Recorder31 Day 4 | Arrangement Competition: 'The Lass of Peatie's Mill'

Every Monday during Recorder31, we're handing the spotlight over to you! We will have a new theme for our weekly competitions and we can't wait to hear your entries; we've lined up some great prizes for the winning entries too! In the first competition, it’s over to you to show your creativity and imagination in our Arrangement Challenge!

This week, the challenge is simple: we’re giving you the bare bones of a piece in the form of a traditional melody. As featured in Francesco Barsanti’s ‘A Collection of Old Scots Tunes’ (1742), ‘The Lass of Peatie’s Mill’ is a favourite melody amongst The Early Music Shop’s team.

All you have to do is arrange it! Whether you create a new set of diminutions for recorder and harpsichord, whether you harmonise it for recorder ensemble, or whether you create a cross-genre reinterpretation of the melody – the choice is yours, and so long as at least one recorder is involved, all entries are welcome!

The Music

Click here to download the music as a PDF or view below.

The Prize

One lucky winner will receive a brand new Aura Conservatorium sopranino recorder in palisander – a high-quality instrument worth £285! This recorder has very generously been donated by Aafab, the workshop in Utrecht where Aura instruments are made, and you can find out more about them by checking out next week's Featured Maker blog on our website!

Need some inspiration?

Why not check out a few recordings of ‘The Lass of Peatie’s Mill’? As featured in yesterday’s Side-By-Side Interview, Max Volbers recorded a version on his album ‘Foreign Masters’, while former recorder soloist and teacher Pamela Thorby also recorded a rendition. Which other versions do you enjoy?

How To Enter

Simply send us your recording before entries close on Sunday 10 August. Send your entry via email to recorder31@earlymusicshop.com or upload it to social media using the hashtag #Recorder31. (If entering on social media, we recommend sending us an email with a link, to make sure we don’t miss it!)

Please see the bottom of this blog page for full terms and conditions.

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It seems fitting for today's audio samples to feature the prize instrument from this week's competition! With a sweet tone and beautiful palisander wood, the Aura Conservatorium Sopranino is based on Bressan instruments. Check out the audio clips below or follow this link to find out more about this instrument.

Listen to this recorder! 

Handel Hush Ye Pretty Warbling Quire:

Playford Maiden Lane:

Scale:

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Competition Terms & Conditions

• Entries must be submitted by midnight (BST) on Sunday 10 August 2025
• Judging for all Recorder31 competitions will take place in early September 2025 after which winners will be notified and announced on The Early Music Shop’s website and social media.
• Videos may be submitted by email to recorder31@earlymusicshop.com, or uploaded to social media. If entering via social media, please make sure the account/post is set up for public viewing, and that you tag The Early Music Shop @earlymusicshop using the hashtag #Recorder31 – we recommend sending us the link via email to make sure we don't miss your entry.
• Winning entries may be shared by The Early Music Shop on social media and online at www.earlymusicshop.com
• The prize recorder is available to one winner only, and is not able to be exchanged for any cash alternative or replacement prize. The judges decide upon the winner, and their decision is final.

Good luck, and thank you for sharing your talents for this year's Recorder31!