Description

Instrumentation: Flute 1, Flute 2 / Descant Recorder, Clarinet in Bb, Violin, Accordion / Piano / Guitar and Bass.

The Vandals of Hammerwich is a traditional Morris dance tune from the Cotswold tradition, danced by the Lichfield Morris Men, featuring the use of long sticks. It is to be played at quite a steady pace, perhaps even a little slower than the suggested tempo indication given, and this arrangement follows the same pattern as my others, as far as traditional-style music is concerned, in being for a flexible group of instruments, adaptable to the resources available. The basics are for the melody line – always found here in the Accordion part – and a good rhythmic support.

In the traditional dance, the first section (or ‘A’ music) is not repeated, but I thought it would make for a more balanced arrangement if it were here. The four other melody instruments have varying degrees of decoration at different stages of the piece with, perhaps, the most challenging line being that of the violin.

As with all other arrangements in this series, it is suitable for general ensemble work and also at KS3 and GCSE levels, given appropriate resources. It would lend itself to submission as the Ensemble part of a GCSE performance, the Level of Demand dependent upon the part being assessed.