Arranging

ARRANGING

George Morton is a professional arranger and orchestrator specialising in reducing large scale symphonic works for ensemble and chamber orchestra. His orchestrations are published by Universal Edition, Steel City Music Publishing, Boosey & Hawkes, Novello & Co, and Schott Music and are performed extensively across the world. George's arrangements have been described as "brilliant" by John Storgårds, "very, very cleverly done" by Sheku Kanneh–Mason and "enjoyable, idiomatic arrangements" by David Owen Norris. George was awarded 'Best Arranger' at the Making Music Awards 2020 for his orchestration of Clara Schumann's Quatre Pièces Caractéristiques.

Really fantastic arrangements
Petroc Trelawny

In 2021, George was commissioned to arrange "Sur," a tango by Troilo, for Ksenija Sidorova, Stuart Skelton, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra to be premiered at the Last Night of the Proms, broadcast live on BBC One and Radio 3. In 2020, Sheku Kanneh-Mason chose George's reduction of the Dvořák Cello Concerto for his first public performances of the work, as well as subsequent streamed concerts with the Oxford Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Some of George's recent commission highlights include the Royal Ballet/Royal Opera House, Britten Sinfonia, London Chamber Orchestra, BBC Singers, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, BBC Concert Orchestra, Northern Chamber Orchestra, Opera North, Northern Ballet, LPO Education & Community, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

beautifully done [...] just right for the occasion
Bob Chilcott

George's arrangements have been performed by esteemed ensembles, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Lapland Chamber Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, Zug Sinfonietta, NOVA Filharmonija, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Juilliard Chamber Ensemble, Musikschule der Hansestadt, Mozart Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Deva, Covent Garden Sinfonia, Nova Foresta, Bath Philharmonia, Kungliga Opera Stockholm, and Camerata Innsbruck. Additionally, his orchestrations have been broadcast on BBC One, BBC Radio 3, Rai 3 (Italy), SRF Swiss Radio and Television, ETV (Estonia) and BBC iPlayer. Eminent conductors and soloists, including Paavo Järvi, Sakari Oramo, Martyn Brabbins, John Storgårds, Bob Chilcott, Jess Gillam, Stuart Skelton, Sheku Kanneh–Mason, and Ksenija Sidorova, have performed his arrangements.

I love working with George! Aside of being a wonderful person, he is an extremely professional arranger, composer and musician! Accordion can be a challenging instrument to write for, especially in piece with orchestra, as there is a danger of 'blending in' with sounds of other instruments- but every time George's writing made it stand out and he was so careful about the textures and dynamics!
Ksenija Sidorova

In 2021 George established Steel City Music Publishing to prepare and publish arrangements and orchestrations of music by composers from backgrounds currently under-represented on the concert platform. He was awarded an Arts Council England / National Lottery Grant to establish the publishing house.

The Morton reduction is a work of highly-skilled craft and superb attention to detail. He stays true to Bloch’s big timbral range: the delicate solo sections are brimming with detail and depth, and the orchestral tuttis still pack a powerful punch.
Tom Fetherstonhaugh

Below is a full list of arrangements and orchestrations, including links to full details, information on hire/license and demo scores and recordings. Please get in touch if you'd like to discuss a commission or project.

Arrangements
* denotes work in progress, please contact for more information

ANDERSON Belle of the Ball info
1 1 1 1 - 0 1 0 0 - 1perc, pno, hp, str (min. 2 2 1 1 1)

BEACH Children's Album info
1 1 1 1 - 0 1 0 0 - str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

BEACH Summer Dreams info
0 0 0 0 - 0 2 0 0 - 2perc, str (2 2 2 2 2)

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 info
1 1 1 1 - 1 0 0 0 - timp, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

BLOCH Schelomo info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 1perc, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1) + VC solo

COATES Dam Busters March
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 1perc, pno, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

COLERIDGE–TAYLOR African Dances info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 0 0 - str (min. 2 2 2 2 1) + solo violin

COLERIDGE–TAYLOR Othello Suite info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - tmp, str (min. 2 2 2 2 1)

DEBUSSY Prodigal Son info
1 1 1 0 – 1 0 0 0 – pno, str (1 1 1 1 1) + S T Bar

DUKAS The Sorcerer's Apprentice*
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 2perc, str

DVOŘÁK Concerto for Violoncello info
1 1 1 1 - 1 0 0 0 - timp, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1) [version 1]
1 2 1 1 - 3 2 2 0 - timp, str [version 2]

