To the Feast!: 1st Violin
By Richard Meyer
Grade: 4
Item: 00-PC-0019289_VN1
$3.00
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Description
Music is on the menu in this tour de force for the advanced string orchestra! In To the Feast!, by Richard Meyer, all of your students get a seat at the table as the joyful melodies are tossed from section to section in a merry celebration that features flurries of scales, shifting time signatures (including a rollicking 7/8 section), and tasty modal harmonies. From the first note to the last, this selection will surely provide non-stop excitement for everyone on stage and out in the hall! (4:00)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, To the Feast!: 1st Violin 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 Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0019289_VN1
More about this title
About the Composer: Richard Meyer
Richard Meyer spent 35 years in the public school classroom, building one of Southern California's most impressive string programs at Oak Avenue Intermediate School. What began with 29 students grew to 200 under his direction, and he simultaneously oversaw the city's elementary string initiative. His "Giving Bach" program, launched in 2009, became nationally recognized for using interactive concerts to reach special needs and underserved students across Southern California.
Beyond the classroom, Meyer has conducted the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra for 16 years, taking students to perform in New York, Washington D.C., Vienna, Australia, and Canada. He remains a prolific composer with nearly 200 published works and arrangements, served 16 years as string editor for Alfred Publishing Company, and co-authored the String Explorer Series and Sight-read It for Strings. He is a frequent clinician at major conferences including the A.S.T.A. National Conference, Texas Orchestra Directors' Association, and honor orchestra workshops across multiple states.
Why we love this
Meyer understands exactly what keeps an advanced string orchestra engaged: constant melodic motion, rhythmic variety that demands focus, and the satisfaction of ensemble work where every voice matters. The shifting meters (especially that spirited 7/8 section) and modal colors give your orchestra something genuinely musical to sink their teeth into, not just technical display. A four-minute piece that earns its standing ovation.
What to expect
Imagine a dinner where the conversation never stops, ideas leap from person to person, and everyone at the table is laughing. The melodies tumble across the sections with infectious joy, modal harmonies add a slightly unexpected warmth, and those scale flourishes sparkle. It's sophisticated enough to engage your best players but buoyant enough to feel like pure fun.
Who it's for
Advanced string orchestras ready to tackle shifting meters and modal harmony without sacrificing accessibility. Your ensemble gets meaningful work on rhythm and tonal color while audiences experience a genuine celebration of ensemble playing, not a technical gauntlet.
How to get the most out of it
- Emphasize the hand-offs between sections. The joy of this piece lives in the exchanges of melodic material, so rehearse with clear section releases and entries to keep that celebratory back-and-forth snappy and visible to the audience.
- Prepare your violins for the scale passages that dart through the texture. These moments demand evenness of bow speed and finger articulation; they're the "flurries" that give the piece its energy.
- Lock the rhythmic precision early in rehearsal, especially around the 7/8 section. Once your ensemble trusts the meter, the modal harmonies will land with their intended warmth rather than uncertainty.
- Keep the overall tempo buoyant. This piece celebrates in real time, and a tempo that's too measured will deflate the infectious spirit Meyer has built into the arc.
How to use it
This works beautifully as a closer on a concert, especially one featuring more serious repertoire. The four-minute length and undeniable charm make it an excellent festival or competition selection for showcasing both your orchestra's technical chops and their ability to communicate genuine musicality.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing mixed meters (7/8 alongside standard time signatures)
- Trading melodic material between sections with clarity and ensemble precision
- Performing scale passages with consistent tone and rhythmic evenness
- Responding to modal harmonic color and tonal variety
- Maintaining pulse and style independence within a fast-moving texture