(To see the full 2022 catalog of sheet music, click here.)

String Orchestra - Advanced Intermediate - Digital Download
Composed and arranged by Martin Lass (ASCAP)

Genre: Folk, Celtic

Score, Set of Parts. 31 pages.

Published by MA Lass & I Lass.

In this Level 3.5 (Intermediate - Advanced) String Orchestra arrangement, Martin Lass has taken the traditional Irish tune, "Morrison's Jig," and elaborated and expanded upon it to create a fun, bouncy series of alternating jigs in rondo form preceded by a short, slow, lyrical introduction.

The original traditional jig is named after Sligo-born, Irish-American fiddler James Morrison, who recorded it in the 1930s. As the story goes, Tom Carmody, who played accordion in Morrison's band, played Morrison this jig the night before the band was to go into the studio. Carmody said that it was his father's jig, called, “The Stick Across the Hob." Morrison transcribed it that night, recorded it with the band the next day, and called it "Maurice Carmody's Favorite." Since then, though, it has become better known simply as "Morrison's Jig."

Players should play the main themes on the string in the middle of the bow, using minimal amount of bow but with strong accents where marked, noting that, being in a compound triple time, the accents often occur on alternating down-bows and up-bows. For this, particularly when playing at speed, it is necessary to maintain a relaxed bowing mechanism at all times. And for this, practice should start very slow and only gradually work up to the marked tempo. Staccato accompaniment figures should preferably be played spiccato. Dynamics should be observed to the letter so that the main melodies are well heard even as they are passed from section to section.

Duration: 3+ mins  (with all repeats and depending on final tempos taken)