By Hook or By Crook (String Orchestra Gr. 1)

Written in e minor, By Hook or By Crook a mature-sounding selection that should come together quickly for most ensembles. All students have an opportunity to play the melody and the call-and-response writing between the upper and lower strings will reinforce rest counting in the contrasting B section. All parts also have limited exposure to C-natural as well as a very brief use of pizzicato.

Genre: String Orchestra | # of Players: 8-8-5-5-5
Series: Amethyst Orchestra Series
Level: 1 | Duration: 1:10

Instrumentation
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Bass
Rehearsal Piano

Program Notes
By Hook or By Crook is written in a minor key and features call-and-response playing between the high (violin, viola) and low (cello, bass) string sections. The selection is played mostly with the bow (arco), but occasionally features a single plucked note (pizzicato) in response. The origin of the phrase “by hook or by crook” is vague, but dates back as early as the 14th century. Its exact meaning has varied over time, but typically it is intended to mean “by any means necessary.” The phrase can be found in literature in the writings of such authors as Ernest Hemingway and Washington Irving. It is also featured in a variety of ways throughout popular culture including “The Prisoner” (British television show), “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” (animated cartoon), and in the lyrics of the band Radiohead.