Distanced Repertoire for Orchestra or Ensemble: up to 20 players

During these unprecedented times, performance plans may need to be adapted to fit within new restrictions that vary from country to country. With that in mind, we have curated lists of selected works for smaller performing groups.

The repertoire suggestions below can be performed by up to 20 players. Groups of this number are permitted to gather in some countries already, hopefully with other countries to follow as circumstances and rules allow – with appropriate distancing of course.

Please explore works for small orchestra, for ensemble, works with soloists whether local or principal players, works for orchestral sections, and works with voice.

We are happy to supply perusal scores and audio links to conductors and programmers as required, so please contact your local Boosey & Hawkes office: composers.uk@booseycom; [email protected]; [email protected].

Also explore our repertoire for:
> Chamber orchestra or large ensemble with 21 to 50 players
> String orchestra or ensemble up to 20 or 50 players
> Arrangements of classic works for ensemble
> Chamber opera with ensemble

Works for small chamber orchestra or ensemble (up to 20 players)

Michel van der Aa
Imprint 14'
for Baroque orchestra

Mask 15'
for ensemble and soundtrack

John Adams
Chamber Symphony 23'
for chamber orchestra

Scratchband 12'
for amplified ensemble

Son of Chamber Symphony 23'
for chamber ensemble

Louis Andriessen
Hoketus 25'
for two groups of five instrumentalists

Workers Union 25'
for any loud-sounding group of instruments

Béla Bartók, arr. Joolz Gale
Dance Suite 17'
arranged for chamber ensemble

Beethoven, arr. Brett Dean
Adagio molto e mesto (3rd movement of op.59 no.1) 12'
arranged for chamber orchestra

Leonard Bernstein, arr. Garth Edwin Sunderland
Fancy Free 27'
chamber version for 18 players

Oscar Bettison
Livre des Sauvages 30'
for large ensemble

Harrison Birtwistle
Bach Measures 23'
for chamber orchestra or ensemble

5 Lessons in a Frame 20'
for 13 players

Fantasia upon all the notes 9'
for ensemble

Benjamin Britten
Sinfonietta 15'
for ten instruments or small orchestra

Elliott Carter
Asko Concerto 12'
for ensemble

Enrico Chapela
Li Po 10'
for chamber orchestra

Unsuk Chin
Fanfare chimérique 14'
for two ensembles of wind and brass with electronics

Gougalon (Scenes from a Street Theater) 24'
for ensemble

Xi 23'
for ensemble and electronics

Aaron Copland
Appalachian Spring 25'
Suite for 13 instruments

Sebastian Currier
Eleven Moons 21'
for soprano, flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, cello, piano, percussion

Brett Dean
Dream Sequence 16'
music for ensemble

Bernd Richard Deutsch
Dr. Futurity 23'
for ensemble

Mad Dog 20'
for ensemble

Detlev Glanert
Mahler/Skizze (Mahler/Sketch) 9'
for ensemble

HK Gruber
Zeitfluren (Timescapes) 23'
for ensemble or small orchestra

Barbara Kolb
The Web Spinner 10'
for chamber orchestra

Benjamin Lees
Concertante Breve 16'
for chamber orchestra

Magnus Lindberg
Counter Phrases 6'
for chamber ensemble

Jubilees 15'
for chamber orchestra or ensemble

Souvenir 25'
for large ensemble

David T. Little
haunted topography 8'
for sinfonietta

Steven Mackey
Triceros 18'
for chamber orchestra

Peter Maxwell Davies
A Mirror of Whitening Light 22'
for ensemble

Serge Prokofieff, arr. Terry Davies
Romeo and Juliet 100'
reduced version for fifteen players

Steve Reich
Eight Lines 17'
for chamber orchestra

Runner 16'
for large ensemble

Music for 18 Musicians 58'
for ensemble

City Life 24'
for ensemble

Ned Rorem
Concertino da Camera 18'
for harpsichord and seven instruments

Symphony No.2 18'
for orchestra

Kurt Schwertsik
Verwandlungsmusik (Transformation Scenes) 21'
for ensemble

Sean Shepherd
These Particular Circumstances 18'
for sinfonietta orchestra

Mark Simpson
Geysir 8'
for 13 wind instruments or 12 wind instruments and double bass

Straw Dogs 9'
for mixed ensemble (14 players)

Ana Sokolovic
…and I need a room to receive five thousand people with raised glasses... 15'
for chamber orchestra

