Apologies if this has been covered before, but can anyone recommend some simple arrangements that a group of 4 violinists (children about Grade 3 standard) could learn? I hope to start a violin quartet at school to give the students who are learning a chance to play in a group and I could do with some pointers as to where to look for some simple pieces. Another group might consist of violins and recorders - again, any ideas gratefully received! If anyone knows of any - legal - free arrangements (I have found one site), that would be especially helpful.

If I can't find anything suitable, I will have to go about doing the arrangements myself, but I thought it would be interesting to see what was available, and try and save myself some work!

Thank you for any suggestions.

Look at the Music Medals books for violin, there are lots of duets and some trios and maybe some quartets if I remember rightly.

The books are cheap for the amount of material in them and the pieces are excellent.

Trios you can have 2 players for line 1 and duets 2 per part if you have 4 kids and it helps them feel more secure while they get the idea of chamber music playing. It's SUCH a good thing to do! Hope you have fun with it.

AND

have a look at Jigs Reels and Hormpipes by Edward Huws Jones published by B & H.

Great music, each piece has an easy part also (but not too dull) as well as a violin accompaniment part and a piano part. These pieces would be good on recorder too I think! You might have to transpose a few odd notes.

The Jigs and Reels stuff will be fun to play in a group setting, I think (although we don't usually play this kind of music in an arranged fashion, nor from scores) but for simplified, classical style settings of the music, they're really not bad.

Let us know how you get on!

Thank you very much - I will investigate all your suggestions! Will let you know how I get on...!