Results
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£45.00Starburst
Commissioned by the Greater Manchester Hub Youth Brass Band for their 2014 season, Starburst is a high-octane work in a contemporary style with elements of rock and funk fusion. The piece features soloistic input from all sections, with vibrant percussion colours adding to the overall effectiveness. Although the piece sounds extremely virtuosic it is accessible for most bands, and is fun to rehearse as well as exciting to listen to. Duration: 00:04:00 Grade: 3 (Works well when paired with Aurora Awakes)
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£70.00
Macbeth - Peter Meechan
Commissioned by the Scottish Brass Band Association for the 2007 Scottish Open Championship, Macbeth takes itsa inspiration from the Shakespeare play of the same name. Character portraits (Of the three witches as well as Macbeth himself), abstractions (The lament), and scenes (Macbethas final battle with Macduff) make up the nine sections of the piece.i: WitchesThe prophecies of the three witches are an integral part of the play, and in this opening section, these mysterious characters are represented by three different sections of music that introduces the listener to the musical material of the piece.ii: DaggerMacbethas aIs this a dagger I see before theea speech, where an imaginary dagger leads him to contemplate the pending murder, builds in intensity before the bell tolls at itsa conclusion - a sign from Lady Macbeth that Duncan is now alone.iii: General MacbethA character portrait of Macbeth - a fearless General who has led his armies to defeat foes from all over Europe. His ambition and flair that make him such a great General are also the characteristics that lead to his eventual downfall.iv: Contemplations of Lady MacbethAlone and mad, Lady Macbeth ponders all that has gone, before taking her own life.v: LamentAlthough the play tells of Macbeth not feeling the pain of his wifeas death, this lament ponders not only her death, but the tale as a whole.vi: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrowIt is in this final soliloquy that we see the ultimate tragedy of Macbeth - the realisation that his life is ultimately worthless.vii: A spell still castThis acts as an prologue to section eight, restating the original awitchesa music, before heading into Macbethas final battle.viii: Final BattleMacbethas final battle, where he locks swords with Macduff.ix: Not of woman bornMacbethas realisation that the witches have misled him comes all too late, as Macduff beheads Macbeth, fulfilling the last prophecy.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£25.95Hymn for Africa - Peter Meechan
Part of the Brass Band Aid SeriesBrass Band Aid is a Charitable Organisation formed by members of Stanhope Silver Band, based in the North of England. From an original aim to raise awareness of the Make Poverty History campaign in their local area, a brass band CD recording was planned. The initiative took on a whole new dimension when the collection of local bands performing on CD were then joined by, what is now known as, The Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band, made up of many of the top brass musicians in the country.Following the success of this initial project the Celebrity Band has come together again to record a new CD - "Into Africa". This is a compilation of pieces especially written for the recording by some of the most esteemed brass band writers of today. 'Hymn for Africa' is one such piece, generously contributed by Peter Meechan in support of the ongoing work of the charity."Hymn for Africa is inspired by the the release of Nelson Mandela in the early 1990's and the effect it had upon not only South Africa, but all over the continent of Africa, as well as the World as a whole. The fact that one man can achieve this with peace and great dignity will always be an inspiration, not only to me, but many, many millions of humans around the globe.sense of dignity and peace the composer . A simple 8 bar melody, first heard on an unaccompanied flugel horn at the beginning, is the basis of the composition. A drone is then added, before a chorale, and finally a rousing climax when the percussion and full band enter. The piece ends at it began, with a peaceful, unaccompanied, flugel solo." (Peter Meechan).All sets sold raise money for Brass Band Aid - a charity The Music Company has continued to actively support since 25.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£25.00Victoriana - Alun N Prest
