Two Songs from Sommerset: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Waly, Waly unfolds with the unhurried grace of a folk melody that's been sung for generations, its flowing lines suggesting water moving through a Somerset valley. Blow Away the Morning Dew pivots sharply into sunlit playfulness, skipping and bouncing with the lightness of morning work songs.

Directors building a Grade 3 concert program who want regional flavor without wrestling with unfamiliar harmonic language. This works equally well for groups deepening their folk tune literacy or for ensembles seeking a modest, musically satisfying double bill.

• Balance the flowing melody in Waly, Waly by rotating who carries the tune across your sections; this prevents any single voice from tiring and keeps the line singing throughout.
• In Blow Away the Morning Dew, articulation clarity matters more than volume. Light, precise attacks in the bouncy passages will make the energy pop without sacrificing control.
• Let the contrast between pieces breathe. A genuine pause between movements gives both the ensemble and audience a moment to reset before the mood shift.

Book this as a contrasting pair in any concert where you want to showcase your ensemble's stylistic range without programming unrelated material. The two pieces function as a natural suite and require a single rehearsal block, making them efficient for fall or spring programs.

• Sustaining long melodic lines with consistent tone
• Playing with rhythmic buoyancy and articulation clarity
• Responding to mood and tempo contrasts within a single rehearsal unit
• Balancing ensemble texture when melody migrates between sections