Mr Michael Horton

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Country:
Australia

I'm inordinately fond of Irish folk music. My first attempt at serious composition was a jig, as have a good half of the pieces I've written since. Unfortunately, I have no imagination when it comes to naming music, so name my work after assorted chemical formulae. This would surprise my chemistry lecturers at the University of Tasmania, who would be the first people to point out that chemistry was not my strong point.

General notes about these scores

• They were written for a string orchestra with no violists, and a string quartet with no third violin. Both are playable.
• Most of the first violin parts work on their own or with guitar accompaniment.
• Separate parts are available for every instrument - see the links at the bottom of the music pages.

Playing jigs

Jigs are easier than they look. Play near the middle of the bow with short, sharp strokes and a slight accent on each beat. Open strings are acceptable; only use fourth finger when it's easier to do so. If you're playing fast enough, your audience shouldn't notice the open strings anyway.

Extracting parts

Please, if you're writing music for SibeliusMusic, extract and post the individual parts. If you work through the Sibelius "Parts Window" it takes under five minutes and makes performing your music much easier.