SKU: A0.904270

Lars Ek is one of Sweden's best accordionists, and include known for its fine interpretation of Pietro Frosini, Nisse Lind and even his own more than 100 compositions! Lars Ek is from Stockholm and started playing the accordion as a 5 year old and a year later - in 1953 he made radio debut! TV debut in 1958! Lars is working as an accordionist in different contexts, including has he worked as a teacher, accompanist for numerous artists and toured a lot in Sweden and abroad. He has also toured with his popular Hot-trio and as a solo accordionist in Europe, Asia and North America! Lars has over the years recorded several records, which he actually managed to reflect the old accordion masters' compositions! Lars Ek is the initiator of Frosinisociety founded in 1985, which is to preserve the old accordion music. Lars is now as chairman of the International Frosinisociety and is one of the founders of The World Accordion Music Expo in Ransäter Sweden! The International Frosinisociety he makes through the site www.frosinisociety.org a huge fine job of promote the accordions development and popularity both in Sweden and abroad. Lars works alongside music by an artist agency Music & Underhållningsskrädderiet AB, which he runs together with the family since inception in 1980.

SKU: A0.813685

I Vow to Thee, My Country (Thaxted) (Bb) (Saxophone Quintet) - Intermediate - Digital Download. This marvelous arrangement of I Vow to Thee, My Country, a hymn tune based on the Andante Maestoso section from Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity from Gustav Holst's The Planets, would be a fabulous addition to any music library and could be performed for church services, especially Weddings and Funerals, but would be appropriate any time during the church year. However, if you are looking to perform this selection for concerts or recitals, I would suggest you look for the arrangement of Jupiter (Andante Maestoso from Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity from The Planets), also by Regis Bookshar. These arrangements are suitable for high school and college students but professional musicians would also enjoy playing these selections as well. Included are a score and a complete set of parts (9 pages). This selection is one of the many arrangements from The Regis Bookshar Trumpet Ensemble's extensive music library which are being made available for the first time. We have performed the Trumpet Quintet version of this composition quite often for numerous weddings and other special occasions.
The Planets, written between 1914 and 1917 by the English composer Gustav Holst, premiered at the Queen's Hall in London, on September 29, 1918 for an invited audience of about 250 people. In the fourth movement, Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, Holst portrays Jupiter's supposedly characteristic abundance of life and vitality. Nobility and generosity are allegedly characteristics of those born under Jupiter, and in the slower, middle section marked Andante Maestoso, perhaps the most well-known theme from The Planets (and the theme on which this arrangement is based), Holst provides a broad tune embodying these traits. In 1921, Holst adapted the theme to fit the patriotic poem I Vow to Thee, My Country by Cecil Spring Rice, and was written as a unison song with orchestra. It did not appear as the hymn tune until 1926, when Holst harmonized this melody, named Thaxted, named after the English village where he had lived for many years. Holst's friend Ralph Vaughan Williams included it in Songs of Praise. It has since been performed at numerous occasions, most notably for the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981, and also at the funerals of Princess Diana in 1997, Margaret Thatcher in 2013 and Senator John McCain where it was performed at the Washington National Cathedral on September 1, 2018. In addition to being used as the melody for the solemn, patriotic hymn I Vow to Thee, My Country, other settings of this hymn tune also include O God, Beyond All Praising, by Michael Perry in 1982, O Spirit All Embracing by Delores Dufner in 1995 and We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God, a paraphrase of the Te Deum Laudemus by Stephen P. Starke in 1999.
Regis Bookshar thought that it would be wonderful if other instrumentalists could have the opportunity to play this beautiful melody, so, in addition to the Trumpet Quintet version and this version for a Saxophone Quintet, consisting of 2 Alto Saxophones, 2 Tenor Saxophones (one of which has the lead) and 1 Baritone Saxophone, he has made quite a few other arrangements of this selection. There are Quintets readily available for a wide variety of instrumental ensembles. Please take the time to look for other versions of this composition. You may find something else that may also suit your needs. I would also encourage you to search for other arrangements by Regis Bookshar, as well, as there are numerous arrangements in a variety of styles, also available for purchase. You may find something else which might interest you. Please continue to check periodically because new arrangements are added as often as possible. I'm certain that this beautiful arrangement of I Vow to Thee, My Country based on the Andante Maestoso se.

