"Friend has not only provided us with a wide-ranging selection of excerpts but has also included his own suggestions and instructions. These insights set this work apart from any other collection of violin excerpts available.

"Friend's comments, which often aid musical presentation through technique, range from aspects of bow division, speed and pressure, to left-hand coordination and vibrato; there is a simple explanation of sautille for Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, for example. There are also reminders to avoid common mistakes, such as misplaced accents in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg.

"Two excerpts that could prove indispensable to the orchestral initiate are the interval markings for Shostakovich's Symphony no.5 and the detailed commentary and beat markings for Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. . . . These volumes will be welcomed as a generous helping hand for those preparing for auditions and trials. They will also be of great benefit to seasoned players who can discover new ideas from a true voice of experience."

(Shirley Turner, The Strad, August 2006)

At last! A compilation of orchestral excerpts that helps the budding violinist learn more about orchestral music than just the notes . . . Friend emphasises that students should learn to listen to the players around them, to study recordings of the works before the first rehearsal and to learn to adjust quickly to any changes around them, But his volumes are fantastic for teaching how to listen and what to listen for and how to execute certain styles under pressure.

(European String Teachers Association)