Elgar: “Shed” Wind Serenade No.1 in G - symphonic wind dectet by Edward Elgar Woodwind Quintet - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1630535

Elgar: "Shed" Wind Serenade No.1 in G - arranged for symphonic wind dectet - score and parts
19 mins without repeats, 29 mins with.

Arranged from the "Harmony Music" (originally written for "shed quintet")

I.Allegro (No.7)

II.Andante arioso (No.6)

III.Scherzo and Trio (No.7)

IV. Allegro molto (No.6)

Preview is a link to an mp3

Elgar’s seven works titled Harmony Music (from the German Harmoniemusik, music for wind ensemble) were among the pieces he wrote between the years 1878 and 1881 for the wind quintet he played in with his friends.

The players for whom Elgar wrote the quintets were his young friends, who met regularly for music on Sunday afternoons. He wrote for the instruments available and to suit the capabilities of their players.

Elgar's younger brother Frank was a competent oboist while, to judge from the scores, his friends Hubert Leicester (later to become Mayor of Worcester) and Frank Exton were flautists of near professional standard. Hubert's brother William was co-opted to play the clarinet, while Elgar taught himself to play the bassoon to complete the quintet. He also learnt to play the cello, which is indicated as a part for cello or bassoon.

The five met on Sunday afternoons to play together in a garden shed and Elgar attempted to provide a new composition or arrangement for them to rehearse each week - a daunting task.

These compositions are now known as "The Shed Music" or music written for the "Shed Quintet."

No.7 has the addition of a violin to the unusual quintet.It has 2 mvts - this arrangement uses both of them.

(Helen Weaver, daughter of shoemaker William Weaver whose shop was opposite the Elgars, must have been interested, for Harmony Music No. 2 is subtitled ‘Nelly Shed’. It was a sign of the start of the serious relationship between Edward and Helen which ended in 1884 with heart-breaking separation after a short engagement. Helen Weaver played the violin, and for Harmony Music No.7 the wind quintet was joined by a violinist: but it was Frank Elgar’s friend, Karl Bammert, a German watchmaker then lodging at the Elgar music-shop.)

I have created a serenade for a wind ensemble from Harmony Music 6 and 7

I have arranged it for a symphonic wind dectet (decet/double wind quintet) and bass.

The overall feel of the piece is from the "Romantic" era so i have created 2 natural horn parts

I have written the original horn parts for natural Horns in G with a move to C basso in mvt 2 (Alternative parts for Horns in F are provided)

The scherzo has an attraction to Beethoven, the opening Allegro sounds like early Brahms, and the other movements Schubert and/or Mendelssohn.

Enjoy.