889), and I have provided seven musical interludes of straightforward but, I hope,
interesting music. A performance of words and music lasts about eight minutes.
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Four Madrigals by Giovanni Artusi (TrTrTB)
MHE 41120 £7.00
Donna da tuoi
Clori Gentil Dicea
Tu Pensi Col
Vaghe Ninfe
Artusi (1540-1613) was an interesting, if minor character in the history of music. He took a very dim (and brave) view of the move towards baroque style, and in particular the work of Monteverdi. His work used considerable dissonance, even in relatively simple music such as the madrigals in this set. Total playing time is about six minutes.
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The Dymock Diary (DTrTB)
MHE 51021 £8.50
Walking with the Poets
Memories of a canal long-gone
Walking the Daffodil Way
Morris Dancing at the Beauchamp Arms
Dymock is a village in Gloucestershire, where several poets were based between 1911 and 1914. These were the 'Dymock Poets‘, who included such major figures as Robert Frost and Rupert Brooke. Edward Thomas also visited. I live near to Dymock, and I wrote ‘The Dymock Diary’ influenced by places in the area. I chose the places so that the four pieces would provide musical variety. The suite is of easier-moderate difficulty, and the total playing time is about five minutes.
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Six Irish Folksongs (arr. Stanford) (DTrTB)
MHE 51024 £12.50
Stanford's arrangements for choir were published in 1901. His arrangements are interesting and have definite feel for the period (in other words, they are quite difficult in places). Of course that also means that Ann's recorder parts also have their difficulty. Total duration is about eleven minutes.
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Two Chansons by Crecquillon (TrTTB)
MHE 60822 £5.50
Quand me souvient de ma triste fortune
Response: Un triste coeur
Thomas Crecquillon (1505–1557) was born in the Low Countries and, as far as we know, lived there all of his life. We also know that he wrote a great deal of music, and that he seems to have been highly regarded. This is especially evidenced by the fact that the largest music publishers of the time published more by Crecquillon than by any other composer. The total playing time of these two beautiful pieces is about four minutes.
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Time for Dessert (DTrTB)
MHE 61021 £9.50
Playing the Gooseberry Fool
Trifling with Trifles
Chocolate Puddle Pudding Playtime
Crème Brulée - in a mellow way
Not-so-dumb-Rum Baba
These are five pieces that pay tribute to five of my favourite desserts, although it may not be too obvious how each delicious dessert is exactly related to the music! The (often jazzy) suite is of moderate difficulty, and the total playing time is about
eight minutes.
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Three Short Anthems by Purcell (DTrTB)
MHE 80221 £5.00
I Will Give Thanks Unto Thee
Lord, Have Mercy Upon Us
Allelujah
I arranged these short pieces for an ‘easy’ session on a course. Purcell’s music can not often be described as ‘easy’, and so the participants enjoyed the experience of playing music by this giant of English music. Despite the easy notes and the brevity of the pieces, we had much to work on, given a generous number of dynamic markings and some unexpected chords.
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Five Fantasias by Michael East (TrTrTB)
MHE 80224 £13.00
Michael East (1580-1648) was an English composer who worked at Lichfield Cathedral for a large part of his musical life. His fantasies for viols were (and are) highly regarded. This set comprises my arrangements for recorder of five of his four-part fantasies. Total playing time is about sixteen minutes.
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Two Songs by Hubert Parry (DTrTB)
MHE 81120 £6.00
Love Is A Sickness
The Sea Hath Many Thousand Sands
Music by Hubert Parry (1848-1918) is not an obvious source of material for recorder ensembles – the music is clearly in the ‘wrong' style. But I arranged these two songs for recorders, to have something different to play at a recorder event, and all of us were very pleasantly surprised. It took quite some time to arrive at playing in the right way for this music – for example, to make enough (but not too much) of the frequent changes in dynamics, both sudden and gradual. But I think it all worked, and worked well, and I wanted to share these pieces with the wider recorder world.
