String Quartet No. 9 (English version)

Version for String Quartet.Score available: KP00510The composer writes: 'In February 1987 I saw in the Tate Gallery in London a painting by the Victorian English painter John William Waterhouse. The painting kept haunting my memory and as I at the same time planned to write a piece for solo viola my ideas for the music and the memory of the painting fused more and more. I decided then to let my piece borrow the title of Waterhouse’s paint-ing: 'The Lady of Shalott'. The picture of a mad-like pale and perhaps singing woman alone in a boat without sculls which calmly slips out from the rush growth of the river is an illustration for the ending of Alfred Tennyson’s poemby the same title which again plaits into the old English legends about King Arthur. My piece tries to meander - like the river at Camelot - among these sources. As suggested above the piece was originally written for viola solo. The version for string quartet is from 1993.'

The original version of this setting of the well-known traditional English folk song was completed in 1974, and was commissioned by Rachel McMillan College of Education (where Gregson was a lecturer at the time) for its Music Department Choir (female voices). It then had the somewhat unusual instrumentation of spinet, flute and string quartet.In 2017 Gregson was asked to revise it for performance and publication in a new version for upper voices and piano. Arranged for SATB with Piano accompaniment. / SATB

This Hal Hopson classic is appropriate for services where 'love' is the theme and is especially useful for weddings. The familiar words are a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 and the haunting tune is based on the traditional English melody O WALY WALY. The SAB voicing String Quartet setting and Performance/Accompaniment CD are new for this year (2012). The String Quartet setting can be for strings only or used as an accompaniment for the choral settings or the vocal solo but not for the TTBB version which is in the Key of C. String Parts come in the two keys A and G and include parts for Violin 1 and 2 Viola and Cello.This Hal Hopson classic is appropriate for services where 'love' is the theme and is especially useful for weddings. The familiar words are a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 and the haunting tune is based on the traditional English melody O WALY WALY. The SAB voicing String Quartet setting and Performance/Accompaniment CD are new for this year (2012). The String Quartet setting can be for strings only or used as an accompaniment for the choral settings or the vocal solo but not for the TTBB version which is in the Key of C. String Parts come in the two keys A and G and include parts for Violin 1 and 2 Viola and Cello.

A viola method for childrenThe leading German viola method now available in English.For more than three decades the Sassmannshaus Tradition has been the household name for excellence in beginner string methods in German-speaking countries. More than half a million students have successfully learned to play string instruments using this publication.The publication of the four violin books in 2008 in a fully adapted English version has been a big success.On the back of this success story Bärenreiter published the four books for cello in 2009 and now presents the four books for viola in a newly adapted version for today?s English speaking children.What makes this viola method so unique?- Large print notes and texts as well as many colourful illustrations are ideal for pre-school as well as school children.- Note reading is emphasised from the first lesson, encouraging ensemble playing from the very beginning.- Songs and scales in different positions are easily mastered within the first year of playing to ensure that children are not confined to first position playing.- Advanced viola techniques such as varied bow strokes and shifting are introduced in a basic form.The new English viola method for children 4 years and older?The early emphasis on ensemble playing and the many duos in this method are so much fun for the kids. They pick up important chamber music skills right from the beginning!(Peter Winograd and Laurie Carney, American String Quartet)

Parts for Hans Abrahamsen's Flowersongs (2012 version) for Flute Oboe and Clarinet. 'I wrote Flowersongs for three Flutes in the spring of 1973 when I was 20 years old. Looking back now 40 years begins to feel like a really long time and sometimes I think that it is as if someone in 1973 is talking about a piece from 1933! But in spite of this long time this is still a very important piece for me. In Flowersongs along with works like '10 Preludes' for String Quartet and 'Stratifications' for Orchestra I feel that I was on my way to finding my own voice in the middle of the music of the great CentralEuropean modernist tradition from the 50s and the reaction from the 60s of the new simplicity minimalism and the possibility of poly-stilisme. The English title Flowersongs links to the flower power movement and the hippie culture of the 60s and the early 70s and the work is trying to find the power inherent in this imaginary world. Many of my later works have titles in German for example 'Winternacht' (1976/78) 'Nacht und Trumpeten' (1981) and much later 'Schnee' (2006-08). If we think of Flowersongs in German it must be Blumenlieder and to me it now sounds suddenly very different more romantic and into the world of Schumann. Perhaps it is also a way in which to hear the piece? Another thing is that the correct English title is Flower Songs (as two words) and not as one word like in German or Danish. This is perhaps the German connection as I incorrectly wrote the title as one word; but perhaps it is also a kind of naivety which is also part of the work. I cannot help but carry with me to this day the ideas from my early works. For example there are clear links in this work from the 8th Prelude from '10 Preludes' and to Canon 2a from 'Schnee' from 2008. This work is written for the wonderful ensemble recherche and it was meeting them that made me consider making a version of