Ciaccona 15'
for chamber ensemble

Cinq locomotives et quelques animaux 15'
for chamber ensemble

Géométrie sentimentale 15’
for chamber ensemble (15 players)

Hymne pour le 60e anniversaire du centre d’arts d’Orford 4'
for string ensemble and percussion

Il divertimento barocco 13'
for baroque flute, violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord

Jeu des portraits 14'
for chamber ensemble (15 players)

Nonet 8'
for strings and piano

Claude Vivier
Deva et Asura 15'
for 2 wind quintets, brass quintet and string quintet

Claude Vivier, arr. Rea
Pulau Dewata 12'
arranged for chamber orchestra (two versions available)

Isang Yun
Impression 13'
for small orchestra

Konzertante Figuren 20'
for small orchestra

Also explore ensemble works published by Sikorski.

Works with soloist (up to 20 players)

Michel van der Aa
Hysteresis 17'
for solo clarinet, ensemble and soundtrack

John Adams
Gnarly Buttons 26'
for clarinet and small orchestra

Dominick Argento
Divertimento 17'
for solo piano and strings

Oscar Bettison
Pale Icons of Night 25'
for solo violin and ensemble

Harrison Birtwistle
Slow Frieze 16'
for piano and ensemble

Benjamin Britten
Lachrymae 15'
for solo viola and strings

Anna Clyne
Rest These Hands 15'
for violin and string ensemble

Michael Daugherty
Le Tombeau de Liberace 16'
for piano and small orchestra

Brett Dean
Approach 12'
Prelude to a Canon - to be performed attacca as an introductory movement before Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.6, BWV 1051

Etüdenfest 10'
for piano and string orchestra

The Siduri Dances 10'
for solo flute and string orchestra

Bernd Richard Deutsch
Oboe Concerto 22'
for oboe and 11 instruments

Irving Fine
Notturno 15'
for strings and harp

Gerald Finzi
Clarinet Concerto 26'
for clarinet and strings

Five Bagatelles 14'
arranged for clarinet and strings

Interlude 8'
version for oboe and string orchestra

Osvaldo Golijov
The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind 33'
for clarinet (or klezmer clarinet) and string orchestra

Henryk Mikolaj Górecki
Kleines Requiem für eine Polka 25'
for piano and 13 instruments

HK Gruber
3 MOB Pieces 11'
arranged for solo trumpet and small orchestra

Cello Concerto 22'
Concerto in one movement for cello and ensemble (or small orchestra)

Nebelsteinmusik 16'
for violin and strings

Sofia Gubaidulina
Impromptu 18'
for flute, violin and strings

Robin Holloway
Romanza 15'
for oboe and string orchestra

Elena Kats-Chernin
Concertino 17'
for solo violin and ensemble

Barbara Kolb
Voyants 20'
for piano and chamber orchestra

Steven Mackey
Humble River 27'
for flute and string orchestra

James MacMillan
Concertino for Horn and Strings 15'
arrangement for horn and string orchestra

Kiss on Wood 9'
arranged for cello and string orchestra

Seraph 15'
for trumpet and string orchestra

Tuireadh 22'
arranged for clarinet and string orchestra

Bohuslav Martinu, arr.Benjamin Wallfisch
Variations on a theme of Rossini 7'
arranged for cello and string orchestra

Peter Maxwell Davies
Farewell to Stromness 4'
arrangement for solo cello and string orchestra

Strathclyde Concerto No.5 35'
double concerto for violin, viola and string orchestra

Olga Neuwirth
locus...doublure...solus (ensemble version) 25'
for solo piano and ensemble

...miramondo multiplo... (ensemble version) 19'
for solo trumpet and ensemble

Andrzej Panufnik
Concertino 15'
for timpani, percussion and strings

Hommage à Chopin 15'
for flute and small string orchestra

Sinfonia Concertante (Symphony No.4) 23'
for flute, harp and strings

Steve Reich
Duet 5'
for two solo violins and string ensemble or string orchestra

Kurt Schwertsik
Now you hear me, now you don't 15'
for marimba and strings

Mark Simpson
Nur Musik 8'
for oboe and ensemble

Ana Sokolovic
Concerto pour basson et sept cordes graves 12'
for solo bassoon and low strings

Evta 30'
for violin and chamber ensemble

Girandole des danses imaginaires 13'
for solo violin, strings, and piano

Igor Stravinsky, arr. Benjamin Wallfisch
Suite Italienne 15'
arranged for solo cello and string orchestra

