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£15.00Symphony in Two Movements (Brass Band - Study Score) - Gregson, Edward
Selected as the Championship Section test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025This work was jointly commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB) and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales (NYBBW), the latter with funding from T Cerdd (Music Centre Wales), to celebrate their 60th and 30th anniversaries respectively. The first performances were given at Cadogan Hall, London, in April 2012, by the NYBBGB, conducted by Bramwell Tovey; and at the Great Hall, Aberystwyth University, in July 2012, by the NYBBW, conducted by Nicholas Childs.When I was approached about a joint commission to write a new work to celebrate the anniversaries of these two outstanding youth bands I was delighted to accept, and decided to respond by writing a work apposite for the magnitude of these special occasions, namely a 'symphony for brass'.Through a long journey of writing music for brass band, which commenced with Connotations (1977), and continued with Dances and Arias (1984), Of Men and Mountains (1991), The Trumpets of the Angels (2000) and Rococo Variations (2008), I arrived at what I regard as the most important work of the cycle to date, combining as it does serious musical intent with considerable technical demands. It is perhaps my most abstract work for brass band, avoiding any programmatic content.The symphony lasts for some 19 minutes and is structured in two linked movements. The form is based on that used by Beethoven in his final piano sonata (Op.111), which is in two movements only: a compact sonata-form allegro, followed by a more expansive theme and four variations. Prokofiev also adopted this model in his 2nd Symphony of 1925.The opening Toccata of this Symphony is highly dramatic but compact, whilst still retaining the 'traditional' structural elements of exposition, development and recapitulation; indeed, it also has the 'traditional' element of a contrasting second subject - a gentle, lyrical modal melody first heard on solo cornets.In contrast, the longer and more substantial second movement Variations is built around a theme and four variations. The slowly unfolding chorale-like theme accumulates both added note harmony and increasing instrumentation, whilst the four variations which follow are by turn mercurial (fast, starting with all the instruments muted), march-like (menacing, with short rhythmic articulations underpinning an extended atonal melody), serene (a series of 'romances' for solo instruments alongside echoes of the chorale) with an emerging theme eventually bursting into a climax of passionate intent; whilst the final variation is a dynamic scherzo (concertante-like in its series of rapid-fire solos, duets, trios and quartets) with the music gradually incorporating elements of the main ideas from the first movement, thus acting as a recapitulation for the whole work. It reaches its peroration with a return to the very opening of the symphony, now in the 'home' tonality of F, and thus creating a truly symphonic dimension to the music.Most of the melodic material of the symphony is derived from the opening eleven-note 'row', which contains various intervallic sets, and although the work is not serially conceived it does use some typical quasi-serial procedures, such as canons, inversions, and retrogrades. The symphony uses somewhat limited percussion, in line with a 'classical' approach to the sound world of the brass band, alongside a use of multi-divisi instrumentation, whereby each player has an individual part rather than the traditional doubling within certain sections of the band.- Edward GregsonDuration: 19.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£52.50Broadheath (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
Broadheath was commissioned by the Elgar International Brass Band Summer School for their 2024 course. The premiere took place in the Routh Hall at Bromsgrove School on Friday 26 July.It is in conventional march form, opening with a brief fanfare before the horns take up the main theme. This is then repeated by the full band before euphoniums and baritone announce the second subject. This builds to a stirring tutti passage utilising elements of the opening theme, which brings the opening section to a close.In honour of the summer school's tribute to Sir Edward Elgar (it is held in 'Elgar country'), the trio uses the opening melody of his 1st symphony as its main theme, decorating it with filigree work from the cornets. This is repeated on the full band and leads to a varied recapitulation of the opening material to bring the march full circle.Duration: 5.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£57.50Erin's Isle (Euphonium Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
Erin's Isle was commissioned by euphonium player Micah Parsons and premiered by him in June 2024. The idea was to write a slow melody with an Irish flavour and the title is a romantic, 19th century name often used to refer to the island of Ireland itself. The work opens with fluttering, muted cornets, under which a tentative theme appears. This leads to an accompanied cadenza for the soloist, out of which the main theme emerges. This is a long and expansive melody, which winds through several related phrases with a folk-like flavour. A change of key heralds snatches of the theme by the band with interjections from the soloist, leading to a second cadenza. Eventually the band takes up the main theme again, over which the euphonium weaves an elaborate counter melody. The fluttering cornets return to allow the soloist to close the work with a brief and flowery coda.Duration: 7.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£42.95Little Suite (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Duncan, Trevor - Lawrence, Phil
Trevor Duncan -1924 -2005 was an English composer, particularly noted for his light music compositions. Born in London, and largely self-taught, he originally composed as a side line while working for the BBC. In the UK, he is well known for pieces such as High Heels and the March from A Little Suite, all of which gained fame as television and radio themes.Composed in 1959, and remembered by most for TV's Dr Finlay's Casebook fame, 'A Little Suite', was not necessarily inspired by Scotland, in fact it was more English in inspiration according to the composer. The piece was described by the composer as 'absolute music', and taking the three movements into account, this is not far from the mark.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£26.95Wellspring (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
Full of joyous energy, this concert prelude makes light of its sometimes asymmetric time signatures. It is vivacious and life-affirming, springing out of a sense of optimism and well-being.Duration: 3.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£26.95With Wings as Eagles (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
This solemn and expressive work was inspired by the text from Isaiah 40 ?They shall rise up with wings as eagles? and was written to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. In its original form for wind band it was first performed by the Central Band of the RAF in Westminster Abbey and broadcast live on BBC1 television.Duration: 5.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95Boundless Spirit! (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Cordner, Martin
This medley contains highlights from music the composer wrote for the opening event of Boundless, The Salvation Army's International Congress held at London's O2 Arena in 2015. The work features original melodies but also recognisable tunes with a global flavour; Moscow, Europe, Calabar, They shall come from the east, The world for God and Happy Song which calls to mind the words 'There's salvation for the world'. The objective of the piece is to celebrate the diversity of The Salvation Army around the world through a variety of music styles.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£36.95Wake-Up Call (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
This exciting concert opener describes a day in a life.Propelled out of bed at 6 am. by the raucous wake-up call, we are immediately caught up in the manic impetus of the day. The music progresses through several changes of mood linked by the 7/8 theme but the high energy never drops. There are moments of hustle and bustle, high points and darker moods but, above all, there is an exuberant zest for life. There are rhythmic challenges in this vivacious concert opener and everyone gets something to play, but the technical challenges are not extreme.Duration: 4.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£28.95Q.A.V. (Qui Audet Vincit) (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
Q.A.V. (Qui Audet Vincit) is a spirited conventional march. It was commissioned for the Special Air Service Regiment in 2017. It is in traditional military march form with the principal subject in a minor key. Qui Audet Vincit is Latin for Who Dares Wins, the motto of the SAS.Duration: 3.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£32.95Principio (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
Principio is a vivacious concert opener. The word Principio means start or beginning in both Spanish and Italian and this piece sets out to be just that - an energetic concert opener. Most of the melodic material is derived from the main theme which starts and ends the piece with its slightly lopsided rhythm. The piece is mostly conventional in language though with a touch of crunch here and there.Duration: 3.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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