Riotous Ragtime
Composer: Paul Harris
Catalogue no: QT102 | ISMN 979-0-708-08602-4
A very useful collection of flexible ensemble pieces for the busy teacher who needs to mix and match clarinets, flutes, oboes, saxophones and bassoons. Eight characterful pieces. Series: Flexiwinds
CLARINET QUARTET, FLEXIBLE WIND ENSEMBLE
These volumes, for use with Grade 1-2 and Grade 2-3 players respectively, are welcome additions to the educational wind ensemble repertoire. Book 1 contains eight contrasting pieces that can be performed by clarinet quartet, two flutes and two clarinets or mix and match ensemble with parts for oboe, alto saxophone and bassoon. The slightly more advanced Book 2 offers six works with the same degree of flexibility. All parts (for all possible instrumentations) are included with the score, presented in the key of Bi - a good idea as clarinets often form the bulk of school wind
ensembles. Paul Harris's compositional style will probably be familiar to most wind teachers. These pieces are written with his usual finesse: each one is Grade 1 - 2Paul Harris strongly characterised with plenty of Iyrical moments. Obviously there has to be some Riotous Ragtime! compromise in terms of part writing when parts are designed to be played on several different instruments - the Clarinet 2 part is for clarinet quartet or 2 flutes & 2 clarinets
mix and' match with oboe, saxophone, bassoon confined to the range of a flute, for example, and the Flute 1 part stays low so that it can also be played on the clarinet. For this reason, some of the parts do not offer a comprehensive challenge Flexiwinds Book 1 at the level advertised, but this is a
problem with most flexible ensemble music and should not put anyone off these volumes. From Book 1, 'Starlight' and 'Saharan Sunset' provide off-beat lyricism, with Funky' and the title piece offering more punch; Book 2 is equally varied. The versatility of these volumes should earn them a safe place in most wind teachers' bags, geared as they are to ensembles that typically fail to conform to standard formats.
Christopher Walters in Music Teacher's Magazine
The ability rating on the front cover stating this
for clarinet quartet mix and match
novel collection of shorts is suitable for players of
grade one to two is very welcome.
Some of the pieces are
thoroughly homophonic, and therefore introduce
ensemble playing to the more dependent player.
Another helpful feature within this collection of
pieces is what seems to be a deliberate
introduction to different uses of articulation,
where the initial pieces introduce accents and
staccato, the latter pieces tend to use these
aspects more challengingly. Accented staccato is
introduced, and notes in quick succession have
different articulation markings. This training is very
welcome in the earlier stages of learning an
instrument, and will encourage students who
master this diversity to develop further a wide
technical palette.
Dan Watson - Music Teacher Magazine
Queen's Temple Publications was founded in 1995 to make available interesting and useful wind chamber music, such as Sir Malcolm Arnold's important Wind Quintet Op. 2. Since then we have expanded to include music for piano, guitar, choral music and much more. Our publications have been selected by the major examination boards worldwide.
Our composers also include James Rae, Iain Hamilton, Charles Camilleri, Paul Harris, Timothy Bowers and many others. So if you are looking for fresh and unusual new repertoire, look no further!
Queen's Temple Publications is based in the United Kingdom.
Tel: 01280 813144
Email: pauldavidharris@icloud.com