Beaumont Rag: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

McCarrick has crafted an arrangement that honors the fiddle tune's spirited character while ensuring genuine musical moments for every section. The strategic distribution of material across strings means your second violins and violas get real melodic work, not filler, and the featured solo passages give advanced players in each section something rewarding to prepare.

Beaumont Rag captures the rollicking character of a fiddle contest: driving rhythms, bluesy inflections, and a sense of friendly musical one-upmanship as each section takes its turn. The energy builds naturally, and the big finish sends the audience out smiling.

String orchestras at the intermediate level (Grade 3) looking for accessible, spirited American repertoire that gives every voice a turn at the melody. Directors seeking a piece that energizes rehearsals and solves the problem of featuring multiple sections without requiring separate chamber programs.

• Bring out the rhythmic drive in the seconds and violas during their bluesy riff sections; these moments establish the tune's fiddle-contest energy and deserve clear articulation.
• Balance the 3rd-position solo violin with the ensemble carefully so the featured player projects without drowning out the harmonic foundation below.
• Shape the cello and bass solos with rhythmic confidence; these instruments anchor the tune, and their moments deserve the same spotlight as the higher voices.

This works equally well as a concert opener that sets a bright, energetic tone or as an encore that leaves the audience on a high note. Its brevity makes it ideal for a program that pairs serious concert music with lighter fare, or for a thematic concert celebrating American roots music.

• Playing in 3rd position with confidence and intonation
• Executing bluesy articulation and rhythmic inflection in secondary parts
• Balancing solo and ensemble roles within a single piece
• Reading and executing fiddle-tune idioms on string instruments