The English Folk Song Suite: Clarinet Sheet Music

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The English Folk Song Suite

The English Folk Song Suite is a Clarinet Sheet Music composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1909. The suite is scored for 2 Clarinets, 1 Bass Clarinet, and 1 Contrabass Clarinet. It is in 3 movements, each based on a different English folk song.
The first movement, “March”, is based on the traditional English folk song “The Oldham Tinkers’ Song”. The second movement, “Dance”, is based on the traditional English folk song “My Bonny Boy”. The third and final movement, “Song”, is based on the traditional English folk song “The Ashley Meadows Farm”.

The Three Suites

The English Folk Song Suite is a set of three suites for solo clarinet written by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The first suite, entitled “The Blue Bird”, was composed in 1910 and is based on four English folk songs: “The Blue Bird”, “I Saw Three Ships”, “Dives and Lazarus”, and “Little Birdie”. The second suite, entitled “The Sprig of Thyme”, was composed in 1913 and is based on six English folk songs: “The Sprig of Thyme”, “The Barrow-Boy”, “The Sailor’s Hornpipe”, “The Kitten and the Falling Leaves”, “The Ash Grove”, and “Lord Bateman”. The third suite, entitled “The Roots of the Mountains”, was composed in 1921 and is based on four English folk songs: “The Roots of the Mountains”, “The Ploughboy’s Dream”, “The Blacksmith’s Song”, and “Blow Away the Morning Dew”.

The first suite

The first suite, entitled “The English Folk Song Suite”, was written for clarinet and piano. It consists of three movements, all based on traditional English folk songs. The first movement, “March”, is based on the folk song “The Bonny Earl o’ Moray”. The second movement, “Intermezzo”, is based on the folk song “Sheep Shearing”. The third movement, “Rondo”, is based on the folk song “Scarborough Fair”.

The second suite

The second suite is in three movements, drawing on three traditional songs. The first, “My Bonny Boy”, is a lively setting of a single stanza of text. In the second, “The Springtime of the Year”, Vaughan Williams uses a ground bass – that is, a repeating bass line over which the melody is played – to create a feeling of timelessness. The final movement, “Dives and Lazarus”, is based on a parable from the New Testament told by Jesus Christ.

The third suite

The last of the Folk Song Suites, the Third Suite is based on tunes collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1903 from Mrs. Kitty Kissin. It consists of the tunes “Green Bushes,” “Lovely on the Water,” and “Dives and Lazarus.”

The four movements

The English Folk Song Suite is a collection of four folk songs arranged for the clarinet by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The suite is scored for solo clarinet and piano, and is approximately seven minutes in length. The four movements are:

The first movement

The first movement is in sonata form. It begins with an exposition in which the first and second themes are presented in the tonic key by the upper strings. The clarinet then states the first theme in the tonic minor, after which the second theme appears in both the tonic and dominant keys. The development section begins with a repeat of the clarinet statement of the first theme in the tonic minor, followed by a series of modulations that eventually lead to a reprise of the second theme in the tonic key. The movement ends with a brief coda.

The second movement is a scherzo and trio. The scherzo, which is in 3/8 time, features a playful clarinet melody that is occasionally interrupted by episodes in which all instruments play together in fortissimo chords. The central trio section, which is in 3/4 time, provides a contrast to the scherzo with its more lyrical feel.

The third movement is a slow movements and it is divided into two parts. The first part, which is in 6/8 time, features a beautiful clarinet melody that is supported by simple accompaniment from the other instruments. This melody is then repeated by the upper strings, after which it returns to the clarinet for a final statement. The second part of this movement begins with a repeat of the opening clarinet melody, but this time it is joined by an counter-melody from the upper strings. This develops into a more complex polyphonic texture before eventually fading away to nothing.

The fourth and final movement is a fast-paced Rondo that brings the suite to a stirring conclusion. It begins with a Clarinet solo that states the main rondo theme – this theme will be revisited several times during this movement. Each time it returns, it will be played by different instruments or combinations of instruments – this give the piece its lively and varied feel. TheRondo eventually builds toa grand finalein which all instruments play together fortissimo before fading away to nothing.

