Repertoire: Classical, Popular Music, and Beyond
We are primarily classical musicians. Each instrumental combination in classical music has its own literature written by the greatest composers designed to make best use of its particular sonorities. The breadth of the classical literature can be daunting, but Music Director Brian Clague will be delighted to assist you in selecting music appropriate to your tastes and to the ensemble you select. The Fensgate Chamber Players library of classical literature is extensive.
Some clients want to hear their favorite popular tunes, and to help meet that interest, we have written a nice collection of arrangements of songs for you to enjoy. Additionally, we are pleased to offer free one simplified arrangement of a favorite pop song per engagement, assuming the song is suitable for our instruments and that a piano/vocal score is readily available. Melody is key - if you can hum the song in the shower and it makes sense without the words, we can probably make it sound well with classical instruments. We necessarily reserve our right to decline to perform pieces which we believe will not sound well, or that we believe are not appropriate to the occasion or venue. Classical instruments will not be able to replicate the stadium sound of amplified lead and rhythm guitars, drums and bass. Song that rely heavily upon rhythm guitar, arpeggiated piano, and songs that rely on lyrics rather than melody do not usually translate well. We have the experience to tell you in advance whether or not a given tune will successfully translate to classical instruments.
Our special arrangements have brought joy to many who have requested them, and we are constantly expanding our popular repertoire to build on those results.
Here is a list of popular music we have already arranged:
A Taste of Honey (TQ)
A Thousand Years
Adventure of a Lifetime
All The Things You Are
All You Need Is Love
Amazing Day
The Anchor (Bastille)
Ashokan Farewell
Ask
At Last (TQ)
Beauty and the Beast
Benedictus (Jenkins)
Best Day of My Life
Bittersweet Symphony
Born This Way
Bridgerton Theme
Butterfly Waltz
Can You Feel the Love Tonight
Can’t Help Falling In Love
Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You
Carry On
Cigarette Daydreams
Do You Realize (Flaming Lips)
Edelweiss
Eleanor Rigby
Electric Love
Everlong
Feather Song (Forrest Gump)
Feels So Good (TQ)
Fix You
Fly Robin Fly
Formula One Theme
Game of Thrones
God Only Knows
Hallelujia
Harry Potter
Heart and Bones
Here Comes the Sun
Here There and Everywhere
The Homecoming
Hoppipolla
Hymne (Vangelis)
I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing
I Dreamed A Dream
I Think We’re Alone Now
I Will
Ice Castles
I’ll Be (McCain)
I’m Yours (Mraz)
In My Life
Just Like Heaven
Kiss Me (Sixpence)
Legends of the Fall
Love Story
Lovers in Japan
Make You Feel My Love
Maria (Sound of Music)
Married Life (Up)
Marry Me (Train)
Marry You (Mars)
Michelle
Moon River
My Girl
Now We Are Free (TQ)
Old Cape Cod
One Hand, One Heart
Open Your Heart
Over the Rainbow
Penny Lane
Pictures of You
The Prayer
Pure Imagination
Raider’s March
Rainbow Connection (ST&TQ)
Rise (TQ)
Scientist
Something
Some Enchanted Evening
Stand By Me
Starlight (Muse)
Sweet Caroline
Sweet Child of Mine
A Taste of Honey (TQ)
A Thousand Years
The Way You Look Tonight
Through The Eyes of Love
Tonight, Tonight
Tumbalalaika
Turning Page
Viva La Vida
When I’m Sixty Four
Where Has Time Gone
What A Wonderful World
Wildest Dreams
Wonderful Tonight
You Are So Beautiful
You Are The Reason
You Raise Me Up
It is important to note that some of the listed arrangements were written specifically for processional or recessional purposes and are therefore of short duration. It is also very important to note that not all arrangements are available for every combination of instruments. For example, very few pop tunes work well as a duet.
Other Arrangements
In addition to the tunes listed above, we have nice collections of Gershwin, Porter, Joplin, Rogers and Hammerstein, Leroy Anderson, Tangos, and beautiful religious literature from both the Christian and Hebraic traditions.
Vitamin String Quartet
People often request music by the Vitamin String Quartet. These excellent VSQ arrangements are usually totally proprietary, are seldom available, and when available are very expensive. We are pleased to perform them for clients who wish to purchase them. To save our clients money, rather than have folks incur additional expenses, we have elected to write our own arrangements for your enjoyment.