Michael Montgomery: From the Old World, Six Songs for Four Basses

About the Composition

From the Old World is a collection of six European folk songs which have been arranged for double bass quartet with great skill and ingenuity by Michael Montgomery. The edition includes a score and parts and there are few technical challenges but many opportunities to play popular folk songs in straightforward settings alongside numerous performance possibilities.

The six pieces are short and succinct and the repeat of each can easily be used to create length, variety and contrast. Pizzicato, sul ponticello, tremolando and col legno can be introduced to produce new textures and sound worlds alongside playing the accompaniment without the melody on one repeat.

The parts can be shared between the players as needed and the performance possibilities are endless.

About the Composer

Double bassist Michael Montgomery, a student of Robert Rohe (Principal Bass, New Orleans Symphony) and Lucas Drew (Principal Bass, Miami Philharmonic), earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in double bass performance from the University of Miami, played full-time in the bass section of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for two decades.

He now lives in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, where he teaches double bass at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and privately in his home studio. Michael has composed numerous works for young double bassists (including over five dozen short bass quartets for young students) which are published by Recital Music and two American publishers.

His articles about bass performance, literature, and teaching have been published in American Suzuki Journal, Bass World, and Pastoral Music.