Belwin Beginning String Orchestra Kit #2: Viola

Bob Cerulli's arrangement selections in this kit prove that Grade 2 orchestras don't need simple filler; they deserve real musical content that challenges and rewards. The five pieces span recognizable masterworks from different eras and national traditions, giving your ensemble a diverse concert program without requiring weeks of rehearsal per piece.

These selections carry the elegance and melodic generosity of their original composers while remaining within reach of developing musicians. The writing feels timeless rather than diluted, offering students the satisfaction of playing recognizable, well-loved pieces.

Conductors leading Grade 2 string orchestras who want concert-ready repertoire without lengthy preparation time. This kit suits directors building their students' confidence through attainable arrangements of genuine classical masterworks.

• Balance the melodic line across your first violin section so the tune carries clearly; unison doublings in lower voices should sit underneath without drowning out the main voice.
• Work the rhythmic precision of repeated figures in alla breve or cut-time sections separately; young players often rush these patterns, so isolate them with a metronome before full ensemble rehearsal.
• Shape longer note values with gentle dynamic contour rather than letting them decay; this maintains forward motion even when the orchestra holds sustained pitches.
• Listen specifically for intonation clarity on open strings and first-position notes, where tuning issues are most noticeable in a young orchestra; mark these moments in your score for targeted sectional work.

Program all five selections as a themed concert celebrating string literature across centuries and cultures, or extract two or three as anchors for a larger concert mixing student compositions and other Grade 2 repertoire. The variety in style and era makes these particularly effective early in the season for demonstrating range to parents and community listeners.

• Sustaining melodic lines with consistent tone production
• Navigating key signatures and accidentals in first and second positions
• Ensemble balance in unison and homophonic textures
• Reading mixed articulations (legato, détaché, staccato) within single phrases
• Maintaining intonation stability across longer sustained passages