Youth String Orchestra

This piece brings us back to the days of the traveling circus! Picture the trapeze artists, performing elephants, the organ grinders with their monkeys, and the excitement on the children's faces! Wri...

Haydn Suite for string orchestra is a three movement arrangement of various works by the Austrian composer, Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), including the 'Surprise Symphony' theme, a piano Minuet, and...

Escape is an exciting rhythmic journey in B minor. A recurring motif is introduced in the cello and bass parts and is eventually passed around to every section. This allows the director to teach the l...

No matter how old you are, change is inevitable. Sometimes change is scary, sometimes exhilarating, always emotional. This piece runs through the gamut of feelings through the use of dynamics, tempo c...

Images of gypsies in celebratory dance around a campfire are easily conjured up when listening to this delightful work that hearkens to eastern Europe. Contrasting the dance-like opening, a more serio...

The three sections of this piece can be said to describe a celebration of a close community of like-minded peoples. Their dedication and singular purpose is represented in the music by just a few simp...

La Mariposa, or The Butterfly in English, gives students exposure to Latin music in the form of the Mambo. The Mambo is a syncopated style of music and dance that originated in Cuba in the early 1900s...

From a plaintive and prayerful opening in solo violin, this arrangement of a well-known spiritual builds in power and emotion with each successive verse. The melody passes between voices, and frequent...

A nebula is an interstellar cloud where new stars are formed, and this piece captures the beauty and mystery of this cosmic body. Stark motives are presented in simple forms early on in the piece, and...

This famous folk song originated in County Derry in Northern Ireland in the mid-1800's, first published in 1855. Though there are other settings for strings of this beautiful ballad already in print,...

In this well-known Scottish ballad, a rider rides his horse away from home one sunny day. Later, his horse returns, but he does not. The melody of this ballad depicts his bride's emotional reaction to...

Written for the composer's son, Wondrous Flight alternates between insistent syncopated rhythms and flowing melodic passages. As the piece progresses, an increase in tempo drives the melodies through...

A New Dawn is a lilting and joyful work that celebrates new life, growth, and new beginnings. Written in a Neo-Classical style, this melodic piece spreads the wealth among the different sections of th...

Sunset Overture is an original non-programmatic allegro work for young string orchestra. With abundant 21st century counterpoint, the piece offers multiple layers of excitement as the melodies are pas...

Full of engaging melodies and driving rhythms, this first publication by a new writer to the Grand Mesa catalog paints a vivid musical picture of how it must have felt to be headed west in a covered w...

Spanish Dance, originally entitled 'Andante' was written by guitarist and composer Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849). The arranger has beautifully transcribed this guitar work for string orchestra, and this...

Music for the Renaissance Faire is a miniature suite for young string orchestra that can be used as a festival piece or as a contrasting selection for concerts. The two movements in the suite are arra...

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...

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...

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...

Leichtes Stück für Schülerorchester - Streicher. Streichorchester (leicht). Begleitung: Klavier

An outstanding teaching piece that can serve as an introduction to many aspects of ensemble playing including cut-time and pizzicato. Robert also gives each section interesting and important melodic p...