Igor Stravinsky, arr. James Ledger
Le Baiser de la Fée (The Fairy's Kiss) - Divertimento 24'
arrangement for violin and string orchestra

Mark-Anthony Turnage
Nocturne 8'
for trumpet and strings

Romanian Rhapsody 10'
for solo violin and ensemble

Works for orchestral sections (up to 20 players)

Brett Dean
Testament 14'
music for twelve violas

Twelve Angry Men 18'
for twelve cellos

Night's Journey 12'
for four trombones

HK Gruber
Anagramm für 6 Celli 6'
for six cellos

Elena Kats-Chernin
Charleston Noir 8'
version for double bass quartet

Magnus Lindberg
Ottoni 13'
for brass ensemble

James MacMillan
Exsultet 8'
for brass quintet and optional percussion

Fanfare Upon One Note 2'
for orchestral brass

Intercession 7'
for 3 oboes

They saw the stone had been rolled away 6'
Fanfare for brass and percussion

Steve Reich
Cello Counterpoint (ensemble version) 11'
version for cello octet

Christopher Rouse
Artemis 4'
for brass quintet

Rapturedux 8'
for multiple violoncelli (in eight parts)

Kurt Schwertsik
Fanfare for an Uncommon Man 1'
for brass quintet

Mike Svoboda
Music for Trombone and Brass Ensemble 18'

Dowland Suite 16'
for brass quintet

Mark-Anthony Turnage
Out of Black Dust 12'
for brass ensemble

Works with voice (up to 20 players)

Michel van der Aa
Here [in circles] 15'
for soprano and ensemble

Louis Andriessen
Anaïs Nin 30'
for singer (amplified), ensemble and film

M is for Man, Music, Mozart 30'
for jazz singer and ensemble, available with optional video (film by Peter Greenaway)

Jack Beeson
Ophelia Sings 13'
for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble

Leonard Bernstein, arr. Bright Sheng
Arias and Barcarolles 31'
for mezzo-soprano, baritone, strings and percussion

Leonard Bernstein, arr. Bruce Coughlin
Arias and Barcarolles 31'
for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and chamber orchestra

Johannes Brahms, arr. Eberhard Kloke
Vier ernste Gesänge (Four Serious Songs) 11'
transcription for baritone/alto and ensemble

Benjamin Britten
Les Illuminations 21'
for high voice and strings

Serenade 24'
for tenor, horn, and strings

Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal 5'
for tenor, horn, and strings

Three Songs for Les Illuminations 8'
orchestration for high voice and strings by Colin Matthews

Elliott Carter
The American Sublime 14'
for baritone and ensemble

On Conversing with Paradise 12'
for baritone and ensemble

A Sunbeam's Architecture 11'
song cycle for tenor and chamber orchestra

In Sleep, in Thunder 20'
for tenor and 14 instrumentalists

What Are Years 12'
for soprano and chamber ensemble

Unsuk Chin
Puzzles and Games from Alice in Wonderland (ensemble version) 20'
for soprano and ensemble

Anna Clyne
Blush 13'
for baritone, laptop and chamber ensemble

David Del Tredici
Acrostic Song 4'
for soprano and 11 instruments

Haddocks' Eyes 20'
for soprano and 10 instruments

Alberto Ginastera
Cantata para America Magica 25'
for soprano and ensemble

Serenata 30'
for baritone, cello, and chamber ensemble

HK Gruber
Frankenstein!! (ensemble version) 28'
A pan-demonium for baritone chansonnier and ensemble after children's rhymes

Serge Prokofieff, arr. David Matthews
Peter and the Wolf 27'
arranged for narrator and chamber ensemble

Erik Satie, arr. Martin Christoph Redel
Sports et Divertissements 15'
for ensemble, speaker (opt.) and projections (opt.)

Richard Strauss, arr. James Ledger
Four Last Songs 22'
arranged for soprano and ensemble

Richard Strauss, arr. Eberhard Kloke
Four Last Songs 20'
transcription for soprano and ensemble

Richard Wagner, arr. Robin Holloway
Blooms of Passion 28'
arrangement of the Wesendonck Lieder for voice and string orchestra

Richard Wagner, arr. Eberhard Kloke
Wesendonck-Lieder 24'
transcription and paraphrase for soprano or mezzo-soprano and ensemble

Photo: Basque National Orchestra