The second movement

The second movement of The English Folk Song Suite is a lively, upbeat piece that features the clarinet prominently. This movement is in contrast to the first movement, which is a slower, more reflective piece.

The third movement

The third movement is a lively dance, often in 6/8 or 9/8 time. This dance was often played at country fairs and social gatherings.

The fourth movement

The fourth movement, “March”, is in 6/8 time and in the key of A minor.It begins with a statement of the march theme by the strings, with the clarinet playing the role of soloist. This is followed by a section in which the orchestra plays variations on the march theme. The clarinet then has a solo cadenza, after which the march theme is played again by the orchestra. The movement ends with a coda in which the march theme is played one last time by the strings.

The instruments

The English Folk Song Suite is scored for an orchestra consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings. The work is in three movements and takes about twelve minutes to perform.

The clarinet

The clarinet is a musical-instrument family including the instruments clari(nette, clarinetto, claroboe) and chordophone in the group of aerophones. It has a single-reed mouthpiece, a straight cylindrical tube with an approximately cylindrical bore, and a flared bell. A person who playscthe instrument is called a clarinetist.

The clarinet is widely used as an orchestral instrument. The sound of the clarinet is produced by vibrating reeds in the mouthpiece that create waves in the air column inside the instrument. The waveforms of these vibrating reeds determine the frequencies of overtones (harmonics or partial tones) that give rise to the unique timbre of each clarinet type. The wavelengths produced by these overtones are shorter than those of other orchestral instruments, resulting in a distinctive tone that can be queit penetrating.

The piano

The piano is a musical instrument played using a keyboard. It is classified as a percussion instrument because it produces sound by striking the strings with hammers. The word “piano” is derived from the Italian word “pianoforte,” which means “soft loud.” The piano is the only musical instrument that can produce both soft and loud sounds.

The volume of sound produced by a piano depends on how hard the keys are struck. The harder the keys are hit, the louder the sound will be. Pianos have two pedals: the right pedal sustaines notes that are being played, while the left pedal softens the sound of the notes.

Pianos come in different sizes, from grand pianos to upright pianos. Grand pianos are large and have long strings that produce a rich, full sound. Upright pianos are smaller and take up less space.

The composers

Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst are two of the most renowned English composers of the early 20th century. Vaughan Williams is known for his rustic, folksy style while Holst is known for his more modernist compositions. Both composers were influenced by the English folk song tradition.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was an English composer, conductor, and musicologist. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, instrumental concertos, choral works, and orchestral compositions. He was also a collector of English folk music and songs.

Vaughan Williams was born in Down Ampney, Gloucestershire. His father was the rector of All Saints’ Church, Down Ampney; his mother was the daughter of a solicitor. He was educated at Chichester Grammar School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He later studied composition with Hubert Parry at the Royal College of Music in London.

In 1898, Vaughan Williams began working on his first opera, The Poisoned Kiss. It was not performed during his lifetime but received its premiere in 2013 at the Rochester Bridge House Theatre in Kent.

After the premiere of The Poisoned Kiss, Vaughan Williams began work on his second opera, The Shepherd’s Wife (1901-02). It premiered at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in 1903 but was not well received by audiences or critics. Vaughan Williams later revised the work and it was successfully revived in 1926 at the Cambridge Theatre Guild.

In 1906, Vaughan Williams completed his most popular work, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for String Orchestra and String Quartet ( alternatively titled Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for Orchestra or Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis). It is based on a Tudor-era composition by Thomas Tallis (c. 1510-1585) and is scored for strings only. The work has been recorded many times and is often performed in concert halls around the world.

Vaughan Williams also wrote several film scores, including Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill (1948), Scott of the Antarctic (1948), and Odd Man Out (1947). He also composed several works for church choirs and wrote The English Folk Song Suite (originally titled A Suite of Old English Folk Songs) for military band in 1923.

Vaughan Williams died in 1958 at his home in Dorking, Surrey; he was 86 years old.

Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a British composer, conductor, and teacher. He is best known for his orchestral suite The Planets. Holst was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, the first of two children of Adolph and Clara von Holst, both musicians. His father was an organist at All Saints’ Church. Gustav showed an early interest in music and was taught the violin and piano by his father and attended Violin School in Leicester Square, London. Clara von Holst also gave him piano lessons.