New Ragtime Music

We have some new ragtime music composed by Scott Joplin, Scott Hayden and James Scott. All these new pieces are for piano, and the sheet music can be downloaded in PDF format. Our full catalogue of piano rags is available from our Ragtime Music page.

• Pleasant Moments (Ragtime Waltz) - Scott Joplin
• A Breeze from Alabama by Scott Joplin
• Sunflower Slow Drag - Scott Joplin & Scott Hayden
• Frogs Legs Rag by James Scott
• Grace and Beauty (A Classy Rag) by James Scott

National Anthems and Patriotic Songs

In our review of National Anthems and Patriotic Songs we find that some are based on hymn songs while others are more closely related to folk songs. Our article includes a number of sheet Music and audio examples from the the US, the UK, France, Germany, Australia and More...

Scott Joplin and the Age of Ragtime

Scott Joplin was a fascinating figure in the world of music, though there are tantalising gaps in our understanding of his life. Scott Joplin and the Age of Ragtime takes a different approach and explains the wider context of music and the arts against a backdrop of American culture and politics, and sheds new light on Joplin's achievements and motivations. More...

Christmas Carols - sheet music and audio

This year we have added even more Christmas Carols to our catalogue. The sheet music is for various instruments. Use the links below to access the piano versions, then choose the instrument type, or download midi and mp3 files:

• Away in a Manger (piano)
• A Coventry Carol (piano)
• Carol of the Bells (piano)
• Cradled in a Manger Meanly (piano)
• Deck the Halls (piano)
• Ding Dong Merrily on High (piano)
• The First Nowell (piano)
• Gabriel's Message (piano)
• God rest you Merry Gentlemen (piano)
• Good Christian Men Rejoice (piano)
• Good King Wenceslas (piano)
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (piano)
• The Holly and the Ivy (piano)
• The Huron Carol (piano)
• I Saw Three Ships (piano - Tune A)
• I Saw Three Ships (piano - Tune B)
• Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant (piano)
• In The Bleak Midwinter (piano)
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (piano)
• Jingle Bells (piano)
• Joy to the World (piano)
• O Christmas Tree (piano)
• O Come All Ye Faithful (piano)
• Oh Little Town of Bethlehem (piano)
• Once in Royal David's City (piano)
• Sans Day Carol (piano)
• Silent Night (piano)
• We Three Kings (piano)
• The Wexford Carol (piano)
• What Child is This? (piano)
• While Shepherds Watched their Flocks (piano)

If you play the guitar, here are some very special arrangements of Christmas Carols by guitarist and regular contributor Glenn Jarrett (originally from Wales and now settled in Australia):

• A Coventry Carol (guitar)
• Cradled in a Manger Meanly (guitar)
• Gabriel's Message (guitar)
• Good King Wenceslas (variation for guitar)
• The Huron Carol (guitar)
• I Saw Three Ships (guitar - tune A)
• Once in Royal David's City (guitar)
• Sans Day Carol (guitar)
• Silent Night (guitar)
• The Wexford Carol (guitar)

Electronic Music

Whichever way you look at it, the creation and processing of music by electronic methods is a huge industry which grew from small seeds sown more than 100 years ago. Many engineers, musicians and composers have been caught up in the Electronic Music revolution which now permeates many aspects of different media and music genres. With his range of instruments from the Moog Modular to the MiniMoog, Robert Moog (who died in 2005) was one of the key players in that fascinating and complex history. In this article we pay tribute to Robert Moog and those other pioneers who have helped to shape electronic music into what it is today. We have also included mp3 downloads of some of our own electronic classical music. More...

Military Bugle Calls

We have completely revamped our collection of Bugles Calls, adding many more examples to our catalogue. Our article on Bugle Calls looks at the history of these pieces and their influence on Classical, Film and Popular music. The complete set of examples can be accessed from the article, including The Last Post, Taps, First Call, various versions of Reveille and much more. All the examples include sheet music, midi and mp3 downloads. More...

Folk Music and Songs:

With our growing collection of folk songs, we've decided to create a new page dedicated to Folk Music and Songs. Here are some of the examples you will find there:

• Auld Lang Syne - Scottish
• Greensleeves - English
• Early One Morning - English
• Scarborough Fair - English
• Kalinka - Russian/Ukranian
• Amazing Grace - a folk hymn
• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - American
• When Johnny Comes Marching Home - American

Church Music and Hymns

We've made further additions to our collection of traditional Christian Hymns with some of these tying in with our review of the music for the recent remake of True Grit, which adapts old hymns in its soundtrack:

• Abide With Me
• Jerusalem
• Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
• What a Friend we have in Jesus
• Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
• The Lord's My Shepherd
• The Old 100th (Psalm 100)
• Oh Perfect Love
• Cwm Rhondda
• O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
• I Vow to Thee, My Country

Popular Wedding Music :

Although Weddings take place all year round, the summer months are a popular time in the hope of sunshine and flowers and a chance to spend time outdoors. If you are planning or arranging a wedding remember to consider appropriate music for the occasion. We propose a few traditional pieces for the event in our Wedding Music page, including the following classical favourites:

• Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn
• Bridal Chorus by Richard Wagner
• Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel

What is Music?

Music is weird stuff. It is just sounds strung together, but it is everywhere - in our homes, cars, shops and restaurants. People build careers in music, popular songs sell in their millions, concerts are attended by thousands, music is played at all sorts of ceremonies, there are radio stations dedicated to playing music, television uses music during soaps, quiz shows and adverts, and films use music to heighten dramas. It is everywhere because we like music, we crave it, it is a powerful phenomenon and it affects our moods. But what is music and why does it affect us so? We try to answer this question in our article What is Music?.

Powaqqatsi - Philip Glass

The striking image on the cover of the Powaqqatsi album shows a boy walking down the side of a dirt road with a huge truck advancing from behind bringing with it a storm of dust which is about to engulf him. This brief moment seems to sum up the film, which observes a range of third world countries moving rapidly from traditional practices of farming, fishing and crafts towards huge sprawling cities, traffic jams and junk food. The music by Philip Glass borrows a number of ideas from "world music" traditions, and weaves these ideas in his own inimitable style into a striking tapestry full of rhythms, soundscapes and themes which are as diverse as the cultures they accompany, yet united in their depiction of a world in transition leaving the observer to ask where is it heading. More...