5th Avenue Rock

Kathryn Griesinger

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano, Drum Set

BAS85 - Score and Parts - $50.00

BAS85F - Full Score - $6.50

BAS85P - Parts - $3.50

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This rocking piece for Beginning Strings is based on the interval of a perfect fifth – thus the title! Students can practice easy string crossings on open strings, simple rhythms, and stepwise finger patterns. Violin 2 doubles viola and cello doubles bass to build confidence and create a full sound. The piano and drum set fill in during rests, allowing the young orchestra to shine in its very first concert.

Rockin' Ol' St. Nick

James Murray (arr. Caryn Wiegand Neidhold)

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano, Drum Set

FAS122 - Score and Parts - $53.00

FAS122F - Full Score - $7.50

FAS122P - Parts - $3.50

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Have some toe-tapping fun with this rocking arrangement of Jolly Old St. Nicholas for Young String Orchestra. All sections get to play the melody, and students have the opportunity to practice easy chromatic finger patterns with foot stomps, finger snaps, and bass spins for extra entertainment. Optional piano and drum set parts add rhythmic support and festive spirit for a rockin' holiday concert!

Artifacts

Kathryn Griesinger

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano (opt.)

FAS123 - Score and Parts - $53.00

FAS123F - Full Score - $7.50

FAS123P - Parts - $3.50

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This mysterious hunt for ancient artifacts reveals important pedagogical concepts, including staccato, accents, bow-lifts, pizzicato, dynamics, and 4th finger. Written in B minor with optional piano, violin 2 doubles viola and cello doubles bass for a full sound with only a little third position shifting in the bass. A skill-building concert selection!

Metallurgy

Doug Spata

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano (opt.)

FAS124 - Score and Parts - $53.00

FAS124F - Full Score - $7.50

FAS124P - Parts - $3.50

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Designed to give students experience reading G and C string notes, this electrifying rock-style piece uses simple rhythms, accents, staccato, and changing dynamics for an exciting effect. Every section gets a chance to play the hard-driving melodies and an optional piano part adds extra support and percussive emphasis. Powerful!

Bell Carol Tidings!

Traditional (arr. Deborah Baker Monday)

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano (opt.)

FAS125 - Score and Parts - $53.00

FAS125F - Full Score - $7.50

FAS125P - Parts - $3.50

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This spirited mashup combines the well-known holiday tunes Carol of the Bells and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Set in friendly E dorian, this arrangement avoids passages with challenging accidentals and gives all sections exciting melodic material, including the iconic "Ring, Christmas Bells!" rhythm. Sure to inspire students and energize your winter concert.

Aquila

Lauren Taylor

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano (opt.)

YAS209 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS209F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS209P - Parts - $3.50

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In classic Greek mythology, Aquila (Latin for “eagle”) was a powerful bird that carried the thunderbolts of Zeus, the god of war. This majestic name was also given to a northern constellation that extends across the celestial equator. Set in B minor, this stately theme is developed first in violins accompanied by a staccato ostinato, alternating with legato slurred patterns. Students will encounter easy dotted quarter rhythms, two-note slurs, and a variety of dynamics in this excellent concert selection.

Haunted Bridges

Aaron Fryklund

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass

YAS210 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS210F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS210P - Parts - $3.50

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Inspired by Ichabod Crane's ill-fated ride in Sleepy Hollow, this ominous piece for string orchestra includes ghostly hints of the melody London Bridge is Falling Down. Alternating accidentals throughout create devilishly unpredictable harmonic patterns, and students will enjoy exploring numerous extended techniques, including playing behind the bridge, sul ponticello, portamento, and glissandi. The perfect choice for Halloween concerts!

Winter Stars

Kathryn Griesinger

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano

YAS211 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS211F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS211P - Parts - $3.50

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This Grade 2 original work was inspired by the tender poem of the same name by Sara Teasdale. Gentle phrases capture the wistful hope the poet felt as she contemplated the steadfast stars that “burn steadily as long ago” even as the world changed below. Lyrical melodies provide developing players opportunities to work on tone, slurs, and expressive playing with one easy key change from D major to G major. A tranquil winter concert selection that evokes images of shimmering stars in the cold December night sky.

Academic Festival March

Katie O'Hara LaBrie

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass

YAS212 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS212F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS212P - Parts - $3.50

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Academic Festival March features a range of textures, dynamics, and articulation while highlighting a stately dotted motif using hooked bowing patterns throughout. Though written primarily in approachable G Major, a short minor modulation explores different finger patterns. While ideal for graduation processionals, this courtly march provides students with ample learning opportunities, making it the perfect festival or contest selection any time of year.

Star of Emmanuel

John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (arr. Cooper Ford)

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass

YAS213 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS213F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS213P - Parts - $3.50

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This exciting and contemporary arrangement blends two traditional carols, We Three Kings and O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Opening in slow and mysterious 6/8, the tempo shifts to an energetic rhythmic 3/4 with moments of syncopation, melodic interplay, and other musical surprises. Every section of the orchestra gets to play melodic material, as well as a range of dynamics and articulations for dramatic effect.

