Shady Grove: and Other Songs from the Appalachian Mountains (Complete Set)
by Gwyneth W. Walker
String Orchestra - Sheet Music

String orchestra - Grade 4

SKU: EC.1.3530

Composed by Gwyneth W. Walker. Orchestra: Youth Orchestra, Galaxy String Orchestra Library Student Series. Secular, 21st century. Score. Galaxy Music Corporation #1.3530. Published by Galaxy Music Corporation (EC.1.3530).

ISBN 600313135309. UPC: 600313135309.

American composer Gwyneth Walker’s “Shady Grove” is a set of short pieces for string orchestra based on folksongs from the Appalachian Mountain region. Each movement (“Shady Grove,” “Tiny Swallow,” “Three Ravens,” and “House Carpenter”) is both a musical and a narrative character piece, colorfully orchestrated, and highly engaging for the performers and the audience. A completely original “Interlude” appears before the final movement. Duration: 13:00

 

The composer offers the following commentary on Shady Grove: A special challenge in creating string arrangements has been to inject occasional “appropriate” dissonances to enliven the harmonies. In addition, the strophic, ballad style of the songs, which relies upon storytelling to maintain the dramatic interest, must now be replaced by music variation and development. The intent has been to create new string repertoire within the “folk spirit”-roughhewn, straightforward, energetic, and beautiful.

 

String count: 8-8-6-6-4.