I know we've had a similar thread to this recently, but I'm looking for specific advice which doesn't really fit in the other topic.

I need to come up with a half-hour long programme of works for string orchestra, to be performed by a group of university students ranging in standard from about grade 7 to about LRSM. There won't be many of us - probably 4 players on each of the upper parts, 2 or 3 cellos and possibly a bass.

There certainly won't be more than about four hours' rehearsal, and whilst people will probably have a quick look at their parts beforehand, they won't have loads of time to practise, so some favourites of mine like the Tchaikovsky Serenade are probably too much to ask. Last year we played movements from Holst's Brook Green Suite, Warlock's Capriol Suite and Vaughan Williams' Concerto Grosso.

Ideally, the music should be public domain and available to download for free, but hiring is also possible.

Any ideas?

thanks.

Grieg Holberg Suite
Holst St. Pauls Suite
Strauss Pizzicato Polka
Barber Adagio for Strings
Elgar Serenade for Strings
Elgar Introduction and Allegro (has a solo quartet)
Schindlers List
Bach Brandenburgs if you have enough players
Pachebels Canon

There's a nice arrangement of Bartoks Rumanian Dances for string orchestra too.
Palladio by Karl Jenkins (BA advert!)

Haha, I have fond memories of loads of the stuff on miffy's list - I think I've actually played everything except the Shostakovich! I think Tchaikovsky also has Serenade for strings that's a lot of fun. I think we also once did Dvorak's "American" quartet arranged for string orchestra... it was reasonably effective.

Britten - Simple Symphony


Aha! Couldn't remember the name of the Tchaikovsky!

Have a look at this list of past concerts from the Tyneside Chamber Orchestra
http://www.tynesidechamberorchestra.org.uk/conc2.php

Most of the pieces are for string orchestra only although there is the occasional "rogue" piece where winds were drafted in.

I think Mendelssohn also wrote a bunch of string symphonies - I haven't played them and don't know what they sound like, but I know they exist

The Elgar "Introduction and Allegro" needs many more players then you have. It was written for the strings of the newly-founded London Symphony Orchestra. I conducted that last night with 7 7 4 6 2 (including the solo quartet) and felt very short of players. The Elgar Serenade is a very good choice if you lack rehearsal time, since all the challenges are interpretative: it makes few demands on technique. Of the Romantic Serenades, the Chaikovsky is probably the hardest overall, but the Suk has a last movement with fiendish parts for the violins. The Dvorak has more movements, and some of them are fairly straightforward.

If you would like a lighter interlude, you might consider the String Serenade by Dag Wiren, some of which used to be a signature tune, my wife thinks of "Dr Finlay's Casebook" on BBC radio.

There are loads of concerti grossi (don't know if that's right) by Vivaldi, Corelli and Handel which my two have played over the years. Just looking at the programmes from their concerts over the years I can add;
Respighi - Ancient airs and dances suites
Finzi - Romance
Kodaly - Magyar Rhondo
Grainger - Molly on the Shore
Grieg - Two Elegiac Melodies
Bridge - Suite for Strings
Vaughan William - Greensleves (if you can find a flute and harp)
Sibelius - Andante Festivo and Suite Champetre

Thanks everyone. The Elgar serenade is very high on the list at the moment (for some reason I'd ruled it out as I had it in my head that it was really hard, but I've looked it up and it isn't ), but I'm also keen on a Mendelssohn String Symphony which would take up the whole programme.

Have fun with your orchestra.
Is it for something specific, or just something you all fancy doing?

I think that Ireland's Downland Suite is for String Orchestra.

Our music society tends to do one string orchestra concert and one for full orchestra every year, and there's going to be a string orchestra one next term.

Sounds like fun. Have you decided on repertoire yet? My daughter was pleased you chose the Elgar, it's one of her favourites. She's fairly insistent about the St Pauls Suite too so I thought I'd pass that on!

We could play the Elgar and St Paul's. We definitely need something other than the Elgar anyway. The only thing putting me off the Holst is that I can only find the score (and the violin 2 part) online, so we'd either have to hire parts or I'd have to have loads of fun copying the parts out into Sibelius.

I also found a lovely piece on Spotify: Crisantemi by Puccini. It seems to be available to download for ?1.99.

Yes we played that not so long ago. Not difficult either but sounds gorgeous.

Organistin, what edition did you play it from? I've found this:

http://www.musicforstrings.com/catalog/puc...rtet-p-142.html

But don't know if it's ok. I'm guessing the orchestral version is the same as the quartet, except with more people?

Not sure... but I have a feeling we might have played from the quartet part. That version you linked to looks very familiar.