4 String Sleigh Ride

Performance Notes***** 4-String Sleigh Ride is intended for young string orchestras with at least six weeks of instruction. It is intended for directors who plan to have a beginning string performance at or near the winter holidays. In general the required notes are D, E, F#, G and A. The grade level is 1/2. There are no eighth-notes in the music. A suitable tempo will be decided by the director. All instruments will have an opportunity to play the melody to Jingle Bells. Regarding the continuous optional Sleigh Bells part, young players may not be able to play the part steadily from beginning to end. If so, the director may wish to have other players share the part at suitable intervals. The optional Violin 3 part is a treble clef transposition of the Viola part. It is intended to accommodate an orchestra without a suitable Viola section. It will require a moderately advanced player capable of playing a C# on the G string. Very young players will also have the oppottunity to become familiar with dynamics and rehearsal numbers. The optional piano part will add reinforcement to a small string group. It is very simple and can also be played by a young student. The piano part only varies from the score at mm. 8, 11 and 16. From mm 21 to 40 the director may opt to have Violins 1 and 2 play pizzicato. Thank you for choosing this composition. I hope you and your students will find it instructive and enjoyable. Sincerely, Joseph Compello About the Composer*****Joseph Compello was an instrumental music teacher in Maryland Public Schools for over 30 years. During that time he wrote numerous original compositions to meet the needs of his students. In 1992 these classroom-tested compositions came to the attention of Andrew Balent who was Editorial Supervisor of Carl Fischer's Educational Music division. The immediate success of Compello's music soon found him making yearly contributions to the Carl Fischer Performance Series. Now retired from teaching with 200 published works to his credit, Compello, with degrees in music education from the Peabody Conservatory and Towson University, continues to draw on his extensive background to compose new music exclusively for Carl Fischer. His music for young players is now a model for college curricular study by music education students. A master's thesis by Abel Borg entitled "The resourceful and engaging compositions for beginning band by Joseph Compello" is available at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Compello's journey from school teacher to internationally published composer was recently chronicled in the Baltimore Sun. His ASCAP award winning music is now performed worldwide in venues ranging from school concerts to Carnegie Hall. 2023 will mark Compello's 31st year as a contributor to Carl Fischer's catalogue of music for young bands.