The Smith's Set: Score
Concert Scottish Tunes
Traditional Scottish / arr. Renata Bratt
Grade: 3
Item: 00-PR-0005196
$9.00
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Description
Delight your audience with three uptempo Scottish dance tunes. Everyone plays the melody and the rollicking accompaniments using idiomatic Celtic bowings, accents, and rhythms. The first tune is a strathspey, "The Smith's a Gallant Fireman" followed by two reels, "Perrie Werrie" and "St. Kilda Wedding." (4:10)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, The Smith's Set: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Highland/Etling String Alternatives
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
124
SKU:
00-PR-0005196
More about this title
About the Arranger: Renata Bratt
Renata Bratt is a cellist, clinician, and educator who has built her career bridging classical training with folk and contemporary styles. She serves on the American String Teachers Association Alternative String Styles Advisory Committee and has taught at institutions ranging from Cabrillo Youth Strings to national workshops including the Mark O'Connor String Conference, Alasdair Fraser's Sierra Fiddle Camp, and the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School. Her performance credits include collaborations with fiddlers Liz Carroll and John Doyle, as well as touring work with artists across genres from Cindy Lee Berryhill to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.
Based in California, Bratt teaches cello at multiple schools and has authored instructional resources including The Modern Cello Method, The Fiddling Cellist, and Celtic Grooves for Two Cellists. She holds a Ph.D. in Music from the University of California at San Diego and served as past president of both the Suzuki Music Association of California and the International Association for Jazz Education String Caucus.
Why we love this
Bratt's deep expertise in Celtic fiddling translates directly into authentic string writing that students actually enjoy playing. The idiomatic bowings and rhythmic language feel natural to the fingers rather than imposed from above, making grade 3 musicians sound genuinely musical from the first rehearsal. Three distinct tunes keep energy high and give you natural resting points within a single concert piece.
What to expect
Three Scottish dances that pulse with the energy of a gathering, each one building momentum through straightforward unison lines and rollicking accompaniments. The strathspey's deliberate dotted rhythm gives way to the infectious drive of the reels, creating a performance that feels celebratory and immediate rather than carefully composed.
Who it's for
String orchestras working at grade 3 level who want accessible but musically substantial concert material with real stylistic substance. This works equally well for conductors seeking to expand repertoire beyond European classical tradition and for programs building student confidence in rhythmically driven folk styles.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the strathspey rhythm first before adding the reels. The dotted articulation patterns in 'The Smith's a Gallant Fireman' set the foundation for everything that follows.
- Lock the violin sections' unison melody lines with crisp ensemble attacks. Precision here makes the accompaniment figures read clearly underneath.
- Shape each of the three tunes as a complete thought rather than rushing through to the next one. Slight space between them lets the audience reset and appreciate each dance's character.
- Lean into the Celtic bowings marked in the score. These accents and lifts are not ornamental; they carry the style and give the music its distinctive swing.
How to use it
Program this set as a complete package to bring immediate lightness and cultural variety to a concert program. The four-minute duration makes it ideal as a centerpiece opener or as a bridge between heavier classical works and contemporary repertoire. It also serves naturally in cultural celebration concerts or programming themed around world music and traditions.
Skills your students will build
- Scottish strathspey and reel rhythms and bow articulations
- Unison melody playing with ensemble precision
- Reading and executing Celtic-style accents and lifts
- Accompanying figures that support rather than compete with the melody
- Maintaining rhythmic drive across repeated harmonic patterns