Porgy and Bess (Gershwin)

Four numbers from Gershwin's opera "Porgy and Bess":

1) Summertime

Scoring: Wind decet plus optional double bass

Date: 2026

A wind decet arrangement of the famous song "Summertime", in which the flute takes the leading solo role (originally sung by Bess) followed by the oboe. Both should be played with as much laid-back blues-iness as possible. The horns, bassoons and cor anglais provide the opening downward chord sequence to D major to provide a silky smooth atmosphere for the two solo instruments, while other instruments supply delicate background sparkles. Imagine a lazy hot day by a gently flowing river!

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

2) It ain't necessarily so

Scoring: Wind decet plus optional double bass

Date: 2026

A wind decet arrangement of the eccentric song "It ain't necessarily so" from the opera. After a noisy introduction with all instruments playing, the two clarinets provide the sleasy solo line, echoed each time by several other instruments. This is contrasted by the triplet-based theme (accompanied by a marching, duplet rhythm), which appears both in the middle and also near the end. It should all be played with plenty of razzmatazz.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

3) Bess, you is my woman

Scoring: Wind decet plus optional double bass

Date: 2026

A wind decet arrangement of the romantic song "Bess, you is my woman" from the opera. The cor anglais starts straight away with Porgy's theme, while the bassoons, horns and clarinets provide a jaunty accompaniment which drives the song along. On a couple of occasions, after a slightly faster passage, a beautifully tender repeated quaver passage is played by the piccolo, flute or oboe, giving a feeling of genuine affection to the song.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

4) I got plenty o' nuttin'

Scoring: Wind decet plus optional double bass and voices

Date: 2026

A final wind decet arrangement of the crazy song "I got plenty o'nuttin'" from the opera, with the possibility of including singers on the vocal line. The song is marked "Moderato con gioia" ("with joy"!) This is an opportunity perhaps to include the audience sing along, as the melody and lyrics are highly memorable and great fun. A mandolin is sometimes used to accompany the voices, and here it is the cor anglais which again gets to double the melody in the first verse. However, the entry of the piccolo in the second verse confirms the levity of this song and it ends, after a spoken "no use complaining!", with a bass flourish in the clarinets and bassoons.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Nobody knows the trouble I see

Scoring: TTBB barbershop quartet

Date: 2026

A setting of the popular African-American Spiritual "Nobody knows the trouble I see" arranged for TTBB barbershop quartet. There are at least two major melodies to this song and many versions of each. I have taken the version used by Michael Tippett in his "A Child of our Time" Oratorio and made it my own. It is designed to be relatively easy to sing, while retaining its vitality and rhythmic drive.

Links: pdf - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Lyrics

Chorus:

Nobody knows the trouble I see, Lord,

nobody knows the trouble I see.

Nobody knows the trouble I see, Lord,

nobody knows like Jesus.

1.

O brother, pray for me,

O brother, pray for me,

O brother, pray for me,

help me to drive ol' Satan away.

2.

O sister, pray for me,

O sister, pray for me,

O sister, pray for me,

help me to drive ol' Satan away.

3.

O mother, pray for me,

O mother, pray for me,

O mother, pray for me,

help me to drive ol' Satan away.

Infant lowly, infant holy

Scoring: SATB choir and piano

Date: 2026

"Infant lowly, Infant holy" is a traditional Polish Christmas carol with a very beautiful, simple melody. David Willcox's arrangement in OUP's "Carols for Choirs" with its slightly complex cross-rhythms is well known. In this setting I have re-cast the carol in three verses with a piano accompaniment and a more straighforward rhythmical structure. However, it includes a richer harmonic accompaniment and a running piano line over the top of the melody. It should be played and sung with a lilt, as indicated by the dynamic hair-pins so that it retains its rocking gentleness.

The words were translated into English by Edith M Reed in the early twentieth century.