A great opener of a concert piece with lots of interest all around the band.Originally commissioned for the opening of the Saltburn Bandstand in 1996, we are delighted that the music, with all its grandeur and pomp & circumstance that such a ceremony would demand is now available to enjoy by all bands.Lots of traditional sounds and chordal structures, mixed with some lovely motifs go together to make for a perfect concert programme item.Also ideal for massed band concerts as the scoring lends itself well to being performed by multiple players to create an impressive end result.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£45.00Bathgate Hills Trilogy - Andrew Duncan
Composed by Andrew Duncan and written for the West Lothian Schools Band, A Bathgate Hills Trilogy is in three movements, each one dedicated to and representing a different hill.Comments from the composer:Movement 1 - Dechmont LawThe first movement describes the peculiar events which took place in November 1979 when a forestry worker, Bob Taylor, had a close encounter with an alien spacecraft in Dechmont Woods at the bottom of Dechmont Hill. Bob Taylor's account from the time describes a large sphere like object about twenty feet across which pulled him by the legs towards it, caustic smoke then caused him to pass out. He awoke a short time later in the same spot but the spaceship had gone leaving behind marks in the soil. His story caused a great deal of media interest and a great deal of excitement in the local community.Movement 2 - The Knock HillThe Term 'Knock' is Scottish Gaelic for 'hill' and the Knock Hill is the highest peak in the Bathgate Hills being 305 metres above Sea Level. On a clear day the Knock hill has excellent views of the Bass Rock to the East and the distant hills of Arran to the West as well as of the whole of West Lothian and across the Firth of Forth to Fife and beyond to the North.The second movement is a description of a leisurely walk to the summit of this hill and the enjoyment of a pleasant summer's day spent walking and taking in the beautiful panoramic views. However, as is the case with the Scottish Summer, a change in the weather finds a clear blue sky being replaced with dark rain clouds. The changed weather brings a sudden brief but unwelcome cold downpour of rain, drenching anyone out walking! Finally, the clouds pass and the more pleasant summer weather returns.Movement 3 - Cairnpapple HillCairnpapple Hill is a near neighbour of the Knock Hill. It is almost as high but interest in Cairnpapple Hill lies in the outstanding archaeological monument near the summit, an Iron Age burial chamber. The chamber dates back to 25 years BC and was built by a mysterious people known as the Beaker People (so called because they left behind a number of large earthenware beakers). The mysteries of Cairnpapple Hill have always been a source of fascination for me ever since first visiting the hill as a school child.The third movement describes the lives of the Beaker People. The landscape they would have looked out on would have been mostly dense forest which would have contained many perils including dangerous wolves and bears. Life was harsh and short for the Beaker People and they would always have been close to danger and to death. The average life expectancy for the Beaker People was only 31 years of age. The summit of the hill would have been clear of forest and would have afforded the Beaker People some protection as they could see all around the near countryside enabling them to keep a watchful lookout for their enemies - both animal and human!
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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Duet For Two Cats - G. Rossini - Len Jenkins
"Duet For Two Cats" is often performed as an encore to vocal recitals and operatic galas. It may be sung by two sopranos, male-female pairs, or even as a tomcat duet and can be accompanied by a piano or a full orchestra. The lyrics are simple; the single word 'Miaow', repeated with various styles of inflexion and attitude throughout the piece. Our arrangement is for a cornet and trombone. The piece is generally ascribed to Rossini, though there is some doubt as to its actual origins and whether it is an authentic work by that composer. It is believed that an English composer, Robert Lucas Pearsall under the pseudonym G. Berthold may have assembled the various elements from Rossini and perhaps other composers into the piece as we now know it. In order to achieve the correct balance between band and soloists, there is a need to mute most of the band instruments. Recognising that not all bands will have the larger mutes which are expensive and sometimes unwieldy, we suggest a form of muting made famous by a jazz trumpeter and which works well on most instruments. It consists of a circle of heat resistant padded table covering or felt, slightly larger than the bell diameter, with an elasticated edge like a 'mop-hat'. With 3 holes in it to let the sound out, the mute is then simply stretched over the bell to achieve the desired effect and folded up when not required.
