Alison Harbottle, co-founder and Director of Martini Strings, is also an accomplished composer of works for school string orchestras. Her years of experience working with young string players has given her a keen sense of which skills are required for successful ensemble-playing, as well as an ear for melodies that young players enjoy.
Please check back often, as new titles are added regularly. Better still, sign up to the newsletter and be the first to know! Audio samples can be found either on the Listen page or on SoundCloud.
NEW!! "Bonnie Lass of Milngavie" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 0.5-1.0 Duration:1'37"
Pronounced “Mill-guy”, this sweet song in the style of a Scottish ballad holds a resonant D major sound & offers rich harmonies to a young string orchestra. Each line of the song has a printed pause at the end, which conductors can make as long or as short as they deem appropriate, so players must watch at all times.
NEW!! "Jungle Suite" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 0.5-1.0 Duration: 2’28”, 1’45”, 2’51”
This suite contains three pieces in various keys and styles, caricaturing jungle animals. Whether it’s the heavy hippos dancing a ballet or the gentle giraffes swaying their long necks, students will enjoy these exciting pieces. Just mind out you don’t become the prey!
NEW!! "Perpetual Motion" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 2 Duration: 2'55"
Young students love to play fast! This piece gives them that chance, without the left hand having to match the speed of the right hand. Great for developing a relaxed bow arm with some sneaky arpeggios thrown in for good measure, this piece sounds best at a cracking pace and every section gets a turn at playing the semiquavers.
NEW!! "Old MacDonald Suite" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 2 Duration: 1’48”, 1’20”, 1’58”
Old MacDonald Had A Bunch Of Animals......who really didn’t want to co-operate. This set was born out of a month of crazy ideas – chocolate cows, hens pecking here there and everywhere, and sheep that didn’t end up where they were supposed to! Tell the students to put their creative hats on and have fun with these three pieces. “Chicken Feed” requires precise staccato & pizzicato, “Waltz of the Chocolate Cows” invites players to indulge their bovilexia, & “Where Are My Sheep?!?” gives the violas a chance to shine. Rhythmically inspired by a popular children’s book, “Where Are My Sheep?!?” presents some less common rhythms to young players in a fun way.
NEW!! "Through the Mountain Pass" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 2 Duration: 2'30"
Trains, high mountains, grand scenery, a little snow – all these things should come to mind when playing this piece. Written in an easy key for young players but with a few twists and turns around the corners, this evocative piece is great for developing a resonant sound and good ensemble discipline.
NEW!! "Time Traveller" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 4 Duration: 4’56”, 3’39”
The concept of time fascinates me. How did it start? What’s it like in other parts of the universe? What’s it like to be outside of time, to observe our space-time continuum? These two pieces imagine a couple who do live outside the constraints of time, having endless time at their disposal & being able to see forever in all directions, as if the past, the present & the future were all one & the same. He revels in his domain, while she reflects the beauty of the entire universe.
SPECIAL! ONLY 10 AVAILABLE!
This is a limited release, get in quick to secure your copy now!
This lively, jumping piece is sure to get even the quietest student smiling! Using the keys of D & G major, Dance! is best suited to students who have been playing for 1-2 years. The key technique is the up-up bowing, prevalent through the whole piece; otherwise most of the parts are quite easy. Violas & celli should look out near the end for their C#’s!
"A Daring Escape" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 3.5 Duration: 2'50"
Energy, high drama, suspense, intrigue…will they get away? Find out through the exploration of harmonic minor scale shapes and extended use of spiccato bowing! Ideal for the Intermediate ensemble looking for something a little challenging, this pieces gives students the opportunity to develop and consolidate a consistent spiccato bow stroke, along with frequent time signature changes which will keep everyone on their toes. Harmonic minor shapes appear throughout, giving a sense of drama to the entire work.
"Chorale & Allegro" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 4 Duration: 4:55
Best suited to an advanced ensemble, Chorale & Allegro begins with a staggered-entry slow section, followed by an energetic Allegro which uses the main Chorale theme as its basis. Each section of the orchestra gets the melody at some stage; Violas require some treble clef, and Basses are required for this piece to work. There is plenty of room for expression at the Conductor's discretion in the Chorale, and plenty of opportunity to explore a wide dynamic range.
"Chorale in A" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle - score & parts
Grade: 2.5 Duration: 2'30"
The entire purpose of this work is for students at this level to consolidate fine intonation using C#’s & G#’s. Every instrument gets a chance to play these notes, and some instances are more challenging than others. The rhythms & melodies are deliberately very simple so that the whole ensemble can concentrate on pure intonation, especially for these less regular notes.