Links: pdf - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

The Dargason (Holst)

Scoring: Wind decet, plus optional double bass

Date: 2025

A wind decet arrangement of the fourth movement of Gustav Holst's "St Paul's Suite" for string orchestra, entitled "The Dargason". The Dargason is a popular dance melody dating back to the 16th century with a simple eight bar structure which simply rolls on and on as the dancers weave in and out! Holst's accompaniment, however, is full of interest and he cleverly weaves another ancient and well loved melody into the piece: Greensleeves. This gives the work an unexpected and delightful countermelody which occurs twice, the first time as a barely audible background and the second time as the work's climax. This arrangement for wind decet includes a piccolo and a cor anglais, with an optional part for double bass.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Romanian Folk Dances (Bartok)

Scoring: Wind decet plus optional double bass

Date: 2025

These six or seven (the last two are often considered to be just one) folk dances from Romania were originally composed by Bela Bartok in 1915 for piano solo. They have been extremely popular ever since perhaps in part because, despite each being so short (about one minute), they do seem to create a wonderful linear progression, with the last few increasing gradually in tempo until the brilliant ending of the final dance. They are also extremely attractive melodies.

This arrangement which derives principally from Bartok's subsequent chamber orchestra version tries to maintain and enhance the different colour of each dance by using the different instruments of the wind decet in a variety of ways. The piccolo clearly has a starring roll in the third movement (as Bartok himself scored it), but also swapping the melody between first and second of a particular instrument (e.g. 1st and 2nd oboe) can create a new texture to a repeated musical line. I hope players and listeneners alike will enjoy its kaleidoscope of sounds.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Le Tombeau de Couperin (Ravel)

Scoring: Wind decet plus optional double bass

Date: 2025

Two movements from Ravel's sparkling suite "Le Tombeau de Couperin" arranged for wind decet: "Menuet" and "Rigaudon". 

Menuet:

The original tempo of this gorgeous minuet by Maurice Ravel, taken from his suite of pieces for piano (and subsequently arranged for orchestra), is marked Allegro moderato. However, no one performs it as an Allegro, neither pianists nor orchestras, as it is the most laid-back of melodies, reminiscent of lazy summer afternoons on a lake. I have therefore marked the arrangement Allegretto moderato, aiming to retain its lightness and motion without sounding rushed. In this wind decet version I have otherwise followed Ravel's markings and instrumentation wherever possible. The oboe takes the lead throughout most of the piece, except in the middle section, which is much more mysterious and where there are repeated waves of instrumental colours. After the recapitulation the piece concludes in a lovely downward sweep from the piccolo to the bassoons, followed by an almost jazzy double trill on the clarinets.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Rigaudon:

A rustic French dance, the Rigaudon is lively, exuberant and fast (marked Assez vif.) The second flute has his or her work cut out in a couple of sections, as in Ravel's original orchestration, but otherwise it is all quite playable and mostly "sits under the fingers" for the decet players. The middle section suddenly slows down and the oboe takes the lead in a sensuous dance accompanied by a gentle rhythmical feature, until the first theme breaks through once again. The ending is subtely different from the first section, however, leading to the different key of F major, only to be replaced - satisifyingly - in the final two bars by the original key of C major.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Blumen-Walzer

Scoring: 2 flutes + string quintet

Date: 2025

Ernesto Köhler's Blumen-Walzer/Valse des Fleurs/Flower Waltz, originally for 2 flutes and piano, with the piano part here arranged for string quintet - attractive and fun, just as you would expect for a Viennese waltz!

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Romeo and Juliet Mini-Suite

Two versions: (1) Wind decet+1 and (2) Wind sextet

(1) Scoring: Wind decet+1 (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 French horns in F, 2 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon or 1 double bass)

Date: 2026

A "mini-suite" of four movements from Prokofiev's famous ballet "Romeo and Juliet"  The suite lasts around 16 minutes and includes some of Prokofiev's best-loved melodies from the ballet. There is a particularly active part for contrabassoon (or double bass), as Prokofiev wrote in his original.

1. Montagues and Capulets - expressing the strident hatred between the two families

2. Dance - expressing the youthful exuberance of the two young lovers

3. Friar Laurence - the sombre and slightly pompous friar, who nevertheless has a warmth about him

4. Farewell - expressing the passionate love between Romeo and Juliet, but ending in silent despair.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

(2) Scoring: Wind sextet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bass clarinet and bassoon)

Date: 2025

An arrangement of four movements from Prokofiev's colourful "Romeo and Juliet" ballet music, forming a "mini-suite" for wind sextet. The whole suite lasts just over 16 minutes:

1. Montagues and Capulets

2. Dance

3. Friar Laurence

4. Farewell

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

The movements are also available separately below:

Montagues and Capulets

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Dance

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Friar Laurence

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Farewell

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Tortoises and the Elephant (Saint-Saens)

Scoring: Contrabassoon and string quintet

Date: 2025

An unusual arrangement of "Tortoises" and "The Elephant" from Camille Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals"!

