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MUSIC FOR CLARINET - Duets - Trios - Quartets - More than 4 - Clarinet Choir - Educational - Clarinet and Band - Clarinet and Piano - Christmas

Clarinet Duets Spring in the Air - A bright, light, spritely duet, full of the joys of a Kentish Spring. A good grade 5 standard. Spring in the Air - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate March Mallow - A spritely, agile march. A good grade 5 standard. March Mallow - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate Fanfare-ish - A brash antiphonal fanfare for clarinets. Play from opposite sides of the stage. For the last few bars you might like to memorise and head towards each other and meet in the middle. A good grade 5 standard. Fanfare-ish - Alun Cook Moderate Flower Duet - I arranged this for a friends wedding with a string backing track, but it works so well for two clarinets that I edited it as a stand alone piece. Students like it and it has received a great many school assembly performances. Lakme and her serving girl, Mallika, sing the "flower duet" as they prepare to bathe in the sacred stream that runs in front of their house. If you are old enough, think of this as you serenade whoever it is you are serenading! Very popular as a GCSE performance piece. Flower Duet - Delibes listen to mp3 Moderate Solfeggietto - With apologies to CPE Bach for yet another arrangement of his Solfegietto, this is great fun to play and students enjoy the challenge. It makes a great encore piece and unless you are Eddie Daniels, it is a lot easier to play with two! Individual parts are available if you prefer larger print. Solfeggietto - C.P.E.Bach Difficult Mozart Opera - Mozart on clarinets? Hard to beat! These arrangements from The Marriage of Figaro are equally challenging for both players, fun to play and good for the audience too! There are four duets, each available as a score or as separate parts. Cherubino's Aria - Mozart Moderate Canzona - Mozart Moderate Aria - Mozart Moderate Cavatina - Mozart Moderate Scott Joplin Rags - The wonderfully wide range of the clarinet lends itself to the Joplin Rags and performers are kept busy switching between bass line and melody. In The Entertainer this leaping around adds an element of fun to the performers rendition. Grade 6 pupils should have no problem - it is good practice to 'pop' the odd top 'F', and the semiquaver bar will keep them amused! Separate parts for clarinets 1 and 2 are provided to avoid page turns in the score. The Easy Winners, my favourite Joplin Rag, is also entertaining for both players and agile in both parts. Play this with a smile on your face (well think it anyway - no discussions about embouchure here!) The Entertainer - Joplin listen to mp3 Moderate The Easy Winners - Joplin Moderate Bach Two-Part Inventions - Bach's two part inventions are beautiful examples of his genius, both mathematical and aesthetic, and some transcribe well for clarinets. Here is a selection - and they're free! 2 Part Invention No 1 - J.S.Bach Moderate 2 Part Invention No 4 - J.S.Bach Moderate Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Yes - it is hard to breathe, but it has been peformed many times, and it is very satisfying to get through it! Both part are fun to play but have a stiff drink ready (just don't drink it until afterwards). Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - Handel Moderate Air for the G String - An ideal GCSE performance piece. String players don't run out of breath but clarinettists do, so feel no shame in omitting the second repeat. Only the briefest of guidance for dynamics is given as you can perform it differently every time. Be flexible in tempo and as expressive as possible. Air for the G String - Bach Moderate Pieds-en-l'air - Beautiful, serene, peaceful music with a dash of "Tabasco" harmonies. This transcribes to a simple clarinet duet, ideal for GCSE work, and although lacking the rich harmonies of the full string ensemble, it is still very effective. Pieds-en-l'air - Warlock Moderate Clarinet Educational Clarinet Trios - (low register) Low Register Trios - This series of "below-the-break" trios, written for my students, is quite demanding, so although the range is easy, the rhythms are interesting and there is a fair amount of chromaticism. The resulting pieces are very satisfying, even for the more advanced players. Sir Graham D'Azincourt - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Easy Funky Paula - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Easy In Search of... - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Easy Fresh Air - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Easy Here, in the Morning Light - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Easy Clarinet Tutor ABC Clarinet Tutor - The modern generation of commercial tutors seem to have gone away from the basics of providing a simple, progressive tutor, with plenty of material. They have great graphics, or are full of well-known tunes, or try to match progress on a variety of different instruments. Well, this tutor works! Teachers like it and students enjoy it. It is free on this site at the moment; there are more detailed comments on page 1. There are 48 pages, which take you into the upper register and cover chromatic notes in the low register, by which time the student should be well prepared for "real" music. ABC Clarinet Tutor - Alun Cook Moderate Rocking to the A key ABC A Rocking Week - Designed for elementary clarinet students, these 5 short concert pieces help to develop the good rocking action that is essential