Bull The Herdgirl's Sunday for Cello Octet

Here's the rewrite:

Sæterjentens Søndag (The Herdgirl's Sunday) is one of Ole Bull's best-loved pieces: a gentle pastoral evocation of Norwegian mountain life from a composer who championed a distinctly Norwegian voice in 19th-century concert music. The original, written for violin and piano, has a simplicity that suits its subject — unhurried, lyrical, and quietly expressive. This arrangement distributes the melody and its harmonies across eight cellos, giving the piece a warmth that suits its character well and making full use of the cello's natural singing tone in its middle and upper registers.

At Grade 7–8, the individual parts are not demanding technically, but playing well in a cello octet is a different kind of challenge. Blend and intonation across eight players, and the careful listening that ensemble playing requires, ask each player to be as attentive to what everyone else is doing as to their own part. The melody passes between voices throughout, and the accompanying parts need to support without overwhelming.

At around 2 minutes, it's a short piece, and its value lies in what it asks of the ensemble rather than the individual. The quality of tone and blend are immediately audible, which is what makes it demanding despite the accessible individual parts. It works well as an opener or interlude in a cello ensemble concert, or as contrast to more technically complex works in a mixed programme.

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear picture of the engraving quality and overall difficulty before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Cello Octet (Cellos I–VIII)
• Difficulty: approximately ABRSM Grade 7–8 (individual parts); ensemble challenge is primarily blend and intonation
• Duration: approximately 2 minutes
• Arranger: Paul Wood
• Format: PDF download, full score and all eight cello parts

Who it's for

This suits advanced cello choirs and student cello ensembles looking for lyrical, expressive repertoire that doesn't ask for advanced solo technique from every player. At 2 minutes it's a practical addition to a mixed programme, and it gives a cello ensemble a chance to demonstrate the instrument's range of colour and warmth rather than its technical range.