Lemare – Moonlight and Roses (String Quartet Parts)

The haunting melody, that forms the chorus of this song, started life in 1892 as an Andantino for organ by Edwin Henry Lemare. Its opening phrase had an even earlier birth, however, bearing as it does an uncanny resemblance to that of the Adagio of Mozart's Hunt quartet. This may explain the arranger Bill Thorp's musical treatment, his original marking "in hot pursuit", and the dedication to the celebrated Pizza Express quartet at Dean Street, Soho, London; for in medieval times this area was farming and hunting land, its name deriving from the old hunting cry of "So-ho!"

Review: "A clever arrangement of a well know tune from the talented pen of Bill Thorp. Originally made for the practical reason of having new and interesting music for regular dates in some of London's famour pizza parlours, the arrangements are also suitable for concerts, encores, or just enjoyment. For schools, studios, professionals." – New Issues October 1994

Biography

Thorp, Bill

Bill Thorp, born in 1952, started arranging music, while still at school, as a member of a folk group in which he played string bass. More experience followed with a college based acoustic folk-rock bank, playing violin, viola and piano, which went on to work professionally for two years. Later, in a varied career which included performing with string quartets at some of London's pizza restaurants, he was prompted to arrange music especially for that grouping and situation. Nowadays his playing career ranges from appearing on Renaissance, Baroque and Classical Violin with most of London's period instrument groups, to odd recording sessions on country and western fiddle.