Nursery Rhyme Suite

The "Nursery Rhyme Suite" grew from very humble beginnings. After playing some simple nursery rhymes for my kids on piano I would get bored and start to alter the harmonies. I came up with some ideas I found interesting and developed them into short pieces for wind quintet. The suite consists of five variations on familiar nursery rhymes. I call these:

1. "Twinkle Wrinkle" (variation on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
2. "Three Sublime Mice" (variation on Three Blind Mice)
3. "The Really Tiny Arachnid" (variation on The Itsy Bitsy Spider)
4. "Who Popped The Weasel?" (variation on Pop Goes the Weasel)
5. "This Old Rag?" (variation on This Old Man)

The suite (or selections thereof) would be especially appropriate for Children's concerts or a child's recital. Most of the pieces are a reimagining of the original tune, as opposed to typical variations. Some are more true to the original, while others inject new material and developmental themes.

The suite is not technically difficult, but does require attention to detail and a focus on musicality.

I've tried to create interest through mode, tempo, key changes, jazz inspired chords, changes in feel (some calypso in there!) and other techniques. I hope you enjoy playing this piece as much as I did writing it.