ABRSM Viola Mix 2

Viola Mix is an original series of new arrangements for viola. Book 1 offers attractive repertoire at Grades Initial to 1 in a wide variety of styles. Well-known music includes ‘Autumn’ from The Four Seasons and ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ from Mary Poppins. There are also lots of new tunes to be explored, such as ‘Gavotta’ by Ignatius Sancho and the traditional American song ‘Let us chase the squirrel’.

The series has been compiled by string specialists Kathy and David Blackwell and covers the musical and technical elements of the early grades in three progressive volumes. Many of the arrangements are featured on the ABRSM Viola syllabus from 2024 and, in addition, all are ideal choices for Performance Grade exams. There are piano accompaniments for every piece, and viola accompaniments and guitar chords for many pieces, providing useful flexibility for students and teachers.

Key features of the series
• new arrangements of repertoire spanning many cultures and styles, in three progressive volumes at Grades Initial to 3
• accompaniments for piano, viola and guitar
• a rich source of repertoire for a concert or exam
• many of the pieces are featured on the ABRSM Viola syllabus from 2024
• an interesting footnote and fun fact for every piece

Kathy and David Blackwell both studied music at the University of Edinburgh. Kathy continued with studies at the University of Oxford before following a career in string teaching and writing educational music. David has worked in music publishing and has composed and arranged a wide range of music from choral and organ compositions to educational music for strings, piano and a variety of other instruments. Together they have written the award-winning String Time series published by Oxford University Press. They have twice won the UK’s Music Industries Association award for Best Education Publication and in 2017 they received an ESTA UK award in recognition of exceptional services to string teaching.

Content:

Grade 1
Senwa dedende, senwa - Trad. Ghanaian, arr. Nikki Iles
Chiquinha’s Waltz - Chiquinha Gonzaga
The Hippopotamus - Michael Flanders and Donald Swann
Ah, poor bird/Rose, Rose - Trad. English
The Road to Lisdoonvarna - Trad. Irish
Allegretto from Viola Sonata Op. 1 No. 1 - Francesca Lebrun

Grade 2
Dipidu - Trad. Ugandan
The Schoolmaster from Symphony No. 55, Hob. 1:55 - Joseph Haydn
Song of the Birds  from Spring, The Four Seasons, Op. 8 - Antonio Vivaldi
La donna è mobile  from Rigoletto - Giuseppe Verdi
Trio  from ‘Haffner’ Symphony, K. 385 - W. A. Mozart
The light of the moon - Trad. Polish, arr. Ros Stephen
Contredanse from Les Indes galantes - Jean-Philippe Rameau
Pierrot and Pierrette  from Children’s Carnival, Op. 25 - Amy Beach
For Julie  from Three Piano Sonatas for the Young, Op. 118 No. 1 - Robert Schumann
Rondeau Theme  from Sonata for Flute and Harp - Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
I want to be ready - African-American Spiritual
Ale Brider - Trad. Yiddish, arr. Franklyn Gellnick
Dudelsack Dance from Peasant Cantata, BWV 212 - J. S. Bach
Bransle de la Torche  from Terpsichore - Michael Praetorius