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Mother Goose Suite

Scoring: Wind decet plus double bass

Date: 2024

Ma mère l'Oye (Mother Goose Suite)  by Maurice Ravelis a wonderful 15-minute orchestral composition full of magic and colour, which he originally wrote for piano duet. Here I have arranged it for wind ensemble, keeping as closely as possible to Ravel's orchestration, as this remains so well-known and well-loved.

Its five movements have the following exotic titles:

1. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (Pavane of Sleeping Beauty)

2. Petit Poucet (Little Tom Thumb)

3. Laideronnette, impératrice des pagodes (Little Ugly Girl, Empress of the Pagodas)

4. Les entretiens de la belle et de la bête (Conversation of Beauty and the Beast)

5. Le jardin féerique (The Fairy Garden)

Instrumentation:

2 flutes (1 doubling piccolo)

2 oboes (1 doubling cor anglais)

2 clarinets in Bb

2 horns in F

2 bassoons (1 doubling contrabassoon)

1 double bass

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

A British Tar (Gilbert & Sullivan)

Scoring: TTBB barbershop quartet

Date: 2024

"A British Tar" is one of the most popular songs from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta "HMS Pinafore", and it deserves to be sung more widely. Here it is arranged for unaccompanied barbershop quartet from the original trio plus orchestra/piano. In the operetta the song is supposedly composed by Sir Joseph Porter, First Lord of the Admiralty, "to encourage independence of thought and action in the lower branches of the service [the Navy], and to teach the principle that a British sailor is any man's equal." It should be sung with as much mock pomp as can be mustered, and I suggest that in bars 10 to 16 and again bars 42 to 48 the first bass singer(s) should (especially when singing to a foreign audience) clearly indicate which part of the sailor's body is being referred to!

Links: pdf - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Soave sia il vento (Mozart)

Scoring: SATB choir and strings

Date:  2022 (updated 2024)

This lovely aria from Mozart's opera "Cosi fan tutte" is a blessing for a sea crossing that the weather will be kind, the waves calm and all good things will happen to us. There are massive undercurrents in the opera, however, hidden beneath this song, and although beautiful, it should be sung slightly po-faced! The original is for three soloists and orchestra, but here Roy Bell has arranged the choral parts for SATB choir and Philip Le Bas has reduced the orchestra to a string quintet.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Words:

Soave sia il vento, tranquilla sia l'onda,

ed ogni elemento benigno risponda ai nostri desir.

Men of Harlech

Scoring: TTBB choir a cappella

Date:  2024

"March of the Men of Harlech" is the Welsh National Hymn. Here it is arranged by John Hyatt Brewer (1856-1931) and adapted by me for a cappella TTBB choir (plus "solo".) It is admittedly a thoroughly violent, anti-Saxon (yes, that ancient!) marching song, but it deserves to be sung as the melody is so well-loved and it is so full of drama and excitement. Extra sound effects are introduced by the "solo" part imitating trumpets and drums, and by all the singers with loud (on the spot?) bootsteps! Brewer's harmonisation also keeps the interest up through both verses. Pace Welshmen, perhaps this could be "hammed up" a little?

Links: pdf - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Words:
1. Men of Harlech honour calls us,

No proud Saxon e'er appalls us!

On we march, whate'er befall us,

Never shall we fly!

Forward, lightly bounding,

To the trumpets sounding,

Forward ever, backward never,

The proud foe astounding;

Fight for father, sister, mother,

Each is bound to each as brother,

And with faith in one another

We will win or die.

2. Tho' our mothers may be weeping,

Tho' our sisters may be keeping

Watch for some, who now are sleeping

On the battle field,

Still the trumpets' braying,

Sounds on, ever saying,

Let each bowman pierce a foeman,

And ne'er stop the slaying,

Till invaders learn to fear us,

And no Saxon linger near us;

Men of Wales! our God doth hear us,

Never will we yield!

