Character Suites Volume 3

The third junior volume takes us to a café full of treats, and to a land of dreams called Fiánia.

The Café Suite opens with Morning Tea, a movement many junior quartets have taken as their very first step into chamber music. It has independent parts right from the start, a wonderful crescendo through the middle, and even a Da Capo and Coda — a lot to master, but what a joy when it all comes together! Latte and Scone introduces players to a 3/4 metre, and the opening rhythm can be practiced simply by saying, or singing, the words "Latte and Scone." Berry Crumble is the most demanding of the four movements, with its ostinatos and accents, while Hot Chocolate brings the suite to a gentle close, once again in 3/4.

Fiánia is a suite full of striking melodies — the kind that anyone who plays or hears them tends to hum for days after. The first movement is often used on its own for young quartets or orchestras, as it's exciting and fun, yet manageable with very basic technique. The cello part uses open strings only, and other instruments can add open-string-only parts too, which is why it has become so popular for collaborative projects — bringing together different levels, in big and even very big groups, at festivals or courses.
The intro and outro build from nothing to a strong forte within six bars of syncopated rhythms, and when well played, the effect of that syncopated crescendo is incredible. We use words to help practice the intro/outro rhythm: "All together now, all together now, all together now, all together now, let us have some fun!" And to learn the first melody in the first violins, we say — or sing — "Let's go to Fiánia, ev'ryone is welcome, let's go to Fiánia, ev'ryone is here!"
Winnie's Waltz gives young players a lovely introduction to the waltz as a dance. In Morning Sun, the lyrical melody moves from part to part, giving players great practice in listening — who has the melody and needs to come through, and who is accompanying and needs to support. Picnic Party is the most demanding of the four movements, and can be taken at a lively speed if the players are up for it. Watch out for the counting at the very end!