Beowulf: A Suite for Ancient Instruments
The Beowulf Suite was first composed in 2000 for an early music consort of ancient instruments. The files below represent the original 2000 version. Because computer sound cards are not programmed for the acoustical timbre of medieval instruments such as shawms, krumhorns, and sackbuts, substitutions have necessarily been made for these samples. The closest approximation to the actual instruments will be achieved with a SoundBlaster Pro 32-bit AWE card. The percussion instruments in particular seem to be highly sound-card dependent, so if listening with a different card, expect some rather unusual and unplanned percussion sounds. (Please write regarding score availability. Click here for information about the 2005 version of the suite, scored for modern orchestra.)
	Præludium (5:02)
	The Dedication of Heorot (2:31)
	Grendel’s Journey Across the Moor (3:40)
	Beowulf Sails to Heorot (3:54)
	Queen Wealtheow (2:43)
	Beowulf Awaits Grendel (1:27)
	Beowulf Fights Grendel (2:46)
	The Nailing of Grendel’s Arm (3:47)
	More Horror at Heorot (2:45)
	Beowulf’s Descent (2:45)
	Celebration in Heorot (2:01)
	Time Passes (3:20)
	The Slaying of the Dragon (4:42)
	At Beowulf’s Barrow (4:52)
	Copyright © 2000-2002 by John Craton