for fluency onto the A' key. The pieces use the left hand only and should be used as soon as the A' is required. The also provide an introduction to dynamics in an obvious and humorous way. ABC Rocking Week - Alun Cook Easy 1. listen to: Manic Monday 2. listen to: Spooky Tuesday 3. listen to: Wicked Wednesday 4. listen to: Therapeutic Thursday 5. listen to: Fiendish Friday Developing the right hand ABC Stepping Down - Stepping Down is a set of 12 concert pieces for clarinet and piano for the elementary player. The pieces only assume knowledge of the left-hand (middle C to A) and gradually increases the range downwards through B, Bb, A and G. The material links in with the ABC Clarinet Tutor with some extended tunes and new material. Also available is A Rocking Week which helps develop good technique for rocking onto the "A" key. ABC Stepping Down - Alun Cook Easy 1. listen to: Middle and Off 2. listen to: Tiddle-iddle-um 3. listen to: Contempation 4. listen to: What at Smoothy 5. listen to: Bewhich 6. listen to: Russian Around 7. listen to: Epic 8. listen to: Rock Blues 9. listen to: A Drop More 10. listen to: Whispering Among the Reeds 11. listen to: Out of Kilter 12. listen to: Can't Catch Me Clarinets at Christmas Dasher and Dancer (5Bb and BsCl) - A light hearted piece in a Christmas mood. Written for 5 clarinets and Bass Clarinet the parts get easier as you go down the list. Parts 1,2,3 are about grade 5-6 standard, with part 4 being for grade 4 players and part 5 almost entirely lower register. This was written so that all my pupils in one school could join in, no matter what their standard, with the lower parts being doubled up. There is also a part for Jingles which adds a festive touch. Dasher and Dancer - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate A Winter's Tale (3 Bb Cls, 2 Alto Sax and Bs Cl) - Soothing music to lull your children to sleep, but like all good stories there are moments of intrigue and suspense. This is the original scoring for 3 Bb Clarinets, 2 Alto Saxophones and Bass Clarinet although I have it in mind to add words as a Christmas carol. The individual parts are not hard but they are quite independent at times. Listen to the MP3 to hear a performance. A Winter's Tale - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate

Clarinet and Wind Band Clarinet Carillon - A showpiece for Clarinet with Wind Band accompaniment. I had intended the solo part to be of about Grade 6 standard but it has turned out to be rather harder, but it is definitely fun to play. The band accompaniment includes plenty of cues for missing instruments, and having a good xylophone player is an advantage. Clarinet Carillon is also available for Clarinet and Piano. The MP3 (at the moment - watch this space) is just a midi recording but because of the limitations of some sound cards, it may give a better idea of how the piece should sound. Clarinet Carillon - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate Clarinet Quartets Spaced Out - for 4 or more Bb clarinets. In minimalist style, this is a quartet for Bb clarinets that may equally well be performed by a larger group. It involves some "choreography" and playing in free time - all sounds very complex but it isn't. I think you will find it enjoyable to play and interesting and entertaining for the audience. Detailed performance instructions are include as the last page of the score. The off-stage clarinet part is included at the back of the 1st Clarinet part. You will find at least one interesting performance on YouTube. Spaced Out - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate/Hard Ticked Off - A quartet for 4 Bb Clarinets and Metronomes - it may be performed with 5 metronomes or (much more safely) with just the one. The piece uses tone-changing (some fingerings to learn), so with that and the metronomes, you may think this sounds rather "modern", but it is very tonal and "audience-friendly", and not particularly hard to play - except of course, that you need to be able to play in time to a metronome!! Best that the central metronome is ceremoniously carried on and off at either end of the performance by a man in a brown (or white) coat. Ticked Off - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate Kiddy Litter (3 Bb and Bs Cl) is an arrangement of nursery rhymes and children's songs for clarinet quartet (3 Bb's and a Bass), written for performance at primary schools as a "how many tunes can you recognise" piece. It was not written with the intention of the audience joining with the songs, so the keys are not very accommodating, but they do!! Kiddy Litter - arr. Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate A Knight Remembered (3 Bb and Bs Cl) - "A Knight Remembered" starts as a simple Pavane, but becomes more lush as time goes by. Although not technically demanding, it requires a huge amount of control and musicianship to bring off to full effect. Originally written for Saxophone Quartet, it was arranged for Clarinets by request and I think is even more effective with this scoring. It is part of a suite of dances, each "Elizabethan" in style but all becoming rather more ER II as they progress. A Knight Remembered - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate Flower Duet from Lakme (3 Bb and Bs Cl) - This vocal duet (made more popular by British Airways) is ideally suited for the sound of "singing" clarinets. This uplifting music is ideal music for weddings (and I have played it at a friend's funeral). It is also available elsewhere on the website for clarinet duet and saxophone quartet. Flower Duet from Lakme - Delibes listen to mp3 Moderate Overture to The Marriage of Figaro (3 Bb and Bs Cl) - As you would expect, the overture is exciting, challenging and very satisfying to play. The key chosen may surprise some, but it sits very well on the instruments. There are very few finger-twisting sections and the main challenge is the speed of tonguing required but you will see from the score how this is managed. Listen to the MP3 for a better idea of a performance. Overture to The Marriage of Figaro - Mozart listen to mp3 Difficult The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (3 Bb and Bs Cl) - Perfect for Weddings, perfect for the Summer, and perfect for the Clarinet Quartet. The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - Handel Moderate Rondo from "Abdelazer" (3 Bb and Bs Cl) - One of the most distinctive gems of English music, used by Benjamin Britten in his "Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra" and more recently in the film "Pride and Prejudice". If you do not have a Bass, the Clarinet Choir version (listed below) can be played (just) with 4 Bb Clarinets Rondo from Abdelazer - Purcell listen to mp3 Moderate Eine kleine Nachtmusik (3 Bb and Bs Cl) - Mozart and the clarinet are such an ideal combination. This famous suite fits beautifully within the range of the clarinet quartet. I have carefully chosen the keys for the movements and tried to retain the character of the original. Mozart always needs excellent musicians to do his music justice but the technical demands of this arrangement are not so high as to prevent students gaining plenty from rehearsing and performing at least sections of the work. The score comes complete with all four movements, but the instrumental parts come in two sections ( Mov 1, and Movs 2,3,4) to reflect the amount of work involved in producing this arrangement. Eine kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart Moderate Dance of the Swans (3 Bb and Bs Cl) - I first arranged this for saxophone quartet but, unusually, it also fits beautifully on clarinets. It is quite easy to play for more junior ensembles. Short and sweet! Dance of the Swans - Tchaikovsky listen to mp3 Easy Movements from The Nutcracker (3 Bb and Bs Cl) The Overture Miniature works brilliantly for the quartet. The Bass Clarinet quite high but this is essential to convey the character of the piece. The "wizzy" bits in the other parts are all under the fingers (if not the tongue) and should respond to some satisfying practice! Overture Miniature - Tchaikovsky Moderate The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy was arranged for performances at Junior Schools and served to show off the Bass Clarinet. Who who needs a Celeste? Well, if you dont fancy the 1st Clarinet part for that bit there is a judicious cut (hence the listing as of moderate difficulty). Sugar-Plum Fairy - Tchaikovsky Moderate The Dance of the Mirlitons (or Reed-Flutes) is famous as a flute piece but hey! We are the ones with the reeds! Very effective on clarinets, even thought the key is wildly different. My Google reckoned the Mirlitons might be Kazoos or Cajun vegetables, but more interestingly "Eunuch flutes"! Dance of the Mirlitons - Tchaikovsky Moderate Trepak is fast and furious. "Lung-cracker" might be a better desciption! I have tried to accommodate breathing in clarinets 1 and 2 and it is possible, and of course the faster it goes, the better! All the glory may be in the 1st Clarinet part, but it is the 2nd part that is the hardest to play. Trepak - Tchaikovsky listen to mp3 Moderate More than 4 Bb Clarinets Alongaline for 6 or more Bb clarinets, this piece has fun with stereophonic effects. Performers should be spread across the stage and there is some improvisation and a little choreography to negotiate. Parts are of about Grade 6/7 standard providing players are confident. It's a great sound! Have a listen to the MP3 to hear a real clarinet performance Alongaline - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate/Hard As listed under quartets above, Spaced Out may be played for 4 or any larger number of Bb Clarinets. In minimalist style, this is a quartet for Bb clarinets that may equally well be performed by a larger group. It involves some "choreography" and playing in free time - all sounds very complex but it isn't. I think you will find it enjoyable to play and interesting and entertaining for the audience. Detailed performance instructions are include as the last page of the score. The off-stage clarinet part is included at the back of the 1st Clarinet part. You will find at least one interesting performance on YouTube. Spaced Out - Alun Cook listen to mp3 Moderate/Hard Clarinet Choir Rondo from "Abdelazer". - Arranged to be as flexible as possible, it is possible to perform this with just Bb clarinets but ideally use a Bass Clarinet and then add the extras if you are lucky enough to have them. Purcell's theme was used by Benjamin Britten in his "Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra" and more recently in the film "Pride and Prejudice". Rondo from Abdelazer - Alun Cook Moderate/Hard Clarinet and Piano Clarinet Carillon - A showpiece for clarinet with piano accompaniment. I had also intended the solo part to be of about Grade 6 standard but it has turned out to be rather harder, so I have included "ossias" and a possible cut to make it more approachable. My original conception was for a solo piece for Clarinet and Wind Band (which can be found elsewhere on this site) but I am extremely happy with this version with piano accompaniment. Clarinet Carillon - Alun Cook Moderate