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£83.00
A Bournemouth Suite - Benjamin Tubb
Bournemouth Suite was written by Benjamin Tubb in 2005, when the composer was just 17 years of age. After spending many school holiday weeks with his grandparents in the coastal town of Bournmouth, it was obvious that these experiences would make a great basis for a composition.This testpiece is split into three separate movements: Balloon Ride, The Pier at Night and The BIC. Each movement has its own unique character, although there are ideas shared by all three throughout, one of which is the opening syncopation.Balloon RideThe First movement, Balloon Ride, describes a journey on "The Bournemouth Eye", a tethered hot air balloon that takes you up 500 feet. It's located in the middle of the town centre, which enables you to see surrounding countryside for up to 20 miles! The movement begins rather ominously as the balloon raises from the ground which leads into a more lively section caharacteresed by the repeating quavers in the lower brass and woodblock. The movement ends in much the same way as it started - signalling the return to terra firma.The Pier At NightDuring the summer there are several large firework displays in the town centre. The second movement, The Pier At Night descirbes an evening spent on the beach in deckchairs watching the montage of colours in the night-time sky. With demanding solos for horn and cornet, as well as exposed playing spread throughout the band, this slow movement will really test a band's expressive and lyrical playing.The 'BIC'The Bournemouth INternational Centre, also known as "The BIC" is one of Bournemouth's most visited attractions, and regularly hosts shows such as 'Riverdance' and pantomimes. Inside is a world of entertainment and the centre itself is just a stone's throw from both "The Bournemouth Eye" and the Pier. The 3rd movement has been written to describe the buzz of activity surrounding the BIC, and the entire works ends with the same syncopated motif from the beginning.A Bournemouth Suite was set as the 'set-test' at the Pontins Brass Band Championships 2009.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£35.00
Welsh Echoes - Andrew Duncan
Commissioned by The Charles Church Camberley Band in 2007 as a gift to mark the 90th Birthday of their previous conductor, Gerallt Hughes. The piece has been well received, having been performed by Grimethorpe Colliery Band and by Brighouse & Rastrick Band on Listen To The Band.The striking Welsh folk tunes, Sospan Fach, David of the White Rock and Watching the Wheat are all woven into this delightful composition. There is a feature for the solo cornet in David of the White Rock, and some nice touches with a saucepan and wooden spoon in the Percussion to make Sospan Fach true to its name (Little Saucepan!).The contrasting styles this composition offers with the incorporation of the melodies make this piece an ideal concert work and has already proven popular with audiences of all nationalities!
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£72.00
Ave Maria - Vocal or Instrumental Solo - Bach-Gounod - Bjorn Mellemberg
This great piece is a result of two outstanding composers creative ability. The French composer Charles Gounod (1818-1893) used the Prelude No. 1 from "Das Wohltemperierte Klavier" by Johann Sebasian Bach (1685-1750) and added a beautiful melody to the original piece. The composition has the occurred in several versions both with and without lyrics and for many kinds of instrumentations.To the Conductor:It's important to take well care of the long phrases of the melody and it's warm and soft character.Make shure that the band balance the three elements of melody, harmony and the rhythmic (played by the clarinets) well. All these three is of equial importance and depend of each other.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£20.00
Xmas Ditty - Tim Paton
Seasonal 'fun' for the band, (and the audience of course).Robert Childs commented:It begins with yet another rendition of Jingle Bells, "Wait a minute though, is someone out of tune somewhere? Who is that who some of the band are shouting at? Why am I thinking of Les Dawson? ... Back to the music - it's Good King Wenceslas, how did Rule Britannia get in there? ... and I'm sure that was the end of God Save the Queen".After an unadulterated version of O Come, all ye faithful, the final section features Jingle Bells and Good King Wenceslas claiming the last spot together.The piece ends with the well known 'AMEN' cadence - but there's still a little surprise on the last chord! "..is subtitled 'seasonal fun for band and audience', and it certainly is just that!"
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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