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The Monmouth Rag (DTrTB)
MHE 10518 £5.50
This is a bright and breezy bit of ragtime, which I wrote for the centre spread of the Recorder Magazine. The piece is not particularly easy to play, because the quavers are swung, and the rhythms may be unfamiliar to some recorder players. But persevere – the Monmouth Rag always goes down well with audiences! A version that includes great bass and contrabass is available as MHE 10518a. To hear this piece, please go to the 6-part version on the page 'Ann - Six Recorders'.
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Musical Poems No 1: Two Little Kittens (DTrTB)
MHE 20520 £6.50
Introduction
Two little kittens, one stormy night...
"I'll have that mouse," said the bigger cat...
I've told you before 'twas a stormy night...
The ground was covered with frost and snow...
And then they crept in as quiet as mice...
My pieces ‘Musical Poems’ are an ongoing series of poems with musical interludes, sympathetic to the verse.
I have used this formula several times, and it has been well-received by audiences and players. 'Two Little Kittens’ is a work by the poet and novelist Jane Taylor (1783-1824). There are six musical interludes of straightforward but, I hope, interesting music. A performance of words and music lasts about six minutes.
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Musical Poems No 2: The Cat and The Moon (DTrTB)
MHE 30520 £8.50
Introduction
The cat went here and there...
Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon...
Minnaloushe runs in the grass...
What better than call a dance?...
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass...
Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils...
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass (2)...
The second in my series ‘Musical Poems’ is 'The Cat and The Moon’. This uses a poem by the famous Irish poet William
Butler Yeats (1865-1939). There are eight musical interludes of straightforward but, I hope, interesting music. A performance of words and music lasts about eight minutes.
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Musical Poems No 3: The Lion and The Mouse (DTrTB)
MHE 40520 £8.50
Introduction
A lion with the heat oppressed,
Nor thought of harm, as Aesop tells,
Who straightaway woke, with wrath immense,
But she (the mouse) with tearful eye,
'Twas nearly twelve months after this,
When the poor mouse, who heard the noise,
The third in my series ‘Musical Poems’ is 'The Lion and The Mouse’. This uses a poem by the poet and author Jeffreys (sometimes Jefferys) Taylor (1792-1853). There are eight musical interludes, of straightforward but, I hope, interesting music. A performance of words and music lasts about eight minutes.
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Fair's Fair (DTrTB)
MHE 20610 £8.00
Scarborough Fair (Ann's)
Scarborough Fair (Steve's)
Brigg Fair (Steve's)
Brigg fair (Ann's)
We made these arrangements for a playing session at the 2010 Cheltenham Recorder Festival, which we had been invited to
share. The manner of the sharing had been left up to us, so we decided that we would each write an arrangement of both Scarborough Fair and (the less well-known) Brigg Fair, and that in the session Ann would conduct one of hers and one of Steve's – and vice versa! Despite this complex idea, we hope you will find the arrangements tuneful and interesting! They are on the easy side of moderate.
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The Lassus Collection (Vol 1) (DTrTB)
MHE 30813 £6.50
Gallans qui par terre
Avec Le Jour
Bonjour Mon Coeur
Lassus (1532-1594) is, along with Palestrina and Victoria, considered to be the most famous and influential musician at the end of the 16th century. He was hugely prolific and versatile. Volume 1 of the Lassus Collection comprises three secular madrigals in French.
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The Lassus Collection (Vol 2) (DTrTB)
MHE 40813 £8.50
Un Jour Vis Un Foulon
Matona Mia Cara
Mon Cœur se Recommande à Vous
Volume 2 of my Lassus Collection comprises two madrigals in French, and the vigorous Matona Mia Cara in Italian.
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The Lassus Collection (Vol 3) (DTrTB)
MHE 50813 £7.50
Lauda Anima Mea
Convertere
Adoramus te, Christe
Adorna Thalamum Tuum
Volume 3 of the Lassus Collection comprises four sacred pieces.
