Ground V

A rare work for the Lute-based Theorbo. Below is the programme note from the composer.In July 1998 I decided that I would use a theorbo in Havoc a piece I was writing for the 1999 Proms (premiere September 8th 1999). Since my knowledge of the instrument was negligible I contacted David (The Orbo) Miller and appealed for help since I knew he would be playing in the Proms piece. He kindly and with admirable patience showed me how the instrument worked and I began writing groundwork as a technical exercise - hence one meaning of the title. The other is that it is a set of variations over a ground bass.Since the theorbo possesses eight diapason bass strings - whichare plucked like those of a harp not stopped with the left and - it seemed sensible to use these for the ground bass which consists simply of a rising eight-note scale using all diapason strings in turn. This ground is stated at the beginning and developed through 16 variations. Nos 1 to 7 are straightforward except that some of them compress the ground into itself. Nos 8 to 16 are in stretto: they are gradually overlapped with each other the new ground beginning one note earlier each time. The climax of the piece comes at variations 10 to 11; variations 12 to 14 bring it gradually down to earth; no. 15 is quiet and puts the decorated ground in relaxed canon with itself (in octaves using the top and bottom strings of the instrument). Variation 16 strips the ground of decoration putting tight scrunchy chords over it and the piece ends with the lowest diapason string (G) a quiet raspberry ripple of the other seven diapason strings and a final harmonic G to tell us that our little journey is over. I hope you enjoy the scenery.Giles Swayne

Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's  String Quartet No. 10 'New Ground' (2011). Set of parts: WH31462A Programme note: New Ground – No Ground – Green In 1986 I wrote Ground for the Kronos Quartet. I used the principle of the baroque ground and created a series of chords – going up and going down symmetrically. The material formed the basis for the quartet. In my next collaboration with Kronos I wrote the darker Last Ground – at the time supposed to be my last composition of the kind. After some years this seemed a bit pathetic and Idecided to write a new – lighter ground – New Ground. To disappoint my listeners as much as possible I based this piece on a very old and very well-known ground: Pachelbel’s Canon.  The piece is tonal and that suggested another –atonal – composition – No Ground (based on another string quartet – no. 7 Parted from 1984 first performed by Kronos). I am very fond of the elaborated constructivism of the medieval or early renaissance music so in my view the two new quartets needed to be connected and combined. The two quartets can be performed in combination with the four-part vocal piece Green. The text is from medieval England. The pieces are written for the Kronos Quartet and Theatre of Voices.

Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's No Ground Green for Mixed Choir (SATB) and String Quartet (2012). Set of parts: WH31464A Programme note: New Ground – No Ground – Green In 1986 I wrote Ground for the Kronos Quartet. I used the principle of the baroque ground and created a series of chords – going up and going down symmetrically. The material formed the basis for the quartet. In my next collaboration with Kronos I wrote the darker Last Ground – at the time supposed to be my last composition of the kind. After some years this seemed a bit pathetic andI decided to write a new – lighter ground –New Ground. To disappoint my listeners as much as possible I based this piece on a very old and very well-known ground: Pachelbel’s Canon.  The piece is tonal and that suggested another –atonal – composition – No Ground (based on another string quartet – no. 7 Parted from 1984 first performed by Kronos). I am very fond of the elaborated constructivism of the medieval or early renaissance music so in my view the two new quartets needed to be connected and combined. The two quartets can be performed in combination with the four-part vocal piece Green. The text is from medieval England. The pieces are written for the Kronos Quartet and Theatre of Voices.

Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's New Ground Green (2011) for Solo Voices (SATB) and String Quartet. The vocal part of New Groun Green may be performed separately a cappella entitled Green. The vocal part of New Ground Green also makes part of another work also for voices and string quartet entitled No Ground Green (WH31464 ). Parts available: WH31444A

Composer Ted Dicks and songwriter and lyricist Myles Rudge were the team behind this Top Ten hit for Bernard Cribbins along with its B-side Right Said Fred. The Hole In The Ground begins with a working man standing in the hole he’s digging and a ‘bloke in a bowler hat’ standing above him who’s offering criticism. By the end of the song their positions have somewhat changed.British actor Bernard Cribbins had a hit in 1962 with The Hole in the Ground produced by The Beatles’ own George Martin for Parlophone. It’s a jaunty tune with a cheeky lyric -- a crowd-pleaser all around.

Par PURCELL DANIEL. Divisions on a Ground-Bass by Daniel Purcell for Descant Recorder and Keyboard, edited by Carl Dolmetsch./ Répertoire / Flûte à Bec Soprano et Piano

In this second volume of Fingerstyle Guitar From The Ground Up Buster B. Jones continues to show you all the tricks of his trade so that you’ll be able to fingerpick in the style of Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. Buster’sclear and down to earth explanations will have you fingerpicking in no time. You’ll find phrase by phrase instruction for all the exercises and songs. Split-screen techniques are featured so that you can clearly see what each handis playing. You’ll learn:More right hand patternsRight hand rollsMore chord movementsFretboard logicHow to play Blowin’ In The Wind Jingle Bells I’ll Fly Away and Nine Pound Hammer(with embellishments)Also includes a forty-eight page PDF booklet with the music and TAB.