Nice work! One comment about layout: traditionally, the keyboard instrument is placed under the instruments in situations like this (the keyboard instrument may be placed between the winds and strings in scores for larger ensembles).
As I am rather fond of both of the carols you used, I was excited to see this arrangement.
However, looking at the score I couldn't help but notice that the violin parts lack bowing markings. As a violinist myself, I can tell you that intermediate players will interpret this as an instruction to play all of the notes with separate bows (which I doubt is the effect you would want from this piece). Advanced players would likely invent their own bowings as they deem appropriate.
Thank you for your kind words. I hope that the imperfection you note didn't mar the over-all effect.
So.... I have absolutely no idea how to insert bowings into the file within the program, Finale. Perhaps the problem is unsolvable with the age of program I'm using, and perhaps it's a user-troglodyte issue.
Or, perhaps, do you mean that you would like to see slurs (rather than up-bow and down-bow markings)?
This is Finale's 'orchestral' order—if it were a full orchestral score, the harpsichord (or other keyboard) would be where it is now (above the strings, below other percussion). To re-order the staves go to 'Score manager'. Also, the string staves would customarily be about 75% the size of the keyboard staves in a score like this, allowing you to fit more music on each page.
I think Laura is probably referring to slurs, which indicate bowing (all notes under a slur taken by one bow). Unless you really know what you are doing, it is generally a good idea not to worry about up- and down-bows, and to let the string players take it from there!
I agree with Mark's statement that you will only need slurs, which will get most of the bowing across. Most players will know when a phrase should start on an up-bow vs. a down-bow.
My brain wasn't thinking of beginning violinists. In the music in which I most commonly swim, crescendos (and their inverse) and tempi and such are not included, on the assumption that people singing it will be able to figure those simple things out. I can try to put them in, and repost it (but that's not today's task).
To participate in the discussions on Catholic church music, sign in or register as a forum member, The forum is a project of the Church Music Association of America.