Sea of Stars

Liam Ramsey-White

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass

YAS214 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS214F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS214P - Parts - $3.50

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The "Sea of Stars" on the island of Vaadhoo in the Maldives is famous for its unique feature of bioluminenscence. As the waves break against the shore, the water turns a sparkling blue, appearing as stars reflected in the water. The opening of this piece imitates the shimmering water as a nostalgic motif is presented by a solo cello over delicate harmonics and tremolo. The piece swells, ebbs, and flows with a beautiful theme that ends as quietly and magically as it started.

Shadow of Fate (reimagined from Beethoven's 5th Symphony)

arr. Jeffrey E. Turner

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass

YAS215 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS215F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS215P - Parts - $3.50

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Beethoven’s 5th Symphony has become one of the best-known compositions of the Classical period. Here, the familiar stormy theme is reimagined in a softer, more delicate interpretation, creating a sense of loneliness, loss, and heartbreak. This expressive, rubato arrangement builds to a dramatic climax, weaving the beauty of the composer's genius into a gentle lament.

A Cold Winter's Night

Traditional (arr. Erica Donahoe)

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass

YAS216 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS216F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS216P - Parts - $3.50

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This elegant arrangement blends the familiar Christmas carols It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and The First Noel. The melody is passed to all sections of the orchestra with delicate pizzicato accompaniments, giving developing players the opportunity to work on slurs, dotted rhythms, legato phrasing, and tone production in the key of C major. This peaceful setting will be a wonderful addition to your winter concert.

Dynamism

Kathryn Griesinger

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass

YAS217 - Score and Parts - $55.00

YAS217F - Full Score - $8.50

YAS217P - Parts - $3.50

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This energetic original work for intermediate string orchestra layers vigorous melodies and rhythms as it builds toward a climactic key change from A minor to B minor. Theme builds upon theme, increasing and expanding in range, volume, and intensity with a syncopated feel. An excellent selection for working on extended finger patterns (viola and cello), string crossings, divisi playing, easy shifting (first violin), and dramatic dynamic changes.

Zephyrus

Todd Parrish

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

CAS138 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS138F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS138P - Parts - $3.50

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This Grade 3 original work makes use quarter and eighth-note triplets to depict a sense of swirling motion. A forward-moving theme in B minor is passed between sections, accompanied by a steady staccato pulse that gives way to a faster, rhythmic section in D major. Swelling crescendos and decrescendos portray the sweeping ebb and flow of the wind. An excellent piece for working on extended finger patterns, bowing styles, and dynamic changes.

Suite for Strings

Viktor Kosenko (arr. Robert Debbaut)

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

CAS139 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS139F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS139P - Parts - $3.50

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Ukrainian composer Viktor Kosenko (1896-1938) was highly regarded in his lifetime as a concertmaster, pianist, educator, and composer. Taken from his Four Children’s Pieces for Piano, this arrangement for string orchestra features four delightful movements: I. Scherzino, II. Melody, III. Olden Dance, and IV. March. Each contrasting theme can be performed alone or as a full performance of all four movements.

Symphony No. 1

Joseph Bologne (arr. Todd Parrish)

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

CAS140 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS140F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS140P - Parts - $3.50

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One of only two symphonies he composed during his time in France, Bologne’s Symphony No. 1 reflects the influence of his teachers and fellow composers in the burgeoning Classical period. This joyful Allegrofeatures a spirited theme that is developed mainly in the violin section, supported by the lower strings. Originally scored for two oboes, two horns, and strings, this approachable arrangement for String Orchestra retains the original key while seamlessly blending the wind and string parts.

Fantasia on an Original Theme

Liam Ramsey-White

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

CAS141 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS141F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS141P - Parts - $3.50

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This lyrical original work is based on a theme the composer first wrote at age 12. The melody is first stated in an expressive viola solo, then developed by the rest of the orchestra with dramatic variation in dynamics, tonality, and effusive modal shifts. A nostalgic musical reflection that offers students the opportunity to develop tone, expression, and style in their playing.

Firestorm

Liam Ramsey-White

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano (opt.)

CAS142 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS142F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS142P - Parts - $3.50

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This fiery piece for string orchestra depicts the ferocity of an out-of-control blaze. Constantly alternating between 4/4 and 3/4, the melody is passed throughout the orchestra like a fire jumping across an asphalt road. An unrestrained staccato ostinato continues relentlessly under the wildly fluctuating melody, building toward an explosive finale.

Night Blooming Jasmine

Yukiko Nishimura

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano (opt.)

