Results
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£69.99Kingdom of Dragons - Philip Harper
The 'Kingdom of Dragons' is Gwent in South Wales, known in ancient times as the Kingdom of Gwent, and more recently home to the Newport Gwent Dragons Rugby Union team. This piece was commissioned by the Gwent Music Service with additionalfunding from Ty Cerdd - Music Centre Wales to celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2010 of the formation of the Gwent Youth Brass Band. Although the music is continuous, it is divided into four distinct sections, each one representing one of theunitary authorities which make up the County of Gwent. I. Monmouthshire, which has a large number of ancient castlesII. Blaenau Gwent, an historic area of iron and coal miningIII. Torfaen, where Pontypool Park is a notablelandmarkIV. Newport, the largest city in the region. The music begins with a two-bar fanfare, which sets out all the thematic material of the piece. The mood of pageantry that follows describes some of the ancient castles inMonmouthshire, with rolling tenor drums and fanfaring cornets. After a majestic climax the music subsides and quite literally descends into the coal mines of Blaenau Gwent. The percussion provides effects that suggest industrial machineryclanking into life, and the music accelerates to become a perilous white-knuckle ride on the underground railroad. There is a brief respite as a miner's work-song is introduced and, after a protracted build-up, this is restated at fortissimo beforethe music comes crashing to an inglorious close, much like the UK's mining industry itself. The middle sonorities of the band portray the tranquillity of Pontypool Park, a place of great natural beauty. Brief cadenzas for cornet and euphoniumlead to a full band reprise of the pastoral mood. At the end of this section we find ourselves at the top of the park's 'Folly Tower' from which the distant castle turrets of Monmouthshire are visible. Pontypool RFC was one of eleven clubs inthe first Welsh league in 1881 and a brief but bruising musical portrayal of the formidable Pontypool front-row, the 'Viet Gwent' leads into the work's final section. This portrays Newport, a symbol for progress and optimism for the future, idealsshared by the Gwent Youth Band itself. The music is a vigorous fugue which advances through various keys and episodes before the final triumphant augmented entry which brings the work to a magnificent conclusion. NOTES ONPERFORMANCEPercussion requirements: (3 players) Timpani, 2 Tenor Drums, 2 Tom toms, Snare Drum (sticks and brushes required), Bass Drum, Clash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Hi-hat, Sizzle Cymbal, Tambourine, Metal block with metalbeater (eg hammer), Rattle (eg football rattle), Glockenspiel, Xylophone
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£48.00Moon River - Christopher Bond
Moon River is the title song of the famous 1961 motion picture Breakfast at Tiffany's. Over the years the song was covered by many major stars, turning it into an absolute evergreen around the world. The beauty of the melody is also suited for mellow sounding instruments like the Eb horn; a great reason to make this version for brass band and horn. This arrangement of Moon River received its premiere as part of Tongwynlais Temperance Band's winning 2017 Welsh Open programme, with soloist Emily Evans winning the soloist prize. The arrangement was since featured on Cory Band's CD release 'Destination Moon', recorded by Ailsa Russell.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Vissi d'arte - Christopher Bond
Vissi d'arte is a soprano aria from act 2 of the opera Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini. It is sung by Floria Tosca in total anguish, in the form of a prayer to God, asking 'why he rewards her thus?'. Just before the aria is performed (and the reason for its presence) Baron Scarpia, the chief of police, tells Tosca that in order to save her lover Cavaradossi's life, she must sleep with him. Vissi d'arte is Tosca's cry of anguish; she reasons that although she has never done anything wrong, she is still being faced with an impossible choice: either way, she will have to betray Cavaradossi, in the form of sleeping with another man, or not doing everything she could to save his life. This arrangement was made for Rose Hancock and City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) Brass Band for their performance at the 2020 Welsh Open Entertainment Contest.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£24.95Meditation - Paul McGhee - Christian Jenkins
Meditation was originally written in 2005 for piano as an Erik Satie pastiche exercise whilst the composer was studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It was scored for brass band in 2007 for the wedding ceremony...
