Freelance musician collection / Ceremonial music, vol. 1

This book will allow guitarists to propose to their clients a variety of pieces in duet (or little ensemble) that are well-known to the audience. It will be easy to sight read them on the guitar, or simply read the chords that are placed above the guitar staff. This second option allows any harmonic instrument (piano or harp for example) to play the accompaniement from the same score. The forms are simple, short and the arrangements are focused on the main musical theme (sometimes the developpment has been excluded from the arrangements).
The serie of arrangements for guitar and violin (or any other melodic instrument) that I propose in this book has been thought of as the perfect tool for professional musicians aware of the need to accomodate easily and quickly the requests of people needing music performances in a ceremonial context.
David Jacques

[This volume is] from the Freelance Musician Collection and [is] strictly for the gigging guitarist. This collection is interesting because it suits the classical guitarist in a very practical way. If you think you may be playing at weddings from time to time and do not have the time to arrange your own wedding music, then these volumes are for you.
The guitar part is arranged in simple, sight-readable keys with no fingerings. Above the guitar part, there are chord symbols for those who do not read music, or would rather just improvise the accompaniment based on the harmonies. Where there is a necessary page turn, the publisher gives you a copy of the back side of the page! For the most part, all the music is printed so that you have only two pages per piece. If you are going to purchase only one of these volumes, may I suggest Volume 1, because it has everything you will need for a wedding: Bridal Chorus, Wedding March, Ave Maria (by Schubert arid Gounod), Canon in D, as well as many others. Volume 2 has more supplementary pieces, including a couple of pieces like the Trumpet Tune by Purcell and the Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke.
Although prescribed for duet with violin, one could perform these pieces on flute just as well; any C melodic instrument would work for the melody. I must admit that it is nice to have all these pieces available in a clean, bound volume.
Michael Anthony Nigro (Soundboard Magazine)

Here is an agreeable collection of 18 classic works aimed towards the Intermediate duo of violin and guitar. It is the type of material which is ideal for functions such as weddings, funerals - that type of thing; and then of course there is always the informal concert.
Throughout, David Jacques has done a good job in his arrangements, the guitar parts have enough interest to keep the accompanist awake and of course the player on the melody instrument has all the enduring tunes to enjoy performing.
A lot of the usual suspects are here: Bach (Air). Albinoni (Adagio), Handel (Air; Lascia ch'io pianga; Largo; Canticorum Jubila), Schubert (Ave Maria), Mozart (Ave Verum Corpus; Laudate Dominum), Pachelbel (Canon), Vivaldi (Winter; Spring), Mendelssohn (Wedding March), Massenet (Meditation de Thais), Wagner (Brautlied) plus a couple of surprises in the form of Franck's Panis Angelicus and Puccini's O Mio Babbino Caro.
Full score and separate part for the melodic instrument are provided plus, as a bonus, two single sheets are inserted in the book to avoid page turns!
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar Magazine)