Sheet Music for String Orchestra

This set of variations from Colorado composer Latchaw evokes a walk up a mountain road. From its simple-sounding opening with hints of folk music and a Coplandesque harmonic style, the piece progresse...

This gorgeous string work would be appropriate for any concert, but would be especially fitting in a memorial concert. Starting with a haunting piano chord progression the solo piano leads to a melanc...

In this wonderfully evocative piece of music, Bobrowitz describes a deep water dive to find a long lost city. This compelling musical journey conveys a sense of ever-deepening awe at the magical under...

Marsquake is an exciting minor piece for beginners that portrays a Marsquake, which is a shaking of the surface or interior of the planet Mars. NASA recently recorded a Marsquake for the first time wi...

This classic work was adapted/extracted from a larger scored work that Joseph Haydn wrote while in the service of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy. The original work contained a number of wind parts that in...

Far Away There in the Sunshine is a piece inspired by the well-known Louisa May Alcott quote, 'Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and se...

This flowing string work was written to honor the career of a Silver Star World War I veteran and education icon in Colorado. Images conveyed are that of a generally peaceful and happy retirement, but...

A truly unique and exciting new work for string orchestra, this very original work musically describes an earthquake and its consequences. A slow dramatic beginning gives the audience a sense that som...

Guilt, regret, anger and mourning… those who remain after tragedy strikes are sometimes overlooked, but this musical memoir remembers and honors the hearts that remain but feel a piece of them has pas...

The story of the three Magi is brought to life in this unique adaption of the traditional carol. The pizzicato accompaniment, coupled with the optional bells throughout, create a sense of intrigue and...

From its opening chords to its strong finish, Drive races forward, alternating between syncopated rhythms and soaring melodies. Beginning in the key of A minor, two opposing melodic patterns emerge. T...

The title 'Ironwork' alludes both to the genre of heavy metal music and to the art of blacksmithing, an ancient craft associated with the medieval accoutrements of heavy metal bands. The driving uniso...

Pat-a-pan is a French Carol that tells the Christmas story from the perspective of shepherds out in the field playing simple instruments. This creative arrangement captures the feel of a flute and dru...

Sonatina in D is an arrangement of the first movement from Franz Schubert's original composition for violin and piano (op. 137, D. 384). Schubert composed the small sonata in March 1816, when he was j...

The 'Spitfire' was a single-seat fighter airplane successfully used by the Allies in World War II against the German Luftwaffe. With its rhythmically-charged parts for every member of the orchestra an...

Summer is a season of renewal for many as they seek peaceful places to get a break from their daily routines. The tranquil setting of this piece attempts to capture the welcomed isolation that allows...

Cellos in Charge! In the uplifting piece, your beginning cello section gets a chance to shine! The cello section plays first, introducing the main theme for the other sections and then introduces the...

It’s Raining Cats and Dogs is perfect for your beginning orchestra’s spring concert! It is based on a familiar old joke: “When it is raining cats and dogs, be careful you don’t step in a poodle!” This...

Beware the black hole! This fun and dramatic piece is perfect for beginning ensembles. All sections get to play the minor melodies, and with too many opportunities to play in the rests, students will...

Floating in a Dream: Close your eyes and imagine you are floating while you are dreaming, best accomplished with the help of a beautiful melody accompanying the dream. This piece uses legato style bow...

Spiders on the Loose: Students will love this easy piece which portrays spiders insidiously creeping and crawling up their arms, represented by eighth notes. Each section gets to play the exciting mel...

Elgar’s Andante and March was taken from a set of pieces by Edward Elgar for violin and piano that I used to play with my daughter when she was a young violin student. I appreciated that a young violi...

Harvest Moon Dance was inspired by the beautiful full harvest moon and imagining a joyful barn dance to celebrate the autumn harvest. The piece has a double-stop intro and interludes to provide that c...

Smoky Mountain Lullaby is influenced by the music of Appalachia which in turn was influenced by the ballads, hymns, and fiddle music of the British Isles. To me, this piece feels like a love ballad, b...

Andiamo! (“Let’s Go!”) This piece was written to feature the viola section, they start the frenzied melody and we’re off! After a trip to Italy, the composer fondly remembered one phrase the tour guid...