"Contemplation" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle - score & parts
Grade: 3 Duration: 3'10"
Sometimes our thoughts don’t go very far. Sometimes they swirl around, catching the same feelings again and again, then other times they take a sudden turn in a different direction. Sometimes we just sit and think, or daydream. That’s a bit what this piece is like. Enjoy the drifting, the wafting, the rise and fall, and watch out for the change. Consolidation of C# & G# intonation is a focus for this piece, along with the use of compound time and a chance to just sit…and contemplate.
"Drought" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 4 Duration: 5'26"
While this piece doesn’t appear difficult on the surface, the challenge here lies in the ensemble work. Full of effects and unusual harmonics, Drought brings to mind images of baking plains and still summer days. Opening with a viola solo, the viola section states the melody first and then passes it around, even briefly to the basses. Take plenty of time, there’s no need to rush the tempo, make lots of space to create a still feeling.
"Introduction & Theme from Witches' Dance" for String Orchestra, arranged by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 2.5 Duration: 1'50"
A well-known favourite for young string players, the Theme is as most would remember it. The addition of the abridged Introduction offers contrasting sections with different requirements from the players. In the Introduction, aim for tight ensemble in the accompanying parts and expressive playing in the 1st violins. There are many tempo changes, which gives good reason for students to watch the conductor! Hooked bowing is the main focus of the Theme, something that can be difficult for players at this stage of their development but which is of course important to master.
"Pizzicato Rush!" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 3 Duration: 1'15"
Great as a little encore piece, Pizzicato Rush! is exciting and joyful, exploring the keys of A major and F# minor. The 1st violins carry most of the melody, while the other parts interject with fun fragments here and there. Some 2nd and 3rd position is required by 1st & 2nd violins, and some 4th position by cellos. Have fun!
"Rainstorm" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 3 Duration: 4'09"
Beware the temptation to begin this piece too fast! The storm in the middle needs space to brew, and everyone needs time to fit in all the retakes. Set in D minor, Rainstorm begins ominously with pizzicato rain drops and a brooding melody. The height of the storm sees the full string orchestra in rhythmic unison yet dense harmonisation, which dissipates quickly and then gradually eases as the last of the storm passes. Chromatic scales are a feature in every part, and 1st & 2nd violins require some 3rd position.
"Rhumba" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 5 Duration: 2:07
Best suited to an executive ensemble, Rhumba conjures up all the atmosphere of the romantic dance, giving each section the melody except the basses. Includes na optional 1st violin improvisation and tenor clef for celli.
"Sixteen Snippets" for Beginner String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 0.5 Duration: 17'11" total
This set presents 16 delightful pieces with piano accompaniment, designed as small performances pieces for ensembles of students in their 1st year of playing. Pieces range from open string pizzicato through to using both bow and left hand, as well as playing in unison and in parts, along with a variety of beginner-level rhythms & bowing styles. Fun for everyone! These pieces are not designed to be a tutor method, they are meant to supplement the teacher’s choice of tutor method.
"Sparkling Lights" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle - score & parts
Grade: 2.5 Duration: 3'00"
This piece was entirely inspired by seeing lights in the trees of a Brisbane university while driving home from a concert one night. Seeing how the lights flickered as the branches moved created such beauty, and there was also fluidity & long lines in the movement. Here you’ll find representations of both these things; constant movement coupled with connection and long lines. The mixture of A major & F# minor expands the students’ tonal palette, as well as challenging students at this level to play C#’s & G#’s well in tune.
Tango for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 2.5 Duration: 2'44"
An evocative work, this piece in D minor explores typical rhythms and melodic features of a Tango. Intonation challenges for students include the use of B flats & C sharps, giving plenty of opportunity for development of the technique required to play these notes in tune consistently. Modulations to F & D major make aural connections between these keys.
"Tarantella" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle
Grade: 2.5 Duration:2'45"
A lively dance in 6/8 time, this Tarantella offers the opportunity for students to consolidate regular use of extended hand positions. High 3rd fingers feature in violin & viola parts, while cellos begin and end with extended 4th fingers. Opening in B Dorian, the Tarantella takes an excursion into E major in the cantabile section, a key not often explored by younger ensembles but full of delightful harmonies once the challenges of the extended hand positions are met. See how fast you can play at the end!