Shepherd's Hymn: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$42.00 USD

Shepherd's Hymn: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Shepherd's Hymn: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-11775
Price: 42.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Richard Meyer

Grade: 1

Item: 00-11775

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This familiar tune is a natural for developing control and understanding of 6/8 meter and rhythmic patterns. The challenging string-crossing motives will also develop good bowing flexibility.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Shepherd's Hymn: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Highland/Etling Strictly Strings

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 72

UPC: 038081114187

SKU: 00-11775

More about this title

About the Composer: Richard Meyer

Richard Meyer spent 35 years teaching strings across elementary, middle, and high school levels before becoming one of the most prolific composers in the field, with nearly 200 published works to his name. His tenure directing orchestras at Oak Avenue Intermediate School in Temple City, California saw the program expand from 29 students to 200, and he later spent 16 years leading the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra through performances across North America, Europe, and Australia.

Beyond the podium and page, Meyer has shaped string music education as a guest conductor, clinician at major conferences, and as string editor for Alfred Publishing for 16 years. His "Giving Bach" program, launched in 2009, demonstrated how interactive concerts could serve special needs and underserved students throughout Southern California, earning national recognition for its approach. Meyer's method books, including the String Explorer Series, continue to influence how young musicians learn.

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Why we love this

Meyer has written a piece that uses a melody students already know to teach something genuinely tricky: the layered rhythms and subdivisions of 6/8 meter. Rather than hiding the work inside an unfamiliar tune, he lets the familiar melody carry the learning, which means your ensemble's focus stays on the technical challenge instead of decoding new melodic material. The string-crossing passages are deliberately crafted to build bow control without feeling like a etude.

What to expect

Warm and grounded, with the comfort of a tune you've heard before balanced against the gentle push of new rhythmic territory. The piece breathes with the flexibility of folk music while demanding precision in its articulation and string work.

Who it's for

String orchestras at the first-year level ready to move beyond simple meter, especially those preparing for festival or contest play. This works well for groups with solid half-note and quarter-note facility who need a guided entry into compound meter without the leap to complex or unfamiliar material.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the dotted-quarter pulse clearly in rehearsal before introducing the subdivided eighth-note figures; this prevents students from defaulting to a compound duple feel.
Map the string crossings on individual parts during sectional rehearsals so students can isolate the bow pattern away from the rhythmic complexity.
Layer the ensemble gradually: start with melody and bass, then add middle voices so each entry has stability to lock onto.
Record a sectional run-through early in the learning process and share it so students hear how the rhythmic interplay should sit.

How to use it

Slot this into the first half of a festival program where it can anchor the ensemble before moving into more technically demanding pieces, or pair it with another Meyer arrangement to showcase how compositional voice changes within a familiar idiom. It also serves as an excellent teaching tool during the winter months when you're introducing 6/8 meter and looking for repertoire with immediate musical payoff.