Greensleeves Fantasia

Greensleeves Fantasia arranged by Anne McGinty for Flute Choir
Scored for Piccolo, 4 C Flutes, Alto Flutes, with an optional Bass Flute part
Includes score and parts

Greensleeves Fantasia is based on two medieval songs dating from circa 1575: “The Ballad of Lafy Greensleeves” and “Lovely Joan.” A lyrical introduction sets the mood for this traditional setting of “Greensleeves.” The melody is passed from part to part and sometimes shared in octaves, ending quietly with a delayed Picardy third. “Lovely Joan,” in A Dorian, is first presented in the low octaves, accompanied by sixteenth notes in the upper flutes with piccolo ornamentation. The second setting of this short melody is in four-part contrapuntal chorale style, using only the four C flutes. The tune is then fragmented and fades into a running sixteenth note passage leading back to the original key of c minor. The second setting of Greensleeves contrasts thickly textured chromatic harmony with the traditional, and ends with a simple statement in octaves of the final phrase and the again delayed Picardy third.

All parts may be doubled by any number of players to accommodate flute choirs of varying size; however, it is suggested that the piccolo part not be soubled because of intonation problems.