Recorder ensemble music

For ideas for young groups just starting to play recorder ensemble music you should look at our recorder music for beginners page

Composer and oboist, Andrew Challinger, who studied with Janet Craxton and read music at Cambridge, has quite a following around the world with some remarkable and exciting recorder performances on YouTube.

Ballads, Blues and Riffs (in the video, right) employs the whole range of instruments and makes a spectacular show piece. You can buy the sheet music here

Mirror Ball, can be played by a large group or with an ensemble of six soloists

Three Miniatures are more contained and have a wonderful fluidity about them. Andrew Challinger writes “These were conceived as studies in ensemble playing. The notes are straight forward but co-ordination needs working on. Well worth the effort.”

Clement Jewitt has made his mark both musically and philosophically. His Sonata is full sized concert work for recorder quartet. The basically diatonic structure is packed with ingenious contrasts and some tongue-in-cheek baroque references – an appealing concert work in 4 movements. Click here to see a sample page and buy the music.

Jewitt’s wonderfully playable transcriptions for recorder ensemble of Three Motets from the 13th Century and his Renaissance Pavans can make for a breathtaking moment of beauty in any concert.

Finally, his arrangements for recorder quartet of Bach’s Air from Suite 3 “Air on a G string” and the less well known Andante from Brandenburg concerto no 2 are joyous to play as the recorders flow and weave around Bach’s exquisite counterpoint – truly a work to hold an audience spellbound.

See our full range of recorder solo and ensemble music