Seven Recorders

SnoSATBGbCb. Ann says: 'My first recorder septet is in four movements. All movements start with musical material that is the same, apart from key and tempo, but then each movement develops along very different lines. The septet, which is of no more than moderate difficulty, works equally well played one-to-a-part, or by a several-to-a-part recorder orchestra. Total playing time is about eight minutes.'

7 Sno.SATBGbCb. Ann says: 'I was encouraged to write a second recorder septet by the success of the first. I think that reasons for its success included that there are still very few recorder septets in existence, and even fewer of only moderate difficulty. This piece is in five, very contrasting movements. It uses the same instrumentation as the first septet – sopranino down to contrabass – and it is equally suited to one-to-a-part playing or several-to-a-part orchestral playing. Total playing time is about nine minutes.'

SAATBGbCb. Ann says: 'I wrote these miniatures to celebrate the 30th birthday of the U3A group based at Monmouth. I am the musical director of the recorder ensemble within Monmouth U3A, and the instrumentation reflects the recorders we regularly use. We are a large ensemble, including great bass and contrabass recorders, and those recorders are essential in these miniatures. The seven miniatures explore a variety of moods and, in a reference to the birthday, they are all exactly thirty bars long. The pieces are of no more than moderate difficulty, and work equally well played one-to-a-part, or by a several-to-a-part recorder orchestra. Total playing time is about nine minutes.'

7 SoSATBGbCb. Ann says:My third recorder septet has the same instrumentation as the first two. It is equally suited to one-to-a-part playing or several-to-a-part orchestral playing. I was encouraged to write another recorder septet because of the shortage of septets and (with all due modesty) by the success of the others. Total playing time is about ten minutes.

7 SAATBGbCb

7 SAATTBB

SATTBGbCb

7 S+ATBBGbCb. This mildly jazzy concerto was composed in 2001, originally using a treble recorder soloist. It has now been revised extensively - the solo instrument is now a descant, and the orchestra is a rather dark TrTBBGtBCtB. A one-to-a-part orchestra would work well, but the balance will still be fine with several-to-a-part. The ensemble parts are never more than moderately hard, although unsurprisingly the solo part needs a very good player.

7 SATTBGbCb. This is a collection of five spirituals which are available in other May Hill Edition titles with various instrumentations. They are here rearranged for seven recorders and sound good whether one-to-a-part or in a larger ensemble. The arrangements are easy, but interesting, and they are particularly suited to an 'easy recorder orchestra' group.

7 SATTBGb/BCb. This fairly easy setting of the poem by Alfred Tennyson is dedicated to Ann Lyall.

7 SAATBGbCb

1 A +SATBGbCb. Chanson d'Amour  - Waltz  - Dance. This piece is a version with recorder orchestra accompaniment of Concertino Omnibus (MHE 10415). There is also a version (MHE10415b) for treble recorder and piano.