CAS143 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS143F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS143P - Parts - $3.50

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With French-inspired harmonies, this elegant piece is written in the style of the siciliano - a pastoral dance or song in 6/8. Like the delicate and sweet fragrance of the flower that opens in the darkness of evening, the theme unfolds gently with cascading chords and gentle, legato phrases. Every section has the opportunity to play with a full and expressive sound, creating the atmosphere of a peaceful garden at twilight.

Sea Squall

Eric B. Davis

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

CAS144 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS144F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS144P - Parts - $3.50

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Sea Squall is about the journey of a ship traveling across turbulent seas. As the piece progresses, variations of the primary theme change like the winds: sometimes calm and safe, sometimes stormy and powerful. Contrasting dynamics and articulations undulate like an unpredictable storm on the high seas.

Mulholland Elegy

Doug Spata

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Harp (opt.)

CAS145 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS145F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS145P - Parts - $3.50

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Named after the dark, twisting road that winds through the Hollywood hills, this homage to film noir unfolds like a mystery in the shadowy, stylized world of 1940s Los Angeles. The sweeping and expressive style offers students experience with advanced musicianship skills as well as required shifting and increased part independence. An optional harp part adds to the melodramatic style, making this an ideal contrasting piece in a contest or concert program.

Retrospect

Kevin Ray

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

CAS146 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS146F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS146P - Parts - $3.50

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Retrospect looks to the past through two themes in an ABA form. The first lyrical theme is heard over an unrelenting, syncopated pizzicato accompaniment that gives way to a slower, somber B section. After a violin solo, the A section is heroically restated with vigorous arpeggios in viola and cello. An excellent piece for developing student shifting skills, tone, independent playing, and intonation.

A Basque Carol

Basque Carol (arr. Chris Thomas)

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Soprano Recorder

CAS147 - Score and Parts - $60.00

CAS147F - Full Score - $9.50

CAS147P - Parts - $3.50

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A Basque Carol (also known as Gabriel’s Message) originated from the 13th or 14th century. In this warm and joyous setting, cinematic style is combined with rich, thickly-textured string voicings inspired by composer Ralph Vaughn Williams. This graceful arrangement features an obbligato line on solo recorder (optional solo flute or violin). It may be performed by orchestra and soloist alone, or with soprano and alto choir (or S/A soloists). There is even a moment quoted from another favorite holiday carol, Jesu Bambino. A lovely addition to your next holiday program!

The Island of Saints and Scholars

David O'Fallon

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

SAS7 - Score and Parts - $65.00

SAS7F - Full Score - $9.50

SAS7P - Parts - $3.50

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"The Island of Saints and Scholars" is an old nickname for Ireland dating back to the early Middle Ages. This original work is a reflection upon Ireland’s rich and turbulent history, which can be heard in the lyrical melodic phrases, ever-changing meter, and moments of dissonance. The rhythmic profile of the piece was suggested by a type of Old Irish verse that carries seven syllables per line, resulting in a vibrant and spirited musical experience.

Midnight Battle

Liam Ramsey-White

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

SAS8 - Score and Parts - $65.00

SAS8F - Full Score - $9.50

SAS8P - Parts - $3.50

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This action-packed piece for advanced string orchestra imagines a scene straight out of a dystopian novel. Under the midnight moon, a confrontation occurs as the highly rhythmic music underscores a fierce battle. Ever-changing meter and shifting tonality build tension, punctuated with staccato attacks and explosive dynamic changes. The culminating finale is left up to the imagination of the listener as the piece comes to a thrilling conclusion.

Symphony No. 2 - 2nd Mvt

William Grant Still (arr. Todd Parrish)

Carl Fischer Music

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3 (Viola T.C.), Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Harp

AS144 - Score and Parts - $75.00

AS144F - Full Score - $11.00

AS144P - Parts - $4.50

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William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 2 was premiered in 1937 by the Philadelphia Orchestra. The work, subtitled “Song of a New Race”, infuses elements of blues and jazz into the classical form, creating a uniquely blended sound to reflect Still’s vision of an increasingly diverse American culture. Originally composed for full orchestra, this slightly abridged version for string orchestra includes the original harp part, honoring the legacy of one of America’s greatest composers.

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Download Data and Resources

Grades ½ – 1½

5th Avenue Rock

Rockin' Ol' St. Nick

Artifacts

Metallurgy

Bell Carol Tidings!

Grade 2 - 2½

Aquila

Haunted Bridges

Winter Stars

Academic Festival March

Star of Emmanuel

Sea of Stars

Shadow of Fate (reimagined from Beethoven's 5th Symphony)

A Cold Winter's Night

Dynamism

Grade 3 - 3½

Zephyrus

Suite for Strings

Symphony No. 1

Fantasia on an Original Theme

Firestorm

Night Blooming Jasmine

Sea Squall

Mulholland Elegy

Retrospect

A Basque Carol

Grade 4+

The Island of Saints and Scholars

Midnight Battle

Symphony No. 2 - 2nd Mvt