Cyprise-In 1865 Dvorák firmly convinced of his love for one of the daughters of the ermáková family probably the older Josefina wrote his first song cycle Cypresses.Despite the popularity of Dvorák's arrangements for String Quartet the original version of this work has remained in manuscript form until now.This first ever Urtext edition is based on the original autograph as well as later versions. A printed collection of poems by Pfleger from 1862 were also drawn upon as sources. The musical text is accompanied by a detailed introduction in English German and Czech written by the Dvorák scholar DavidBeveridge. A critical commentary in English only is also included as are translations of the song texts in English and German.

Hans Abrahamsen's Flowersongs (1973) for three Flutes. Parts. 'I wrote Flowersongs for three Flutes in the spring of 1973 when I was 20 years old. Looking back now 40 years begins to feel like a really long time and sometimes I think that it is as if someone in 1973 is talking about a piece from 1933! But in spite of this long time this is still a very important piece for me. In Flowersongs along with works like '10 Preludes' for String Quartet and 'Stratifications' for Orchestra I feel that I was on my way to finding my own voice in the middle of the music of the great Central Europeanmodernist tradition from the 50s and the reaction from the 60s of the new simplicity minimalism and the possibility of poly-stilisme. The English title Flowersongs links to the flower power movement and the hippie culture of the 60s and the early 70s and the work is trying to find the power inherent in this imaginary world. Many of my later works have titles in German for example 'Winternacht' (1976/78) 'Nacht und Trumpeten' (1981) and much later 'Schnee' (2006-08). If we think of Flowersongs in German it must be Blumenlieder and to me it now sounds suddenly very different more romantic and into the world of Schumann. Perhaps it is also a way in which to hear the piece? Another thing is that the correct English title is Flower Songs (as two words) and not as one word like in German or Danish. This is perhaps the German connection as I incorrectly wrote the title as one word; but perhaps it is also a kind of naivety which is also part of the work. I cannot help but carry with me to this day the ideas from my early works. For example there are clear links in this work from the 8th Prelude from '10 Preludes' and to Canon 2a from 'Schnee' from 2008. This work is written for the wonderful ensemble recherche and it was meeting them that made me consider making a version of

The original version of this setting of the well-known traditional English folk song was completed in 1974, and was commissioned by Rachel McMillan College of Education (where Gregson was a lecturer at the time) for its Music Department choir (female voices). It then had the somewhat unusual instrumentation of spinet, flute and string quartet. In 2017 Gregson made a revision for performance and publication in a new version for upper voices and piano / Ssa Et Piano

Saint-Saëns's Christmas Oratorio (or Oratorio de Noël) was written in 1858 when he was just 23. This piece was originally scored for five Vocal Soloists Chorus Harp String Quartet and Organ; this the vocal score contains a piano reduction.The Christmas Oratorio opens with a Prelude subtitled 'In the style of Sebastian Bach' harkening back to Bach's Christmas Oratorio. This opening prelude sets the scene for the Christmas story: its lilting pastoral quality creates images of the shepherds tending their flocks in the fields. In the remaining movements the vocal soloists take turns representing different characters such as the narrator ofthe story or as the angel who announces the birth of the baby Jesus while the chorus represents a multitude of angels singing to the glory of the Lord. The final movement of the piece which follows the model of old French Christmas songs is a virtual hymn of praise of all creation in the presence of God.The English version of the text is by N.H. Dole.