Tony Osborne: 3 Random Rambles for Violin (or Viola) & Double Bass

About the Composition

3 Random Rambles by Tony Osborne is a fun suite for young musicians and offers effective musical, ensemble and technical challenges for the adventurous duo of violin (or viola) and double bass. The music is lively and energetic, typical of Tony Osborne at his best, and these are player and audience-friendly miniatures for young musicians of all ages. 

Tony Osborne writes: “You're Kidding!, as the title suggests, has plenty of quizzical, wide-eyed facial expressions and surprise in the slightly disjointed turns of phrases and glissandi. The second pieces You're Driving Me Crazy!, with its dotted rhythms and pizzicato passages, is about those delightfully frustrating times when children will annoy each other, or the nearest adult, for no reason and often without realising it. Hit the Road! is lively and carefree with a waltz-like rhythm providing a backdrop for a pleasant end to a very busy day.” 

Two playing scores are included with this edition. 

"...All three movements are light-hearted...and will be a delight to play." [ESTA News & Views] 

About the Composer

Born in 1947 into a musical family, Tony Osborne studied at the Royal Academy of Music (London) with John Walton (double bass) and Richard Stoker (composition), and divided a busy career between composing, teaching, and performing. A prolific composer and arranger, Tony's original compositions include works in almost every genre, notably Chaconne Syncopations and Wainwright's Ways for brass 

quintet, Celebration Fanfare for brass ensemble, the musical A Fine Time for Wine, a beautiful and dramatic Requiem, and many works for string orchestra. Tony’s music for young bassists is very much at the heart of the teaching repertoire, particularly his jazzy and enjoyable bass trios and quartets, and he had the rare ability to create wonderful music which is always player and audience-friendly. 

In 2001 Tony Osborne was elected an ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music) for his pioneering and important work for double bass and was a featured com- poser at Bass-Fest for over ten years. He was a very successful BIBF Composer-in-residence in 2002-3, was a judge for the British Composer Awards and a judge for the BIBF Composition Competition from 1999 until 2015. 

Tony Osborne died on 30 March 2019 at the age of 71.