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Songs by Ludwig Senfl (Vol 1) (DTrTB)
MHE 10813 £7.50
Im Maien
Ach Elslein
Was wird es doch des Wunders noch
The Swiss composer Ludwig Senfl (1486-1542) produced a large body of work, both sacred and secular. Volume 1 of my collection of songs by Senfl comprises pieces that are squarely secular.
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Songs by Ludwig Senfl (Vol 2) (DTrTB)
MHE 20813 £7.50
Carmen in Re
Carmen - Lamentacio
Es Wollt ein Fraw zum Weine gahn
Volume 2 of my series of songs by The Swiss composer Ludwig Senfl. This volume comprises pieces that are secular. Two of the three songs appear to have come down to us without the words, and so are performed instrumentally; the other is a robust drinking song.
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Five Folksongs from Near and Far (DTrTB)
MHE 10214 £8.00
Green Grow The Leaves
The Volga Boat Song
Botany Bay
Blackbird Will You Go
I Sowed Barley
This collection of arrangements comprises folk songs from around the world – from the British Isles, but also from Czechoslovakia and Russia. The arrangements are fairly straightforward, but there is enough of a challenge in them to give groups striving for the perfect performance something to think about! Total playing time is about eight minutes.
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Madrigals by Francis Pilkington (Volume 1) (DTrTB)
MHE 10913 £8.00
Rest Sweet Nymphs
What Though Her Frowns
Can She Disdain?
Francis Pilkington (1565–1638) was an English composer, lutenist and singer. He published two sets of madrigals, of which these are three fine examples. The total performance time of these pieces is about seven minutes. A second volume is MHE 20913.
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Madrigals by Francis Pilkington (Volume 2) (DTrTB)
MHE 20913 £8.00
Why Should I Grieve?
With Fragrant Flowers
Have I Found Her?
Francis Pilkington (1565–1638) was an English composer, lutenist and singer. He published two sets of madrigals, of which these are three fine examples. The total performance time of these pieces is about seven minutes. A first volume was published as MHE 10913.
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Six Songs by Telemann (DTrTB)
MHE 50715 £8.00
Beherzter Freyer (Plucky Freyer)
Seltenes Glück (Rare Good Fortune)
Neues (New)
Geld (Money)
Sanfter Schlaf (Gentle Sleep)
Wind
Among the huge list of compositions by Telemann was a large number of short songs, for voice and continuo. They were written for the use of amateur musicians, and particularly as instructional exercises in the realisation of figured bass. I have chosen six of these songs and, while they may not be the pinnacle of Telemann’s musical achievement, they are very pleasant pieces, and of interest to players and audience alike as examples of little-known work by a major composer. Total playing time is about six minutes.
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Ann's Choice: Volume 1 (DTrTB Quartets Book 1) (DTrTB)
MHE 40810 £8.00
Canon
Cupid Awaked
Istrina
Battle Pavane
Menuet
As The Tide Was Flowing
There is not much music for adults that is both interesting and easy. I hope that 'Ann's Choice' will help to fill the gap. Volume 1, for DTrTB quartets, offers nearly a quarter of an hour of music by Tallis, Susato, Bonelli, Handel and Webber, as well as a traditional country dance. Whatever the original forces, I have arranged all of the music for DTrTB recorders. The keys are friendly and, other than two top As for descants, there are no notes higher than three fingers in the upper register.
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Ann's Choice: Volume 5 (DTrTB Quartets Book 2) (DTrTB)
MHE 20212 £8.00
Bransle de Chevaux
In Dew of Roses
What Poor Astronomers
Paduan
Sinfonia
Galliarda
There is not much music for adults that is both interesting and easy. All too often music that is easy is also a bit childish. I hope that the series 'Ann's Choice' will help to fill the gap. Volume 5, the second set for DTrTB quartets, offers six pieces of music from the Renaissance. This is proper adult music by lesser-known composers - Thoinot Arbeau, Paul Peuerl, Salomone Rossi and Balthasar Fritsch, as well as lesser-known works by famous composers - Thomas Morley and John Dowland. Whatever the original forces, I have arranged all of the music for DTrTB recorders. The keys are friendly and, other than a single descant top Bb, there are no notes higher than two fingers in the upper register for any instrument. Speeds are suggestions only; I have chosen music that I believe will still work well slightly slower than marked.
