Frequently Asked Questions

About the Catalogue:

How do I read the orchestration/scoring key?
What do your abbreviations mean?
I need a different edition from the set you've got listed in your catalogue. Can you help?
Will you buy music for me, if you don't already have it in your catalogue?
You don't have 'X' piece of music in your catalogue...can you help me source it?
Where can I get vocal scores from?

About the Music Hire Process:

How long can I hire music for? When do I have to return it once we've completed our performances?
Do your sets come with full scores?
What happens if I need more string parts than you've got in the catalogue?
Do you only send the exact number of string parts we need, or can we have spares for practice copies?
Do you send music abroad?
Do you only post music, or can I collect it to save on postage?
Do I need to rub out pencil markings before returning the set?
What happens if I lose a part?
Where should I return the parts to?

Music Hire Terms and Conditions:

About the Catalogue:

How do I read the orchestration/scoring key?
Our catalogue conforms to the instrumentation formula used in the 5th edition of David Daniels 'Orchestral Music: A Handbook'.
- The arrangement instruments matches score order, where at all possible:
       i.e. flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon - horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba - timpani + percussion - harp - organ - strings
               (0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - timp+0 - hp - org - str)
- Amplifications, where required, are shown in square brackets. A dot (.) separates one player from another; a slash (/) indicates doubling:
      e.g. 3[1.2.3/picc] 2[1.ca] 3[1.2.3/Ebcl/bcl] 3[1.2/cbn.cbn]
           = 3 flautists, the 3rd player doubling on piccolo
             2 oboists, the 2nd playing cor anglais throughout
          3 clarinetists, the 3rd doubling also on E-flat clarinet and bass clarinet
      3 bassoonists, the 2nd doubling on contrabassoon, and the 3rd playing contra throughout
- The number of string parts available are shown in brackets, with instruments separated by a dot (.):
      e.g. (6.5.4.3.2) = 6 x 1st violin parts, 5 x 2nd violin parts, 4 x viola parts, 3 x cello parts, 2 x double bass parts
-
What do your abbreviations mean?
- 4tet: quartet
- 5tet: quintet
- 6tet: sextet
- A: alto voice
- acc: accordion
- arr: arranged
- asx: alto saxophone
- B: bass voice
- bar: baritone voice
- bcl: bass clarinet
- bsn: bassoon
- btr: bass trombone
- ca: cor anglais (English horn)
- cb: contrabass (double bass)
- cac: oboe da caccia
- cbsn: contrabassoon
- cel: celeste
- cemb: cembalo / harpsichord
- cl: clarinet
- cnt: continuo
- d'am: oboe d'amore
- desc rec: descant recorder
- ebcl: E flat clarinet
- euph: euphonium
- fl: flute
- harm: harmonium
- hn: horn
- hp: harp
- Ms: Mezzo soprano voice
- org: organ
- ob: oboe
- opt: optional
- perc: percussion
- picc: piccolo
- pno: piano
- pist: cornet (trumpet)
- rec: recorder
- sop: solo soprano
- str: strings
- T: tenor voice
- tambn: tambourine
- tmp: timpani [N.B. the number of drums is not specified, therefore 2timp means 2 players, not 2 drums)
- tpt: trumpet
- tsx: tenor saxophone
- vc: violoncello (cello)
- vla: viola
- vla da gamba: viola da gamba
- vln: violin
- vln pic: violino piccolo
I need a different edition from the set you've got listed in your catalogue. Can you help?
Will you buy music for me, if you don't already have it in your catalogue?
You don't have 'X' piece of music in your catalogue...can you help me source it?
Where can I get vocal scores from?

About the Music Hire Process:

How long can I hire music for? When do I have to return it once we've completed our performances?
Do your sets come with full scores?
What happens if I need more string parts than you've got in the catalogue?
Do you only send the exact number of string parts we need, or can we have spares for practice copies?
Do you send music abroad?
Do you only post music, or can I collect it to save on postage?
Do I need to rub out pencil markings before returning the set?
What happens if I lose a part?
Where should I return the parts to?

Music Hire Terms and Conditions: