Results
-
£30.00The St Louis Blues - Sandy Coffin, W C Handy
Two-Step MarchCommissioned by John Wallace, this arrangement of The St Louis Blues has been crafted by Sandy Coffin through close listening of the available recordings of the Harlem Hellfighters Band. Sandy had been heavily involved with the Historic Brass Society symposium 2017 held in New York and assisted John with his research on this fascinating band and the style of music it generated.Eye-witness accounts refer to the 369th band 'dancing' rather than 'marching'. Above all, in modern performance, finding a 'dancing beat' is crucial to a successful performance of this Ragtime march in order to do justice to the great pioneering work of James Reese Europe.Note the flutter-tonguing and use of muting, the counter-melody in soprano cornet, and the wilder and yet wilder nature of each repetition of the Chorus.Look and Listen:Background to the Harlem HellfightersThe US Army 369th Regiment, made up largely of African-Americans from New York, became known as the Harlem Hellfighters because of the heroic reputation which accrued to them during the actions they engaged in during the First World War in Europe.James Reese Europe was one of the most active African-American composer/musical directors in the pre-war American music scene. The legendary Harlem Hellfighters Band, which he assembled in 1917 from African-American and Puerto Rican musicians, came at an important transitional point in musical history. A new form of music called jazz was emerging from Ragtime and the performing style of Europe's band was immersed in the flow of this new direction.Europe's Harlem Hellfighters influenced and inspired everyone who heard them, including the welcoming crowd when they disembarked in France, bowled over by their swinging rendition of La Marseillaise. Reese Europe became a war hero, commanding a machine-gun unit as well as the band.On return from War in 1919 the band led a ticker-tape parade along Fifth Avenue in New York and soon made about 30 shellac recordings. These recordings display some of the fingerprints of their performing style: ragging, improvising, muting, wailing, smearing (their word for glissando) - and from the evidence of their recordings they took the printed page as a blueprint for individuality.In May 1919 during the Hellfighters' triumphant coast-to-coast tour after their return, James Reese Europe was tragically murdered, bringing to premature close, at the age of 39, the work of a great musical innovator.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£35.00The Witches' Sabbath - Berlioz
An effective arrangement of the exciting finale from Berlioz's greatest masterpiece 'Symphonie Fantastique'.This new 'finisher' is all about an opium induced fantasy Berlioz had about rescuing a woman he was madly in love with from a group of evil witches and other assorted ghouls.After many brilliant musical descriptions of the eerie scenes, Berlioz triumphantly rescues his beloved narrowly saving her from being sacrificed by the witches!First performed by Whitburn Band at Spennymoor 24 and recorded by them on the 'Live from Spennymoor 24' CD.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£29.50All By Myself - Eric Carmen - Gavin Somerset
This famous power ballad was composed by Eric Carmen in 1975. The verse of the song borrows heavily from the 2nd movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2. At the time of composition, Carmen believed that the Rachmainoff work was copyright free and in the public domain. It was only after the record had been issued that his mistake came to light. Carmen quickly came to an agreement with Rachmaninoff's estate to legalise the song so as not to infringe copyright. Rachmaninoff is now also creditied as the co-writer of the work, even though he died 32 years before the song was written! This moving piece, covered by greats such as Celine Dion & Frank Sinatra, lends itself perfectly for brass band and would fit into any concert program.
In stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 days
-
£37.50Bedknobs & Broomsticks - Sherman & Sherman - Gavin Somerset
After the success of Mary Popping in 1964, Disney once again had a hit on their hands seven years later with the release of 'Bedknobs & Broomsticks'. Set in 1940, the film told the story of Eglantine Price, a spinster who was learning the ways of witchcraft to help Britain with the War effort. Richard & Robert Sherman provided another excellent score, with memorable songs that now for the first time, are available for Brass Band. This toe-tapping new work features The Old Home Guard, The Age of Not Believing, Portabello Road and, The Beautiful Briny Sea (with added bubbles!). Audiences of all ages will appreciation this title and is a great addition to any concert programme. Whilst rehearsals are suspended due to Covid-19, we are making some parts available to download FREE for home use and practice, alongside a downloadable backing track to play along to. To download the Solo Cornet part, please CLICK HERE . To download the Solo Horn part, please CLICK HERE . To download the Solo Euphonium part, please CLICK HERE . To download the Eb Bass part, please CLICK HERE . To download the playback audio to play along to, please RIGHT CLICK HERE & Save As .
In stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 days
-
£29.50Celebration - Ben Hollings
Composed by Carlton Main Frickley Band's Composer-in-Residence, Celebration is an epic concert opener composed to begin any programme with an exciting fanfare & hymn style structure. The work opens with 'exultant' fanfares throughout the cornet section & flugel, before a heroic theme is heard in the trombones. After the bold fanfare opening, the music settles into a setting of the hymn, Eventide which features a flugel solo. The middle section of the piece gives the band chance to showcase a warm and sostenuto sound before a reprise of the opening fanfare material is combined with Eventide and the heroic theme to bring the piece to an exciting finale.
In stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 days
-
£29.50A Shropshire Lad - George Butterworth - Duncan Wilson
A major concert work for band, this tone poem is based on Geroge Butterworth's song cycle of the same name, itself based on the poetry of A.E. Housman, concentrating on the very personal effects of The Great War. Butterworth himself fell at the Somme in 1916. This is the second arrangement of Butterworth's music by Duncan Wilson after The Banks of Green Willow was recorded by both Black Dyke and Rothwell. The music is intense and poignant and an ideal piece for this year's centenary of the Armistice.
In stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 days
-
£29.50
Mexican Hat Dance - Trad - David Hollins
One of the most famous tunes to ever come out of South American has now been arranged as a brilliant comedy item for a cornet trio. This arrangement, titled, as "La Danza Del Sombrero Mexicana", is a wonderful showpiece for your band and 3 cornet players. After the main theme, cadenzas from the 3 soloists lead us into a Habanera before returning to the well-known melody. This item works in just about any concert, from bandstand to opera house. Lending itself perfectly to choreography, this comic item is the perfect audience pleaser.
In stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 days
-
£24.50
Vanguard - Richard Rock
After the success of his very popular Baritone Solo "Appassionata", Richard Rock has done it again, but this time, for the Euphonium. This melodic solo give the soloist a chance to shine whilst keeping the rest of the band entertained throughout. The piece ranges from a lovely atmospheric opening, to a toe tapping journey with hints of a South American/Latin feel. Playable by most levels of bands and soloists
In stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 days
-
£29.95Song for the Skies
Song for the Skies was commissioned by Tuba virtuoso Les Neish and was given its world premier on the December 9th 2010 with the James Madison University Brass Band in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA.Les asked me to compose a slow melody that highlights the wonderful sonorous sound of the Tuba. I am a big fan of Les and of the instrument and knowing the capabilities of Les as a soloist I wanted to experiment with the range and colour of the instrument in this solo.After a warm introduction from the ensemble the soloist enters almost timeless over the muted cornets. The melody when it is first heard has a somewhat haunting Celtic feel to it. It is intentionally marked as con rubato so that the soloist can really put their own musical stamp on the music. As the haunting melody repeats again this time in a change of key the accompaniment takes more of a role within the piece of music performing counter melodies within this second section.The middle of the piece introduces a new secondary melodic device that serves as an introduction to the original melody played in all its glory by the ensemble. This dies away to leave the second half of the melody in the euphoniums and baritones as the soloist plays a soaring counter melody in the highest register of the instrument.The piece starts to return home with a recapitulation of the introduction followed by the second part of the original melody by the soloist. After a momentary reflective solo from the soloist the introduction is used for a final time before the tuba guides us home to conclude.For the soloist, there are a number of occasions where the opportunity to play in the upper register of the instrument arises. However, I have also given the opportunity for the soloist to play various passages down the octave so it suits the performers playing style and range.Song for the Skies is very simple yet beautiful and I feel it suits the playing of the Eb Tuba perfectly. I hope you enjoy performing it.Paul Lovatt-Cooper
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
I See the Fatherland | Dario Salvi
Dario Salvi has reconstructed Franz von Suppes operetta 'Die Afrikareise' (A Trip to Africa) in a ground breaking project with Winsconsin University and the Strauss Society, which will see the operetta being performed in English for the first time in 100 years. This march for Brass Band brings together themes from the operetta under the title 'I See the Fatherland'[su_quote cite="Dario Salvi 2015]After almost two years of work on the score of the Operetta, during which I extensively worked on preparing a full orchestral score with all the singing parts in English, it is almost time to stage the work. The music from 'A Trip To Africa' is full of amazing melodies and interesting ideas. This march for Brass Band is a collection of some of the themes from the Operetta: The "Entrance of Titania" Fanfare leads to one of the most recurring themes, where the singer declares their desire to go back to their Fatherland (in this case Naples) after their visit to the very exotic Cairo; the starting point of their adventure into the heart of the Desert. Exotic sounding yet very Viennese rhythms are the main characteristic of this march. [/su_quote] Instrumentation: Soprano, Solo, 2nd and 3rd Cornets Flugelhorn Solo, 1st and 2nd Tenor Horns 1st and 2nd Baritone 1st, 2nd and Bass Trombones Euphonium Eb and Bb Basses Percussion: 1. Snare Drum 2. Bass Drum, Cymbal, Triangle
View Music