Kendor Music Inc. Skyfleet Traders - Arnett - String Orchestra - Gr. 4

Composer: Matt Arnett
Format: Score and Parts
Instrumentation: String Orchestra
Grade: 4

Through music, composer Matt Arnett has crafted a vision of a fantastical floating city, busy with commerce as airships come and go, and crew members seek their fortunes. Written in ABA form, this adventure-packed work also features a lyrical middle section.

Program Notes
When naming a new work, I often have my wife, Stephanie, listen to it and tell me what she thinks about as she listens. She thought this piece sounded like flying; I thought it sounded like a hero's adventure. As I put those two ideas together, I pictured a floating city busy with commerce and industry, with great sailing ships coming and going. Aboard one of those ships is our young hero: a new crewman eager to make a mark on the world. Theirs is the story I hear as I listen to "Skyfleet Traders" (side note: I read a lot of fantasy).

The piece follows an ABA form, with the middle section much slower and smoother than the rest of the music. This section should contrast sharply in style and energy-really lean into the expressive opportunities! In the fast sections, I haven't ever marked spiccato, but it may help with balance to play the staccato eighth notes off the string in softer passages-I leave that choice to the Director. The piece requires quite a bit of shifting; recommended fingerings are marked throughout.

May your voyage be a profitable one, and the winds see you swiftly back to port.