Chariots Of Fire - 4 or 5 Guitars/large ensemble

I've made this arrangement so that it's accessible to a conventional guitar quartet of intermediate players. For a larger ensemble there’s an easy optional 5th part (in both treble and bass clefs) that adds a layer of depth and smoothness to make a bigger and more impressive sound. A large ensemble can generate a powerful and commanding presence that will surprise and delight.

My arrangement is just a semitone higher than the original and now in a key that’s perfect for guitars.

The chords are arpeggiated (rolled) to fill the soundscape without punctuating it into distinct pulses.

Guitar 3 is tuned to 6=D to give depth and sustain.

Guitar 4 plays the shimmering synth line. In most bars (like the very first measure) the thumb plays a stopped note and the finger plays the same note on the adjacent open string, and the music is shown as two interleaved voices. This "trick" ensures that the note never stops and the volume stays almost constant. Where this approach isn’t practicable (for example bar 21) the thumb and fingers have to play the same string, and the notation shows connected voices, rather than interleaved.

This single edition suits 4 guitars, 5 guitars or a large ensemble

Click see/hear/buy (on the right)Tap see/hear/buy below for sample score & audio