Friday 26 July 2024
Jeremiah Clarke's “Prince of Denmark's March”
This famous march, popularly known as the “Trumpet Voluntary”, was composed in honor of George, Prince of Denmark, by organist Jeremiah Clarke around 1700. For many years, though, the piece was incorrectly attributed to his elder, and more widely-known, contemporary, Henry Purcell.
The march is very popular as wedding music (it was played during the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles in St Paul's Cathedral) and was often broadcast by the BBC during World War II, especially when broadcasting to occupied Denmark. It is also used as the march of the Nobel prize laureates at the Nobel ceremonies in Stockholm on December 10 every year.
Thursday 25 July 2024
Traditional Irish jig
Irish music collector P.W. Joyce writes that he learned this tune as a child in County Limerick during the 1840s. Around the same time, it was entered in the music manuscript collection of Manchester musician John Roose as “The Fireman's Jig”. Another early version of the tune can be found in uilleann piper and cleric James Goodman's mid-19th-century music manuscripts.
Wednesday 24 July 2024
from “A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute”
Today we propose a little study by British flutist and composer John Clinton. It was first published in London in 1843, as part of his A Theoretical and Practical Essay on the Boehm Flute.
Tuesday 23 July 2024
from J.S. Bach's cantata “Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd”
One of the best loved of Bach's secular cantatas, the Hunt Cantata, BWV 208, was composed in 1713 by Johann Sebastian Bach for the 35th birthday of Prince Christian of Saxen-Weißenfels. Movement 9, Aria 5, Schafe können sicher weiden (“Sheep may safely graze”), is certainly the most familiar part of this cantata.
We propose the original arrangement in B flat major, for soprano with 2 recorders and continuo. You may play the part of the soprano, or one of the two recorders.
Monday 22 July 2024
arranged for flute and piano
Composer José Rufino Reyes y Siancas was inspired to create this national anthem for the Dominican Republic in 1882, after seeing the Argentine anthem in a newspaper.
The anthem is also known as “Quisqueyanos valientes”, after the first verse of the lyrics, although that was never the official title. Interestingly, the Spanish name of the Dominican Republic, “República Dominicana”, is never used in the anthem's official Spanish lyrics, nor is the word “dominicanos”. Rather, the anthem uses the indigenous word for the island of Hispaniola, “Quisqueya”.
Thanks to Leomar for suggesting this piece!
Sunday 21 July 2024
Traditional Irish jig
This lively 7-part jig is taken from Chicago Police captain Francis O'Neill's celebrated collection Music of Ireland, published in 1903. O'Neill cites as his source the manuscript collection of retired businessman and Irish music enthusiast John Gillan, who collected from musicians in his home county of Longford and the adjoining Leitrim.
Saturday 20 July 2024
from “20 Petites Etudes”
This is the first study from Italian flutist and composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's Twenty Studies, Op. 132. The piece is based on an extremely simple theme repeated at different heights, and on the alternation of staccato and legato articulation.