Estimated dispatch 4-7 working days
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£39.95Calon Lan - Eric Ball
Eric Ball originally made this duet arrangement with piano accompaniment for inclusion in our album Czardas (order code 0078) and it was later transcribed for brass band by Eric Wilson (who was named after the composer!). The Welsh tune is handled in turn by the duettists, one embellishing while the other carries the melody. The accompaniment parts are not difficult making this delightful, somewhat nostalgic, piece ideal for bands of all abilities.
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£37.95The Year of the Dragon (Score Only)
The highlight of Cory's centenary celebrations throughout 1984 was a concert held in St. David's Hall, Cardiff, in March. The band, with the aid of funds provided by the Welsh Arts Council, commissioned Philip Sparke to write a work for first performance at this concert. The result was "The Year of the Dragon" of which the composer writes:"At the time I wrote The Year of the Dragon, Cory had won two successive National Finals and I set out to write a virtuoso piece to display the talents of this remarkable band to the full."The work is in three movements:TOCCATA opens with an arresting side drum figure and snatches of themes from various sections of the band, which try to develop until a broad and powerful theme from the middle of the band asserts itself. A central dance-like section soon gives way to the return of this theme, which subsides until faint echoes of the opening material fade to a close.INTERLUDE takes the form of a sad and languid solo for trombone. A chorale for the whole band introduces a brief spell of optimism but the trombone solo returns to close the movement quietly.FINALE is a real tour-de-force for the band with a stream of rapid semi-quavers running throughout the movement. The main theme is heroic and march-like but this is interspersed with lighter, more playful episodes. A distant fanfare to the sound of bells is introduced and this eventually returns to bring the work to a stirring close.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95Judd: Christ the Lord
This festival prelude was written for the North York Temple Band to open the 2011 'Glory of Easter' concert. The piece is based on the Welsh tune of Llanfair (T.B. 271), associated with the words 'Christ the Lord is risen today'. The music is meant to be a celebration and awakening of our spirits to rejoice in the awesome wonder that is the Easter story; Christ thre Lord came to die for the worlds sins, but has risen, today!Marcus Venables
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£14.95Crugybar (Cornet and Piano)
The traditional Welsh tune of Crugybar is most commonly associated with words by Howell Elvet Lewis which appear in the Baptist Hymn Book of 1962; 'The light of the morning is breaking, the shadows are passing away'. The Salvation Army Song Book of 1986 lists two further hymns that can be sung to the tune; 'I stand all bewildered with wonder and gaze on the ocean of love' ( W F Crafts) and 'When Jesus from Calvary called me, unfolding its meaning to me' (Will J Brand). This arrangement was made for Martyn Bryant, the long-serving principal cornetist of Bristol Easton Band of The Salvation Army.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£40.00
Kiwi Dragon - Matthew Hall
'Kiwi Dragon' was commissioned by Byron 'Buzz' Newton for his Master's final performance recital at The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2012, a recital in which he was awarded an unprecedented 100%. Buzz travelled to Cardiff, Wales for his Master's degree course and became a member of Tredegar Town Band during his studies. 'Kiwi Dragon's' inception came from an initial conversation with the soloist where the thought of combining traditional Welsh folk music with that of Buzz's native New Zealand folk songs to create a virtuosic finishing piece for the recital was conceived. Originally scored for solo euphonium, 10-piece brass and percussion, 'Kiwi Dragon' includes the traditional New Zealand folk melodies Pokare Ana and Tarakihi and the Welsh folk melody Myfanwy, combined with the national anthems of both New Zealand and Wales in the pieces' culmination.
Estimated dispatch 5-7 days
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£40.00
Calon y Ddraig / The Heart of The Dragon - Matthew Hall
Calon y Ddraig (Heart of the Dragon) was commissioned by the Tredegar Town Band to finish their Brass in Concert programme at the 2012 contest held at The Sage, Gateshead. Using 2 traditional Welsh folk songs (Dacw 'Nghariad, Y Deryn Pur) along with 2 favourite Welsh hymns (Calon Lan, Cwn Rhondda) and the national anthem (Mae hen wlad fy nhadau), Calon y Ddraig typifies the spirit found in every man, woman and child from the Principality combining to create a rousing finale to any programme.https://matthew-hall.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Heart-of-the-Dragon-LTTB-.mp3
Estimated dispatch 5-7 days