Celtic Sunrise: Piano
By Soon Hee Newbold
Grade: 1.5
Item: 98-PC-DST6514_K
$7.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
Experience the beauty and power of a Celtic sunrise in this accessible, yet powerful sounding work. Driving rhythms and decisive open intervals depict the countryside and rolling hills of Scotland. Optional percussion parts add to the festive quality of the piece. Get ready to experience a massive sound with your young orchestra!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Celtic Sunrise: Piano comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
Open in the Player
Jump straight in and assign it today.
Start Your Free Trial
Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series:
FJH Beginning Strings
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-PC-DST6514_K
More about this title
About the Composer: Soon Hee Newbold
Soon Hee Newbold brings a global perspective to orchestral writing shaped by decades of performance and travel across multiple continents. A pianist from age five and violinist from seven, she built a career as a concert artist before establishing herself as a composer whose works span from professional symphonies to beginning ensembles, performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center.
Newbold's compositional voice draws from diverse cultural traditions and ethnic styles woven throughout her catalog. Beyond concert music, she has worked as a conductor and clinician in the U.S. and internationally (the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and China), and her film and recording projects extend her musical influence into media composition.
Why we love this
This piece delivers authentic orchestral sound without requiring advanced technical facility. The open intervals and driving rhythms create a full, impressive texture that young players can produce confidently, while the optional percussion parts let you scale the arrangement to match your ensemble's instrumentation and add color without complexity.
What to expect
A sunrise unfolds gradually across moorland and open country. The sound is bright and assured, driven forward by rhythms that feel folk-rooted and alive, with open intervals that ring out cleanly and create space for the landscape to breathe. There's celebration in this music, a sense of awakening and natural beauty rendered in straightforward, confident string writing.
Who it's for
Beginning string orchestras (Grade 1.5 level) looking for repertoire that sounds substantially more advanced than it plays. Directors preparing for festivals or contests will find a piece that builds student confidence through accessible writing while delivering genuine musical impact.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythmic pulse early in rehearsals. The driving quality of this work depends on precision in the rhythm section, so establish the tempo and subdivisions with your lower strings and any percussion you're using before layering in upper voices.
- Shape the melodic lines even within the accessible range. Encourage singers to think about phrase direction and breathing, since the Scottish character will emerge through subtle dynamic shaping rather than technical display.
- Balance the optional percussion thoughtfully. If you're adding timpani or other percussion, rehearse those parts separately first to ensure they enhance rather than obscure the string textures.
- Use the scenic program as rehearsal motivation. Referencing the imagery of rolling hills and countryside helps young players connect their sound to something tangible and inspiring.
How to use it
Pair this with other multicultural or programmatic works at a festival concert to create a thematic thread around global musical traditions. It also serves as a strong opening number that establishes your ensemble's sound without demanding extended warm-up, making it ideal for concert programs that need an early confidence-builder.
Skills your students will build
- Steady rhythmic precision in ensemble contexts
- Reading and executing open interval writing
- Maintaining intonation across unison and octave doublings
- Phrasing and dynamic shaping at accessible ranges
- Basic coordination with optional percussion parts