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Ann's Choice: Volume 7 (DTrTB Quartets Book 3) (DTrTB)
MHE 20812 £7.50
Au Temps Heureux
Quando Ritrovo La Mia Pastorella
A Toy
Ce Moys De May
Madonna Mia Fa
Carmen
Allez, Souspirs
There is not much music for adults that is both interesting and easy. All too often music that is easy is also a bit childish. I hope that the series 'Ann's Choice' will help to fill the gap. Volume 7, the third set of DTrTB quartets, offers seven pieces of music from the first half of the sixteenth century. This is proper adult music by lesser-known composers and lesser-known works by famous composers. Whatever the original forces, I have arranged all of the music for DTrTB recorders. The keys are friendly, and I have arranged things such that no player ever has to go higher than three fingers in the upper register for any instrument. In fact the descants never rise above an F.
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Ann's Choice: Volume 11 (DTrTB Quartets Book 4) (DTrTB)
MHE 10120 £9.00
O Occhi, Manza Mia
Sometime She Would
Musiciens Qui Chantez à plaisir
The Elves' Dance
There is not much music for adults that is both interesting and easy. All too often music that is easy is also a bit childish. I hope that the series 'Ann's Choice' will help to fill the gap. Volume 11 comprises arrangements of four madrigals. What they have in common is that they were written in the late 1500s or early 1600s, that they are (mainly) about love, and that they sound really good played fast. I have chosen them carefully so that they can be played fast without being too difficult.
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Three Anthems by Thomas Tomkins (DTrTB)
MHE 10808 £5.50
I Am The Resurrection
O Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem
I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
These three short but beautiful anthems by Thomas Tomkins are brought within the reach of a DTrTB recorder quartet by Ann Marshall’s arrangements. The pieces may not be well-known to recorder players, as the originals were in awkward recorder keys and/or used unusual vocal combinations (for example SSTB). Total playing time is about 4 minutes
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Three Water Pieces (DTrTB)
MHE 31206a £6.50
Calypso Cove
The Waterfall
Caught In The Rain
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! For a higher setting, see the next piece (MHE 31206).
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Three Water Pieces (DDTrT)
MHE 31206 £6.50
See the previous piece (MHE 31206a).
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Three More Water Pieces (DTrTB)
MHE 10307 £6.50
The Camargue
Lazing On The Riverbank
Kingston Harbour
In the same way as Three Water Pieces, Ann Marshall's suite of short, tuneful and straightforward pieces is designed to appeal to 'easy intermediate' players.
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Mr Playford in Cheltenham (DTrTB)
MHE 30812 £7.50
Chestnut (or Dove's Vagary)
All In A Garden Green
Argeers
Grimstock
Mundesse
In 1651 John Playford published a large set of country dance tunes, under the title 'The English Dancing Master'. The publication was a great success, and it was reprinted many times. 'The English Dancing Master' comprised melodies only, and they have been arranged many times over the years. I wrote my five DTrTB arrangements for a session I was conducting at the 2012 Cheltenham Recorder Festival. The arrangements are not difficult, and in any case the tunes work nicely at almost any speed, so I hope that many groups will be able to enjoy playing them.
No part reaches beyond 'three fingers pinched', and the bass part never rises above an A – it is hence very suitable for inexperienced bass players.
Total playing time (depending on speeds adopted of course) will probably be
seven or eight minutes.