SKU: A0.813687

I Vow to Thee, My Country (Thaxted) (Bb) (String Quintet) - Intermediate - Digital Download. This marvelous arrangement of I Vow to Thee, My Country, a hymn tune based on the Andante Maestoso section from Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity from Gustav Holst's The Planets, would be a fabulous addition to any music library and could be performed for church services, especially Weddings and Funerals, but would be appropriate any time during the church year. However, if you are looking to perform this selection for concerts or recitals, I would suggest you look for the arrangement of Jupiter (Andante Maestoso from Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity from The Planets), also by Regis Bookshar. These arrangements are suitable for high school and college students but professional musicians would also enjoy playing these selections as well. Included are a score and a complete set of parts (9 pages). This selection is one of the many arrangements from The Regis Bookshar Trumpet Ensemble's extensive music library which are being made available for the first time. We have performed the Trumpet Quintet version of this composition quite often for numerous weddings and other special occasions.
The Planets, written between 1914 and 1917 by the English composer Gustav Holst, premiered at the Queen's Hall in London, on September 29, 1918 for an invited audience of about 250 people. In the fourth movement, Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, Holst portrays Jupiter's supposedly characteristic abundance of life and vitality. Nobility and generosity are allegedly characteristics of those born under Jupiter, and in the slower, middle section marked Andante Maestoso, perhaps the most well-known theme from The Planets (and the theme on which this arrangement is based), Holst provides a broad tune embodying these traits. In 1921, Holst adapted the theme to fit the patriotic poem I Vow to Thee, My Country by Cecil Spring Rice, and was written as a unison song with orchestra. It did not appear as the hymn tune until 1926, when Holst harmonized this melody, named Thaxted, named after the English village where he had lived for many years. Holst's friend Ralph Vaughan Williams included it in Songs of Praise. It has since been performed at numerous occasions, most notably for the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981, and also at the funerals of Princess Diana in 1997, Margaret Thatcher in 2013 and Senator John McCain where it was performed at the Washington National Cathedral on September 1, 2018. In addition to being used as the melody for the solemn, patriotic hymn I Vow to Thee, My Country, other settings of this hymn tune also include O God, Beyond All Praising, by Michael Perry in 1982, O Spirit All Embracing by Delores Dufner in 1995 and We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God, a paraphrase of the Te Deum Laudemus by Stephen P. Starke in 1999.
Regis Bookshar thought that it would be wonderful if other instrumentalists could have the opportunity to play this beautiful melody, so, in addition to the Trumpet Quintet version and this version for a String Quintet, consisting of 2 Violins (one of which has the lead), 1 Viola, 1 Violoncello and 1 Double Bass, he has made quite a few other arrangements of this selection. There are Quintets readily available for a wide variety of instrumental ensembles. Please take the time to look for other versions of this composition. You may find something else that may also suit your needs. I would also encourage you to search for other arrangements by Regis Bookshar, as well, as there are numerous arrangements in a variety of styles, also available for purchase. You may find something else which might interest you. Please continue to check periodically because new arrangements are added as often as possible. I'm certain that this beautiful arrangement of I Vow to Thee, My Country based on the Andante Maestoso section from Jupit.

SKU: A0.861789

String Quartet No. 3 Old-Time (Score – two vlns, vla, cel) MO169B

Violin 1 Part (score and parts available)

Music by Mark O’Connor

30 pages - 24:00 minutes in length

Movement I (5:02)

Movement II (5:38)

Movement III (3:18)

Movement IV (9:46)

String Quartet No. 3 (Old-Time) was composed on the occasion marking 400 years of history dating from the days of the first European settlements. My specific task from the Hudson Commission was to concentrate music based on the natural habitat and beauty of the Hudson as well as on the time of the first European settlers. It was natural for me to think about old-time fiddling in this light. In 1909 Washington Irving described the Catskill Mountains as a dismembered branch of the Appalachian Mountains. My own Dutch ancestors settled in the Hudson Valley in the early 1600’s, and eventually traveled down the Appalachians to settle in the South in the early 1800’s. The old-time fiddling that dominated those areas along that route is the musical language utilized in creating this String Quartet.

For the musical genesis of the Quartet, I initially created phrases from the fiddle that were molded out of old-time fiddling tradition. With technical twists and turns, the phrases became unique and new but all the while still connected to the tradition. It is these phrases that I used as material to create the String Quartet. Through the process of composing, techniques such as re- harmonization, development, canonic applications spill over each other like the Hudson tributaries in the Adirondacks. The counterpoint of the Quartet invigorates and establishes itself. The result is a wholly participating body emphasizing transitions from the traditional to the contemporary in sound and style. The music here is no longer fiddle music as the inventions of the quartet embarks on a new story, a new way to play, and with a new musical idea to put forward.

Original music printed from the composer’s manuscripts.

Music editing, copying and engraving by Mark O’Connor

using Finale on Apple Macintosh 2007

Composed By Mark O’Connor

Commissioned by the Santa Fe and La Jolla Chamber Music Festivals

String Quartet No. 2 Bluegrass) can be heard on String Quartets No.’s 2 & 3 OMAC Records

Recorded by Mark O’Connor - violin, Ida Kavafian - violin, Paul Neubauer - viola, Matt Haimovitz - cello

https://omacrecords.com/omac-14-string-quartets-2-3

Catalogue Number MO169B

Copyright © 2007 by Mark O’Connor Music International

For more information on violinist and composer Mark O'Connor, O’Connor String Camps, Touring Ensembles, Discography, Bio, Repertoire and more, please visit

www.markoconnor.com

For information on the O’Connor Method – instructional book series for violin, viola, cello and school string orchestra programs:

www.oconnormethod.com