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, and Schott Music and are performed extensively across the world. George's arrangements have been described as "brilliant" by John Storgårds, "beautifully done" and "just right for the occasion" by Bob Chilcott, "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.

2020/21 arrangements showreel

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 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 and for subsequent streamed concerts with Oxford Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Other recent commission highlights include the London Chamber Orchestra, BBC Singers, RLPO, London Mozart Players, BBC Concert Orchestra, LPO Education & Community, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

George's arrangements have been performed by 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. George's orchestrations have been broadcast on BBC One, BBC Radio 3, Rai 3 (Italy), Swiss Classical and BBC iPlayer. Eminent conductors and soloists to perform his arrangements include Sakari Oramo, Martyn Brabbins, John Storgårds, Bob Chilcott, Jess Gillam, Stuart Skelton, Sheku Kanneh–Mason, and 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.

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.

Chamber Orchestra/Ensemble
* denotes work in progress, please contact for more information

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)

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 Prelude No. 1 info
1 2 1 1 - 2 1 0 0 - 1perc, 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)

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

RIMSKY–KORSAKOV Scheherazade*
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - hp, 2perc, str

ROSSINI William Tell Overture*
1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 0 - 2perc, str

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 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)

WIECK–SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 7
1 1 1 1 – 1 0 0 0 – str (min. 1 1 1 1 1)

Symphony Orchestra

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