A Dua Lipa Duo: Flexible String Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Story's pop arrangements respect both the source material and your students' development as musicians. The FLEX instrumentation system means you can program this regardless of your roster composition, and the clear bowings and fingerings keep rehearsal time focused on style and ensemble blend rather than figuring out mechanics.

Energetic and radio-friendly. Dua Lipa's pop sensibility comes through in straightforward melodies and rhythmic drive, but the arrangement sits comfortably in a concert setting rather than trying to recreate a recording.

String orchestras at the 2.5 level with mixed instrumentation or limited violin sections. Directors who want contemporary, engaging repertoire that doesn't ask students to stretch beyond their technical grasp.

• Match the groove to Dua Lipa's original recordings by listening together during a rehearsal. Let the students hear what the rhythmic pocket should feel like before you address articulation and dynamics.
• Shape phrases around the vocal contours in the melody. Even though this is instrumental, the vocal phrasing in pop songs is what makes them memorable to audiences.
• Keep the rhythm section (drumset and percussion parts) locked and confident; they anchor the string players' approach to the contemporary style.

Slot this into a pops concert or as a crowd-pleaser alongside classical string repertoire. At just over three minutes, it works perfectly as a closing piece or a mid-concert energy shift. The optional rhythm section parts give you flexibility to expand the performance into a larger ensemble moment if your program includes band or percussion students.

• Playing contemporary rhythmic styles with articulation and style consistency
• Sight-reading across transposed parts and alternate instrumentation options
• Listening and responding to a rhythm section's groove
• Balancing melody and accompaniment in a pop arrangement