My Favourite Melodies

Following her successful soprano recorder volume, Sarah Jeffery now presents ‘My Favourite Melodies’ for treble recorder. This unique collection includes a wide range of pieces, from medieval melodies and Renaissance pieces with their own diminutions to famous baroque works and classical and romantic arrangements. In addition, the volume contains two contemporary compositions that demonstrate the versatile sound spectrum of the alto recorder. Each piece has been carefully selected to encourage enjoyment and to explore the different tonal colours of this versatile instrument.

The accompanying lessons by Sarah Jeffery on YouTube, in which she plays pieces from the book, make it possible to play many parts of the arrangements in a relatively short learning time. The downloadable accompaniments and tips for each piece in the edition are also helpful.

A personal selection by Sarah Jeffery

Sarah Jeffery, an acclaimed recorder player and dedicated promoter of both early and contemporary music, has channelled her passion and expertise into this project. She is known worldwide for her performances and educational work, which she complements through her YouTube channel ‘Team Recorder’. With over 200,000 subscribers, she has built a global community that includes both amateurs and professional musicians. Her work on this channel, as well as her teaching at the Royal College of Music in London, where she specialises in contemporary music, underlines her commitment to music education and cultural exchange.

Innovative approach and global reach

This sheet music edition is ideal for players of all levels who want to expand their repertoire and delve deeper into the world of recorder music. Each piece in ‘My Favourite Melodies’ is not only a musical discovery, but also an expression of Jeffery's vision to establish the recorder as a versatile and expressive instrument.

Discover the musical diversity in ‘My Favourite Melodies’

In this sheet music edition you will find a fascinating selection of pieces that present the alto recorder in different musical contexts. For example, ‘Off to California’, a lively traditional hornpipe, introduces you to the world of folk music, while ‘Estampie quarta’, a medieval dance form, demonstrates the rhythmic diversity of early music. Holborne's ‘The Fairie Round’ conveys the Renaissance style with its playful and delicate melodies and John Dowland's ‘Lachrimae Pavane (Flow my Tears)’ shows just how profound Baroque music can be. ‘Les Folies d'Espagne’ is full of variations and shows how virtuosic and free improvisation was. The ‘Largo (from: Winter)’ from the ‘Four Seasons’ is a good example of the expressive and picturesque quality of Vivaldi's music.

Other highlights include Bach's ‘Badinerie’, which conveys lively and sparkling energy. Mozart's aria of the Queen of the Night (from ‘The Magic Flute’) also demands technical finesse from the players. And Saint-Saëns' “The Swan (from: The Carnival of the Animals)” is lyrical and gentle and brings out the warm timbre of the alto recorder wonderfully. The final piece is ‘Prelude: The Seafront (from: Vallum Mare: an Adventure Suite)’, which introduces contemporary compositional techniques. Here we experience an atmospheric and pictorial musical landscape.