Lisa Portus established Portus Press in 2008 as a platform through which to sell the numerous arrangements I had created over the years for wind quintet, wind quintet and piano and bassoon quartet. I am a bassoonist and graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, and a player and arranger with over 20 years’ experience.
Over the past six years Portus Press has gone from strength to strength, selling music all around the globe. The Portus Press catalogue has grown from just a handful of pieces to nearly 100. I also offer a very small (but growing!) range of original works. A number of my works have been broadcast on radio and primetime BBC TV (including the Liberty Bell March, in Miranda Hart’s ‘The Story of Slapstick’). Walton’s Façade Suite is available on CD by Nicholas Daniel’s Haffner Wind Ensemble and the Finnish Idée Fixe Wind Quintet included my arrangement of Bratton’s Teddy Bears’ Picnic in a CD of children’s music released in 2010.
With music ranging from Praetorius to the Pink Panther that spans almost four centuries there’s a great range on offer: something to suit all tastes and abilities (from Grade 5 up). Many of the arrangements are of unashamedly popular music (great for encores and background music) but there are also a number of substantial, serious musical works.My aim with every arrangement that I create is to provide imaginative and fun music that is entertaining to play and to listen to: every player has something interesting to do.
Some customer testimonials:
In my quintet Portus Press has become a short-hand reference for quality arrangements! Your pieces have been a real discovery for us!
I really like your arrangements – which is why I have so many!
Simon Whalley
I have a bassoon camp this week that I was getting ready for and was excited to find arrangements and not have to write them all myself!
Leslie Massenburg, Texas
We already have several of your arrangements for wind quintet and they really are very well written and fun to play.
The wind quintet I play in is very pleased with your imaginative arrangements and enjoy playing them.
I have to tell you how pleased we all are with your arrangements. Full numbering, page turns, no treble clef for the bassoon, horn in F and the sound is right (ie they sound good to our ears). What more can one want!
The Melville Wind Quintet has enjoyed playing your arrangements
Your Eine Kleine went down very well with the group (and mention was made particularly of how expertly the tunes were shared between the parts).
You may remember me from a few years back, when I ordered a big chunk of music from you for an army wind quintet performance at Buckingham Palace? Well, that music went down very well at the concert!
I really love your arrangements and we’ve played several of them at concerts.
We’ve really enjoyed playing the Walton and are going to have a proper look at the Warlock soon. I’ve also played some of your bassoon quartets in the past and love your arrangements!
Many thanks for your excellent service and musical arrangements.
We love the Portus arrangements!
We loved the Faure hence a further order.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed all the previous purchases from you, Pictures at an Exhibition was an especially super challenge
Arrangements by Lisa Portus: we love her work and know you will too!
Windfall wind quintet, Australia