ELGAR Enigma Variations info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 1perc, pno, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

ELGAR Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 1perc, pno, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

GERSHWIN Three Preludes info
2 2 2 2 - 4 2 3 1 - timp+2, hp, str + solo accordion
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 0 0 - 1perc, str. + solo accordion
Str + solo accordion

GRIEG Holberg Suite info
1 1 1 1 - 1 0 0 0 - str

GRIEG In the Hall of the Mountain King*
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 2perc, str (1 1 1 1 1)

HOLST The Planets info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 1perc, pno, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1) - Small SSA chorus

HOLST A Somerset Rhapsody info
1 1 1 1 - 1 1 1 0 - 1perc, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

HUPPERTZ Concert Suite from Metropolis
2 2 2 2 – 4 3 3 1 – tmp+2, cel, hp, str

PRICE Adoration info
1 1 1 1 – 2 1 0 0 – hp, str

RIMSKY–KORSAKOV Flight of the Bumblebee*
1 1 1 1 - 2 0 0 0 - str

ROSSINI William Tell Overture info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - timp+1, str

SMYTH Mass in D info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - timp+1, str + SATB

SMYTH Overture to The Wreckers info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 2perc, hp or pno, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

STRAUSS Concerto for Oboe info
1 1 1 1 – 2 0 0 0 – str + solo oboe or s.sax

STRAUSS Don Juan info
1 1 2 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 2perc, hp - str (min. 3 2 2 2 1)

STRAUSS Rosenkavalier Suite info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 2perc, cel, hp, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

STRAUSS Til Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche info
1 1 2 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 1perc str (min. 2 2 2 2 1)

TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - timp+1, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

TCHAIKOVSKY Sérénade Mélancolique info
1 1 1 1 - 1 0 0 0 - str (min. 2 2 2 2 1) - vln or vc solo

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4 info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - timp+1, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - timp, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Sinfonia Antartica info
2[1.2/pic] 1 2 1[/cbsn] - 2 2 1 0 - 2perc, pno, harm/cel, hp - str (min. 6 5 4 3 2) - sop, small SA chorus

WALTON Partita for Orchestra info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 1perc, pno - str (min. 2 2 2 2 1)

WIECK–SCHUMANN, Clara Quatre Pièces Caractéristiques info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1[ad lib.] 0 0 - tmp[adlib] - str (min. 2 2 2 2 1) [version 2]

Coming Soon
Please contact for more information

BEACH Eskimos info
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 1perc, str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

H. T. BURLEIGH From the Southland*
1 1 1 1 - 1 1 0 0 - 1perc, str (min. 2 2 2 2 1)

RIMSKY–KORSAKOV Scheherazade*
1. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - hp, 2perc, str

Symphony Orchestra

BRAHMS Allegro Energico from Piano Trio No. 3 info
2+1 2+1 2 2 - 4 2 3 1 - tmp, perc - str

HUPPERTZ Concert Suite from Metropolis
2+1 2 2 2 - asax - 4 3 3 1 - tmp, 2perc, hp, cel, str

PIAZZOLLA Libertango
2+1 2 2 2 - 4 2 3 1 - tmp, 2perc, str

TROILO Sur
2 2 2 2 - 4 2 3 1 - tmp, 4perc, pno, hp, str + solo accordion, tenor

WIECK–SCHUMANN, Clara Quatre Pièces Caractéristiques info
2 2 2 2 - 4 2 3 0 - timp+1, str [version 1]

TRAD. Danny Boy info
1 1 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 - timp, 2perc, str - sop solo

Wind Orchestra

SMYTH Overture to The Wreckers info
for Symphonic Wind Orchestra

Education projects

BEETHOVEN Finale from Symphony No. 5 info
Symphony orchestra with mixed ability parts (grade 3+)

BEETHOVEN Allegretto from Symphony No. 7 info
Symphony orchestra with mixed ability parts (grade 3+)

CIMEROSA Concerto for Oboe and Strings

Miscellaneous

ARLEN Somewhere Over the Rainbow
arr. for symphony orchestra

CHANDLER Suite for Small Orchestra
arr. for chamber orchestra from String Quartet No. 2

CHAPLIN Smile
arr. for solo violin & string orchestra

WARLOCK Late Summer
arr. for tenor, flute, cor anglais & string quartet

Various Film Themes
Reductions for Covent Garden Sinfonia 2019

Quezon's Game (film, 2020)
Orchestration and preparation for live concert premiere

*denotes arrangement in progress/coming soon, please contact for more details