Quiet and reflective, this piece depicts the courage it takes to face our everyday lives. It begins with a soft cello solo that is then passed to the other sections of the orchestra. After a B section in E

This piece explores different landscapes encountered on an outdoor adventure. Playable as a suite or as stand-alone movements, this engaging and accessible work is an excellent tool to teach compound meter

This fantasy is based on Irish folk song The Road to Lisdoonvarna. The theme depicts a journey through green Ireland. The melody is broken, dilated, and superimposed on itself as a sort of

Capture the nature of the delicate and graceful rose with this arresting setting of the melancholy yet profound Irish ballad. In addition to the colorful scoring, there are opportunities to feature optional

Pulsing eighth notes accompany graceful melodic lines in this engaging work for string orchestra. Written with young musicians in mind, players can experience a range of elegant harmonies without excessive

Spend Christmas on the high seas! The piece begins with a joyful jig and sleigh bells to portray the joy of sailing and the kids waiting for Captain Santa to arrive. The second violins then play a Norwegian

Peaceful and reflective, this work has a pleasing melody presented in a variety of settings. An excellent opportunity to teach lyrical playing, phrasing, shifting, and low second finger.

A soaring depiction of the Wright brothers' history-making first flight, from the intense opening rhythms through the exhilarating finish! The driving opening portrays the plane's lift-off, and then the

Young ensembles will indeed make a triumphal entry with this perfect concert opener. The piece begins with a sweeping, fanfare-like theme soaring above a driving rhythmic accompaniment, only to intensify as

At a solid Grade 2, this lovely suite of three movements was written to spark students' imagination about a knight's adventures while reinforcing specific playing techniques in each movement. Day in the

Wonderfully spooky! It's the haunting tale of the headless horseman. It starts very slow and dark, depicting the ominous night and the deep forest, before taking off to a gallop as the horseman gives chase.

Energetic from start to finish, this piece depicts the feeling of chasing after time. It begins with a mysterious melody that asks, "Where did that hour go?" A repeated ostinato pattern offers an excellent

The title was cleverly inspired by the common experience every string player has after putting too much rosin on the bow. The rosin dust flies fast and furious during rehearsal and piles up underneath the

This popular holiday tune has had many iterations. In this unique Grade 2 version, its three main themes are arranged in a new and somewhat altered way, with the familiar melodic and rhythmic motifs passed

This ultimate mashup of Pachelbel's Canon in D and Tchaikovsky's bombastic 1812 Overture is engaging for students and audiences. The cellos and basses won't be bored and even get to help

The South African hymn Siyahamba serves as the basis for this happy interpretation of the famous African folk song. Translated, the word means "We are marching." The composition can be performed by

Uplifting and heroic, this original work is excellently scored for young ensembles and will have them sounding full and mature. With every section having engaging parts and lots of teaching opportunities

This original composition for beginning orchestra uses only quarter, half, and whole notes and only pitches on the D and A strings (except for open E for basses and first violins) to take your young string

Part ominous and part hopeful, this intense original work features lots of driving syncopated eighth notes and eighth-note rests along with staccato and tenuto accents contrasted with slurs and lyrical

A fun, short programmatic composition for beginning players: An isolated dark tower stands deep in the woods. A knight rescues a princess from the dungeon of an evil dragon. Now the two must escape from the

Composed in the late 1700s, this ballet is dance music that comes from Joseph Bologne's only surviving opera, L'Amant anonyme. Often compared to Mozart, Bologne's writing is both playful and