Author: Lisa Portus

In 2018 I released almost 50 new titles – a record for me!

Latest new titles
I’ve been extremely busy with lots of new titles added since September:

Wind quintet

• Bach – Wachet Auf (Sleepers Awake) – Here Bach ingeniously intertwines a very well known melody with a chorale. Very popular wedding music.
• Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – A 5 minute arrangement which tells the whole magical story. Brooms at the ready! Spookily good for wind quintet!
• Falla – Ritual Fire Dance – A frenetic tour-de-force which portrays a young widow’s exorcism dance. Fiery stuff for wind quintet!
• Lehar, Franz – Gold and Silver Waltz – The ‘Gold and Silver Waltz’ by Franz Lehar is a gorgeously melodic and opulent concoction of memorable waltzes.
• Pierné – Pastoral Varieé (dans un style ancien) – Gabriel Pierne’s fascination with 18th century baroque music shines through in ‘Pastorale Variée’ (dans the style ancien). Originally for a mixed wind septet.
• Spencer, Herbert – Underneath the Stars – An endearing and very catchy miniature ‘Underneath the Stars’ (a slow foxtrot.  This piece also features on the violinist Charlie Siem’s latest album, Under the Stars.
• Vaughan Williams – English Folk Song Suite – This delightful suite incorporates no fewer than nine very varied folk songs in its three movements.

Wind quartet

• Arndt – Nola (A Silhouette) – Arndt’s ‘Nola’ was written as an engagement present. It is a delightful miniature with a very catchy theme! Here arranged for wind quartet.
• Joplin – Pineapple Rag – The Pineapple Rag is widely regarded as one of Joplin’s best. Deftly and entertainingly arranged here for wind quartet
• Playford – Mr Beveridge’s Maggot – Mr. Beveridge’s Maggot (used in many a Jane Austen dance scene) is equally stately and extremely catchy.

Bassoon quartet

• Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Bassoon choir – A bassoon choir version of this magical piece which tells the entire story in 5 minutes.  As commissioned by Anthea Wood and Laurence Perkins for their Spooky Bassoons event last year.

FREE – 30 seconds of loveliness by Chopin in his Prelude No. 7 (from 24 Preludes) for Wind quintet, Wind quartet, and Bassoon quartet.  Also a freebie piece by Gershwin – his Three-quarter Blues (as featured in the BBC’s After Henry sitcom: for Wind quartet and Bassoon quartet.

2018 Round-up
Wind quintet
Bridge, Frank – Winter Pastoral
Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Elgar – Six Promenades (Shed Music)
Falla – Spanish Dance No. 1
Gardel, Carlos – Por una Cabeza
Handel – The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Handel – Where’er you Walk
Hely-Hutchinson – Carol Symphony (3^rd mvt.)
Lennon & McCartney – The Fool on the Hill
Lincke – Wedding Valse (Titanic Waltz)
Mascagni – Intermezzo (from ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’)
Moss, Katie – The Floral Dance
Purcell – Rondeau (from ‘Abdelazer’)
Satie – Je te veux
Verdi  – Waltz in F Major from ‘Il Gattopardo’ (The Leopard)
FREE – Gilbert & Sullivan – Brightly Dawns my Wedding Day (from ‘The Mikado’)

Wind quintet & piano
Delius – On hearing the first cuckoo in Spring
Hely-Hutchinson – Carol Symphony (3^rd mvt.)

Wind quartet
Bridge, Frank – Rosemary
Fauré – Il est ne the divin enfant
Gardel, Carlos – Por una Cabeza
Monnoye – Patapan
Nielsen, Carl – A Dream about Silent Night
Piae Cantiones – Gaudete
Purcell – Rondeau (from ‘Abdelazer’)

Bassoon quartet
Dukas – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Gardel, Carlos – Por una Cabeza
Moss, Katie – The Floral Dance
Purcell – Rondeau (from ‘Abdelazer’)
Satie – Le Piccadilly

Coming soon  Manuel de Falla’s fiery Ritual Fire Dance – this time for wind quintet and piano.  For bassoon quartet I’m working on Arndt’s Nola.  I’m also excited to announce that I’ve also just applied for a license for Freddie Mercury’s Bohemian Rhapsody: the arrangement is already finished – and it’s a real belter!

I think you’ll agree there’s a huge range on offer so I do hope you find something you like.