Six Country Dances is an anthology of tunes from Playford’s ‘The English Dancing Master’ selected and arranged by Richard Rodney Bennett. Playford’s collection was first published in 1651 and contained 535 popular tunes for country dancing. Richard Rodney Bennett’s skilful and inspired arrangements are perfect for intermediate standard players adding as they do a contemporary slant to these classics of the English folk repertoire. This edition is for Viola and Piano.

Two inspiring works written by Edward Elgar and arranged for Viola by Alan Arnold with simple piano accompaniment.

While Gordon Jacobs composed a vast amount of music more than four hundred pieces -- he was particularly celebrated for his work for Viola and for woodwinds as well as for his books on music pedagogy. Jacob had an early success with his Viola Concerto of 1926 which was premiered at a Promenade concert and which was the beginning of a series of strong contributions to Viola repertoire. This Sonatina for Viola and Piano demonstrates his sensitive writing for the instrument. It works very well when performed on clarinet as well.While many composers of the 20th century rejected serialism atonality and other avant garde effects in favour of Romanticism Jacob was much morean adherent to the musical models of the classic and baroque eras while still encompassing modern harmonies. His work Music for a Festival for symphonic wind band and brass ensemble was used for the post-war Festival of Britain and he arranged the British national anthem for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

For Viola and Piano. 1st performance London SPNM concert at the Arts Council July 6 1956; Watson Forbes and the composer.

According to Elgar the concert overture came to him in a single moment of inspiration while visiting Italy with his family in the winter of 1904. It was given its premiere by the Hallé Orchestra in March of that year with the central Viola serenade winning particular acclaim. Elgar then adapted the work as a song then for Viola and Piano and then for other instruments.At the time this piece was written Elgar had achieved universal renown with his Enigma Variations and The Dream of Gerontius and was established not only as a composer at the peak of British music of that time but also as a major Romantic composer. The Italianate rendering of the work is a nod to thepiece?s beginnings on the Adriatic coast. The work is full of the unrequited yearning of Elgar?s lyric work and a very effective sonatina for performance.

After Ariadne was commissioned by the violist Paul Silverthorne who premièred it with Richard Rodney Bennett himself in 1987 at the Cheltenham Festival. This is based on the famous Monteverdi madrigal Lasciate Mi Morire.