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Four Pieces by Thomas Ravenscroft (DTrTB)
MHE 40912 £7.50
By A Bank
A Round of Three Country Dances
The Three Ravens
Tomorrow The Fox Will Come To Towne
Thomas Ravenscroft (1582-1635) was an early collector of folk songs and a prolific composer of rounds – he is plausibly credited with writing 'Three Blind Mice'. Both rounds and folk songs are represented in this collection of straightforward music for recorder quartet. Total playing time is about seven minutes.
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Four Pieces by Thomas Tallis (DTrTB)
MHE 61210 £7.50
O Ye Tender Babes
O Lord, In Thee Is All My Trust
Verily, Verily I Say Unto You
Out From The Deep
Three of these beautiful pieces were originally for voices, and one (O Ye Tender Babes) was originally a solo song with lute accompaniment. In order to bring this music within the grasp of as many recorder players as possible, Ann has used crotchet (or in one case dotted crotchet) beats throughout, and changed some of the keys. Total performance time is
about eight minutes.
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Low Profile (BBBB)
MHE 20311 £8.00
Low Dance
Low and Slow
A Walk on the Low Side
There are quite a few courses that feature sessions for basses only. There are not many pieces for such groups, and 'Low Profile' adds three more to that short list. The notes are not difficult, although the rhythms often interlock, so care needs to be taken with counting. The bass 4 part is particularly suited to the great bass, as it never ventures above an 'A'. Total performance time is about eight minutes.
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Four Easter Choruses (DTrTB)
MHE 71008 £8.00
This Joyful Eastertide
God So Loved The World
Easter Morning
O Thou Whose Sweet Compassion
Especially compared to the vast amount of Christmas music, there is very little Easter music, and even less available for recorders. Ann Marshall has arranged four choruses drawn from various sources, by far the best known in the UK being Stainer's Crucifixion. All of the pieces are late Victorian or Edwardian, and what the composers have in common is that they studied composition in England, although one was Irish, and one American. The pieces are easy/moderate.
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Six Dances by Melchior Franck (DTrTB)
MHE 90715 £8.50
Aufzug I
Pavana
Galliarda
Deutscher Tanz
Couranta
Aufzug II
The German composer Melchior Franck (1579–1639) was a prolific composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque. Amongst many other works, he wrote no less than 600 motets. The dances of Susato and Praetorius are great, and are often played, but I have arranged six of Franck’s dances as a bit of a change, anticipating that they will be little-known. Total playing time is about eight minutes.
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The Ludlow Suite (DTrTB)
MHE 11117 £8.50
Overture
Lullaby
Ostinato
Tarantella
Ludlow Blues
Finale
I wrote the Ludlow Suite for Alison Brooks and her Ludlow U3A recorder group. The suite of six short pieces is quite easy to play (especially for the descants) but I hope it’s interesting and tuneful. Total playing time is about seven minutes.
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Four Pastoral Miniatures (DTrTB)
MHE 40114 £8.50
Upland Meadows
Butterflies
Cloudscape
The Hills
These four short pieces suggest scenes in the countryside. I wrote the piece 'Butterflies' in 2009, and it had to wait for five years for a companion piece to suggest itself, and then three came along at once! The pieces are of no more than
easy moderate difficulty and the total playing time is about eight minutes.
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A Suite of Susato Dances (DTrTB)
MHE 30715 £9.00
Allemande
Bransle (Hoboecken Dans)
Pavane (Wenn Durch Leiden)
Bergerette
Pavane
Bransle
Tielman Susato lived from about 1510 to 1570. He was a music publisher and an instrumentalist, but it is as a composer that he is now best known. He wrote many masses and motets, as well as chansons. Susato’s instrumental music is still much-performed today, particularly the dances from a large book often referred to as ‘The Danserye’. My suite comprises dances taken from that volume, and they typify his direct and tuneful style, whether the music is fast or slow, fun or reflective. I have chosen the six pieces such that they make a satisfying suite, with a total playing time of about
nine minutes.
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