Running Up That Hill (arr. Paul Murtha): String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Paul Murtha's orchestration captures what made the original compelling: the relentless forward momentum, the haunting melodic hooks, and the emotional vulnerability beneath the driving beat. Students connect immediately to material they recognize, but they're also learning how a skilled arranger translates synthesizer textures and production choices into string writing that feels both respectful and fresh. This is the kind of piece that reminds orchestras why they play.

The arrangement captures the original's hypnotic quality: a constant rhythmic forward motion underneath soaring, yearning melodic lines. There's urgency here paired with introspection, the sense of striving for something just out of reach. Students will feel the intensity and emotion rather than simply reading notes on a page.

String orchestras working at the intermediate level (grades 3 to 4) who want to program contemporary music that resonates with students and audiences alike. This works equally well for directors seeking repertoire that bridges classical training with popular music literacy, or for ensembles looking to expand beyond traditional orchestra literature.

• Establish the pulse early in sectional rehearsals. The rhythm underpins everything, and if that wavers, the entire arrangement loses its propulsive energy.
• Shape the dynamics around the vocal line's arc rather than playing mechanically from marking to marking. The strings should breathe with the emotional content, not against it.
• Balance the melodic material between first and second violins so neither section dominates. Both carry essential voices in this arrangement.
• Allow rubato in the exposed passages but lock in rigidly during the driving sections. That contrast between freedom and precision mirrors the song's emotional landscape.

Consider programming this as a standout moment in a concert built around contemporary arrangements or popular music transcriptions. It works as a concert opener that immediately engages the audience or as a finale that sends people out with a memorable, singable melody. The emotional arc also makes it suitable for concerts exploring themes of perseverance or determination.

• Sustained rhythmic precision in driving, repetitive figures
• Dynamic control and shaping of orchestral lines
• Balancing principal melodic material across multiple voices
• Responding to harmonic color changes in contemporary arrangements
• Connecting to emotional content in non-traditional orchestral repertoire