Wabash Cannonball With Great Rock Island Route Intro (For Cello Quartet to Cello Choir) Small Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1708007

Mixed Level Cello Quartet to Four-Part Cello Choir -

The Wabash Cannonball is a popular bluegrass piece about a train. In this fun arrangement, the Wabash Cannonball can be played alone, by starting following the double bar, at Rehearsal Letter C. Great Rock Island Route, used here as an introduction to the Wabash Cannonball, was written by J. A. Roff in 1882, and was reportedly the predecessor to the Wabash Cannonball. The Tune, Wabash Cannonball, was written by William Kindt in 1904. This popular Bluegrass tune has been recorded by many artists including The Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, Boxcar Willie, and Mac Wiseman. Here both are arranged for Mixed Level Cello Quartet to Four-Part Cello Choir by Dina H. L. Slechta.

The Cello 4 Part is entirely an open string part, for the participation of beginning cellists. The Cello 3 Part is written entirely in bass clef. In the Great Rock Island Route section, there are some extensions. Otherwise the Cello 3 part can be played by a late Suzuki Volume 1 Level cellist or above. The Cello 2 part is written entirely in bass clef, and sports the popular train whistle, using smears. There are some extensions in the Great Rock Island Route portion, as well as hooked bows, offering reinforcement of the hooked bowing technique for late Suzuki Volume 1 cellists or above. The Cello 1 part is written in bass and treble clefs, offering reinforcement of stationary thumb position for Suzuki Volume 6 Level cellists or above. Natural Harmonics are used for the sounds of a level crossing bell, as the train approaches, passes, and pulls away from the crossing.

Rehearsal letters and optional endings allow for flexibility. The Great Rock Island Route could be played separately. The earlier sections of Wabash Cannonball are slower and easier, so could be played by younger students, with the option to add more sections as they grow and become more advanced, adding speed and rhythmic difficulty, including a jazzy blues version.

The lyrics are provided for the first verse and chorus of the Wabash Cannonball as a separate melody and lyrics page for audience participation or addition of a vocalist. This corresponds with rehearsal letters D to F, with the train sounds intro starting at letter C.

Includes Cover, Score, Parts, and Melody and Lyrics Page - Total 43 Pages.