"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.

Hard copy: https://tinyurl.com/BonLas

"Sunset & Dawn" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle - score & parts

Grade 1-1.5 Durations: 1'26" & 2'38"

This pair of short pieces are designed to give young players access to rhythms that are sometimes problematic in the early years of playing. Each piece focuses on a particular rhythmic pattern that is repeated often, and reinforced by having a number of parts playing in rhythmic unison while the other parts play a straight rhythm in unison. The emphasis here is less on difficult notes and much more on mastering these foundational rhythm patterns. “Sunset on the Boulevard” highlights the crotchet-minim-crotchet rhythm, which lays the foundation for quaver-crotchet-quaver, and “A New Day Dawns” gives ample opportunity for the dotted crotchet-&-quaver rhythm to be played both slurred & with separate bows, against long notes & steady crotchets, and by all parts.

Hard copy: https://tinyurl.com/sunsetdawn-print

"Golden Beaches" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle https://youtu.be/MczlWotrlos

Written in conjunction with five other Queensland composers as part of a Suite, “Quintessentially Queensland”, and presented as a gift to AUSTA on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Golden Beaches is a delightful piece with a variety of techniques & timbres to evoke the sense of being at one of our beautiful Gold Coast beaches. Whether swimming in the waves, walking along the shores observing the birds & wildlife or sitting & watching the sun rise, our beaches are lush & restorative places to be. Opening with a collection of solos over sustained harmonics & open strings, in this piece students will also enjoy pizzicato and legato playing, while the melody is passed around from section to section.

Hard copy: https://tinyurl.com/Golden-Beaches-print

"Fantasy on an Australian Folk Song" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle - score & parts

Grade: 3 Duration: 3'25"

Inspired by our unofficial national anthem, it seemed good to me to write something that hinted at the song but wasn’t actually the song. I took significant liberty with the harmonization in places, to stretch the ears of both audience & students alike, yet everything comes back in the end to the familiar. Ensembles must watch the conductor carefully as there are many variations in tempo.

Hard copy: https://tinyurl.com/matilda-print

"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.

Hard copy: https://tinyurl.com/DaringEsc

"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.

Hard copy: https://tinyurl.com/ChoraleAllegro

"Drought" for String Orchestra, by Alison Harbottle https://youtu.be/L8eNuDpwW3I

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.

Hard copy: https://tinyurl.com/Drought-print