Early One Morning

Scoring: TTBB choir a cappella
Date: 2017/revised 2024
"Early One Morning" is a simple arrangement for TTBB barbershop chorus of the well known folk song. Although its subject is sad and full of melancholy, it should not be sung too slowly, but with simplicity and compassion.
Links: pdf - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Words:
1.
Early one morning, just as the sun was rising,
I heard a young maid sing in the valley below.
Oh, don't deceive me, oh, never leave me.
How could you use a poor maiden so?

2.
Remember the vows that you made to your Mary.
Remember the bow'r where you vowed to be true.
Oh, don't deceive me, oh, never leave me.
How could you use a poor maiden so?

3.
Oh, gay is the garland and fresh are the roses
I've culled from the garden to place upon thy brow.
Oh, don't deceive me, oh, never leave me.
How could you use a poor maiden so?

4.
Thus sang the poor maiden, her sorrows bewailing.
Thus sang the poor maid in the valley below.
Oh, don't deceive me, oh, never leave me.
How could you use a poor maiden so?

In the Monastery (Borodin)

Scoring: wind sextet - flute, oboe, clarinet in A, horn in F, bass clarinet, contrabassoon

Date: 2023

An arrangement of the first number in Alexander Borodin's "Petite Suite" for piano solo, entitled "In the Monastery", for wind sextet, including a contrabassoon in place of the bassoon. This is an exquisite little piece capturing the deep solemnity and awe of a Russian Orthodox monastery. The arrangement is an experiment in unusual instrumentation of an unusual piece!

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Flower Duet (Delibes)

Scoring: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets in A, 1 bassoon, optional double bass

Date: 2023

The lovely "Flower Duet" from Delibes' "Lakmé" is here arranged for small wind ensemble (2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon) and (optional) double bass. A solo clarinet opens the original singer's introduction, but it is the two flutes who take over the well-known duet melody (particularly after decades of BA adverts) for the rest of the short piece. Careful attention to the dynamic markings (especially the ppp accompaniment at the end) should make this a special moment in any chamber concert.

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Nutcracker Mini-Suite (Tchaikovsky)

Scoring: Wind decet and double bass

Date: 2023

An arrangement of five movements from Tchaikovsky's ever-popular "Nutcracker" ballet for double wind quintet (decet) and double bass with optional percussion (cymbals, tambourine, triangle - one player):

1. March

2. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

3. Russian Dance: Trepak

4. Chinese Dance

5. Waltz of the Flowers

Links: pdf (score) - pdf (parts) - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Alleluia Round (Boyce)

Scoring: Mixed voices and organ

Date: 2023

Here is a round by William Boyce (1710-1779) arranged with a simple organ accompaniment. It can be sung almost any way you like, as long as it is joyful!

Links: pdf - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

How beautiful upon the mountains (Stainer)

Scoring: SABar choir and organ

Date: 2023

A simple reduction of John Stainer's "How beautiful upon the mountains" from SATB and organ to SABar and organ, to make it more accessible particularly to church choirs with few tenors and basses. 

Links: pdf - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Words (from Isaiah 52:7):

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him

that bringeth good tidings,

that publisheth peace;

that saith unto Zion,

Thy God reigneth!

In Dulci Jubilo

Scoring: SABar choir and organ
Date: 2019 (updated 2022)
An arrangement of the wonderful old German carol "In Dulci Jubilo" made popular in an English version by R.L. Pearsall (1795-1856), mixing English and Latin words, for 8-part choir and organ. Here I have reduced the parts to three (soprano, alto, baritone) so that it can be sung by choirs for whom 8 parts is too ambitious! Perhaps surprisingly, the carol retains much of its interesting counterpoint and tuneful lyricism; I hope both singers and listeners will enjoy it equally.

Links: pdf - mp3 - midi - mxl - sib - sib 6

Words:

1. In dulci jubilo
Let us our homage shew:
Our heart's joy reclineth
In praesepio;
And like a bright star shineth
Matris in gremio,
Alpha es et O!

2. O Jesu parvule,
I yearn for thee alway!
Hear me, I beseech Thee,
O puer optime;
My prayer let it reach Thee,
O princeps gloriae.
Trahe me post te.

3. O patris caritas!
O Nati lenitas!
Deeply were we stained.
Per nostra crimina:
But Thou for us hast gained
Coelorum gaudia,
O that we were there!

4. Ubi sunt gaudia,
Where, if that they be not there?
There are angels singing
Nova cantica;
There the bells are ringing
In Regis curia.
O that we were there!