Here are music files I've created over the years, mostly in pdf format. Generally, the title of the work links to the score, with parts listed below the description. Feel free to download the files, share them with your friends, use them for any non-commercial purposes you'd like. Just don't do anything to rob me of the glory I deserve for creating them. And let me know if there's anything you find useful or fun, or something that needs to be fixed. You'll need Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to read the pdf files.
Music, Anonymous-Purcell
- anonymous,
medieval dances
- Danse, French, 13th century, arranged for descant recorder with optional percussion and drone
- Saltarello, Italian, 14th century, arranged for descant recorder with optional percussion and drone
- Stantipes, English, 13th century, arranged for 2 descant recorders with optional percussion and drone
- La Quarte Estampie Royal, La Quinte Estampie Real, La Uitime Estampie Real, French, 14th century, arranged for descant recorder with optional percussion and drone.
- anonymous, medieval song, "Foweles in the Frith"
- anonymous, spiritual, "There is a Balm in Gilead", arranged for 1 or 2 soprano voices and tenor recorder
- Bach, Johann Sebastian, chorale: "Es ist genug", SATB choir, optional keyboard. This is one of Bach's most unusual chorale settings. It was used by Bach in the cantata "Ewigkeit, O Donnerwort" and, most famously, in Alban Berg's violin concerto. It is given here with the original German words and an English translation.
- Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann, Sonata 1 for Two Flutes, arranged for treble recorders.
- Buxtehude, Dietrich, Canzonetta, arranged for virtuoso recorder consort.
- Di Venosa, Gesualdo,"Gagliarde del Principe di Venosa"
- keybord reduction
- MIDI
- gamba solo, continuo, and guitar
- score for low consort: treble, tenor, bass, great bass recorders
- Dowland, John, "Flow my Tears", arranged for voice and guitar with optional gamba. One more arrangement of the greatest hit of the Renaissance. This one can also be played along with the first of the Lachrimae Pavans.
- Foster, Stephen, "Ah!
May the Red Rose Live Alway!"
- arranged for voice and guitar
- arranged for voice, flute or treble recorder, and guitar
- voice
- guitar
- flute
- violin instead of flute
- Bb clarinet instead of flute
- A clarinet instead of flute
- MIDI
- Gibbons, Orlando, "The Silver Swan", 5 part madrigal arranged for low recorder consort: treble, 2 tenors, bass, great bass
- Handel, George Frederick.
- Sonata A Minor, HWV 362, for treble recorder and continuo, arranged for treble recorder and guitar.
- Sonata in F Major, HWV 369 for treble recorder and continuo, arranged for treble recorder and guitar.
- Sonata, HWV 366, originally in c-minor for oboe and continuo, arranged in d-minor for descant or tenor recorder and continuo. The continuo part is realized for harpsichord and for guitar.
- recorder
- recorder & continuo, for accompanists who like to play from the figured bass.
- bass
- recorder & harpsichord
- harpsichord part only for 2nd movement, to facilitate page turns.
- recorder & guitar
- guitar part only for 2nd movement, to facilitate page turns.
- Hassler, Hans Leo, Ein Feste Burg. In contrast with J. S. Bach's familar setting of Luther's words, Hassler's earlier setting is peculiarly dancelike. The arrangement permits a variety of settings, e.g. choir a capella, choir doubled by organ and instruments, solo voice with guitar.
- Long, William F.
- Rags. For about five years in the early 70's, Dr. Bill played mostly classic piano ragtime. Eventually he wrote some rags of his own. Here's three of them
- Taco Sauce. Here's a straightforward rag, probably harder to play than it should be.
- Elizabeth's Rag. This was written right after my daughter was born. It's got those central European harmonies crammed into a classic ragtime form.
- Rag Weed. A novelty rag. When allergies tickle the pianist's nose, he just might miss a beat.
- Rags. For about five years in the early 70's, Dr. Bill played mostly classic piano ragtime. Eventually he wrote some rags of his own. Here's three of them
- descants for hymns in the 1982 Episcopal Hymnal
- Wilfurd's Kids. When Dr. Bill's kids were little, he made up stories for them about a bunch of kids and their walrus friend, Wilfurd. These are some little five-finger piano pieces about their adventures.
- Machaut, Guillaume de, "Mes Esperis", arranged for three recorders.
- Matteis, Nicola, Examples from The False Consonances of Musick. These examples show how one 17th century guitarist approached accompaniment from a figured bass.
- Monteverdi, Claudio, "Zefiro Torna", for 2 tenors and continuo. I've changed the time signatures to make the music easier to read, and added some figures to the recitative sections to make it easier for the continuo players. The continuo is not realized so the player will have something to think about during all those ostinato sections.
- Morely, Thomas, "Miraculous Love's Wounding" for two alto or two bass recorders.
- Praetorius, Michael. Some of Praetorius' greatest hits arranged from Terpsichore for gamba and guitar, with an optional and anachronistic figured bass for keyboard players. Use these as solos or in combination with a consort.
- Purcell, Henry. Songs from Orpheus Britannicus, a collection of his songs published after Purcell's death. The songs below include all those apt for recorders, plus several I just like.
- "The bashful Thames" from Yorkshire Feast Song, 1690, Z333/3, for soprano, two alto recorders, and basso continuo.
- "Charon the peacefull Shade invites" from The Prophetess, 1690, Z627/6, for soprano, two alto recorders, and basso continuo.
- "Hark! each Tree its silence breaks" from Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day, 1692, Z328/3, for counter-tenor (alto), tenor, two alto recorders, two violins, and basso continuo.
- "Hark! how the songsters of the grove" from Timon of Athens, 1692, Z632/2, two sopranos, two alto recorders, and basso continuo.
- "Hence! Hence! Hence with your trifling deity" from Timon of Athens, 1694, Z632/5 for bass, two alto recorders (or oboes), and basso continuo.
- "In vain the am'rous Flute" from Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, 1692, Z328/10, for two sopranos, two alto recorders (optional), and basso continuo.
- "Let all Mankind the Pleasure Share" from Dioclesian, 1690, Z627/8, for soprano, bass, and basso continuo.
- "Love thou art best of Humane joys" from The Female Virtuosos, 1963, Z596/1, for two sopranos and basso continuo
Music, Purcell(continued)-Zachow
- "Musick for a while" from Oedipus, 1692, Z583/2, for soprano and basso continuo.
- "Nymphs and Shepherds come away" from The Libertine, 1692, Z600/1, for soprano and basso continuo
- "O let me weep!" from The Fairy-Queen, 1689, Z629/40 for soprano, alto recorder (or violin), and basso continuo
- "Return fond Muse" from Celebrate this festival, 1693, Z321/16, for alto, two alto recorders, bass recorder, and basso continuo.
- "Shepherd Leave Decoying" from King Arthur, 1692, Z628/16, for two sopranos, two alto recorders, and basso continuo.
- "Since the toils and hazards of war" from The Prophetess, 1690, Z627/13bc, for soprano, two alto recorders, and basso continuo.
- "Sing, sing, ye Druids" from Bonduca, 1695, Z574/13, for two sopranos, two alto recorders, and basso continuo.
- "Strike the Viol" from Come ye Sons of Art, 1694, Z232/5, for soprano or alto and basso continuo
- "They Shall Be happy" from The Fairy-Queen, 1689, Z629/50e, for two sopranos, bass, and basso continuo.
- "Turn then Thine Eyes", Z425, for tow sopranos(tenors), and basso continuo
- "What a sad Fate", Z428, for soprano(tenor), and basso continuo
- "What can we poor Females do", Z429, for soprano, bass (optional), and basso continuo.
- "When the Cock begins to Crow", ZD 172, for two sopranos, bass, and basso continuo.
- "Why Shou'd Men Quarrel" from The Indian Queen, 1695, Z630/4d, for soprano, 2 alto recorders, and basso continuo.
- Ravenscroft, Thomas.
- "Remember Thou, O Man" for SATB choir with optional, inauthentic guitar part. This versatile song can be performed in Advent, Christmas Season, or Epiphany in a variety of arrangements, e.g. a capella, solo voice with guitar, choir with guitar, choir with recorders, even with low percussion.
- Two rounds, "He that will an alehouse keep" and "New oysters" set for "F" recorders and/or low voices.
- Sacred Harp. The songs below are printed out in round notes, in singable keys, and with the words under the appropriate notes. It takes some of the fun out of Sacred Harp singing, but it's a lot easier for the uninitiated.
- Schütz, Heinrich
- Psalm 29: "Bringt her dem Herren". This setting by Schütz is for voice and continuo. I've added a realization of the continuo for guitar, added figures to the bass to make it consistent with the guitar part, and written parts for an optional SAB choir. I've posted two versions, one in C Major, the original key, suitable for a mezzo-soprano, and one in Eb Major, suitable for a soprano.
- C Major (original key)
- Eb Major
- Psalm 34: "Ich will den herren loben allezeit, SWV306". This setting by Schütz is for high voice and continuo. I've added a realization of the continuo for guitar, added figures to the bass to make it consistent with the guitar part, and written parts for an optional SAB choir.
- Psalm 29: "Bringt her dem Herren". This setting by Schütz is for voice and continuo. I've added a realization of the continuo for guitar, added figures to the bass to make it consistent with the guitar part, and written parts for an optional SAB choir. I've posted two versions, one in C Major, the original key, suitable for a mezzo-soprano, and one in Eb Major, suitable for a soprano.
- Susato, Tielman. Some of Susato's greatest hits from Dansereye arranged for gamba and guitar, with an optional and anachronistic figured bass for keyboard players. Use these as solos or in combination with a consort.
- von Wolkenstein, Oswald--"der May", a virtuoso song that, with all its springtime birdcalls, makes a nice recorder solo.
- descant recorder
- accompaniment
- treble clef (for guitar, recorder, krummhorn, etc.)
- alto clef (for viol or viola)
- MIDI
- Weelkes, Thomas--"Tan Ta Ra Ran Tan Tant", 3 part madrigal arranged for soprano, alto, and tenor voices or low recorder consort: tenor, bass, great bass
- Wilbye, John--"Adew Sweet Amaryllis", 4 part madrigal arranged for low recorder consort: treble, tenor, bass, great bass
- Zachow, Wilhelm--"Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich" her, a chorale prelude arranged for treble, tenor, and bass recorders.
Miscellaneous Items
- Guitar Alphabet a table of chords for the baroque guitar.
- Introduction to Embellishment of Renaissance Music, a short course on the subject, mainly for recorder players.
- Recorder with Musical Glasses Obligato, an article about optical solutions for aging musicians