Results
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£118.99Abaddon - Kevin Houben
Abaddon was commissioned by the NLBB (Noord-Limburgse Brassband North Limburg Brass Band) from Belgium. Abaddon is the demon reigning over the underworld. In the New Testament in the Book of Revelation by John (9:11) he is calledthe angel of the bottomless pit. The work Abaddon lives up to its name. Technically and physically, it holds an enormous challenge for every band in the champions division. The composition has a traditional form structure (fast slow fast), and it consists of ornamentationsaround the letters IVAN, after Ivan Meylemans, the conductor who since 2001 has obtained great successes with the NLBB, and who in this case has also been essential in taming the demon in Abaddon.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£87.99Ten Chorale Preludes - Max Reger - Philip Sparke
During his short lifetime Max Reger (1873-1916) was a prolific composer with many of his best known works being composed for organ. The ten chorale preludes in this selection are from his set of Thirty Short Chorale Preludes Op.135a composed as short voluntaries for liturgical use rather than for recitals in these arrangements Philip Sparke has kept this in mind and each prelude can be performed with minimal instrumentation for those occasions where a small band is needed. They also make great pieces for band warm-ups or studies in intonation, sound and balance.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£110.99The Four Noble Truths - Philip Sparke
The Four Noble Truths are the most basic expression of the teaching of Buddha and therefore still form the guidelines for Buddhists to this day. The four truths are Dukkha, which describes times of major stress in our lives - birth, aging, desire and death; Samudaya which describes those parts of our life that induce stress, feeling, craving, desire; Nirodha which tells us how to eliminate those aspects of our lives which induce stress and Magga which describes the eight didciplines which can help us eliminate the origins of stress from our lives. It can be seen from these over-simplified definitions, that the Four Noble Truths fall into two pairs, the first two describingthe origins of stress and the second two describing how we can reduce stress. To reflect this, the four movements of this work are also combined into two pairs - two quick movements and two slow movements. A fascinating work from this great English composer.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£106.99Manhattan - Philip Sparke
Manhattan was commissioned by the United States Army Band for their solo cornet player Woodrow English and first performed by them in Carnegie Hall, New York, in November 2003. The two-movement work demonstrates both the lyrical and technical abilities of this outstanding player. The 'theme' is a weekend in New York and the opening bluesy movement, Saturday Serenade, describes the city on a Saturday night. While writing the second movement, Sunday Scherzo, the composer pictured an early morning jog in Central Park. This vivaciously rhythmic second movement ends with an even quicker coda bringing the work to a brilliant close. Each movement can also be playedindividually when a shorter solo is required.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£69.99The Pioneers - Philip Sparke
In The Pioneers Philip Sparke salutes the bicentenary of an expedition by two all time American heroes - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They were commissioned by US President Thomas Jefferson to find the headwaters of the Missouri and a route to the Pacific following the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the USA. They set out as the 'Corps of Discovery' from Louisville, Kentucky, in May 1804 and not only did they succeed in reaching the Pacific through hostile territory, but also found their way back - in 3 years! The piece is not descriptive of the journey but gives the composer the opportunity to celebrate the 200th anniversary of this amazing feat. Add atouch of the wild-west to any concert with this exciting work.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99A Final Fling - Philip Sparke
A Final Fling was written at the request of David Childs for a CD recording with a Celtic theme, which he released in 2007. The phrase 'a final fling' means a last quick effort at doing something, perhaps when this item is used as an encore, and also, a fling is a type of Scottish Highland dance, which tied in with the Celtic theme. A light- hearted piece, A Final Fling starts in the mood of a folk dance and quotes from The Irish Washerwoman before flying to a close. A perfect way to put your euphonium player in the spotlight.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Jubiloso - Philip Sparke
Jubiloso was commissioned by Utsunomiya Brass Society, a talented and versatile group of brass players whom Philip Sparke has conducted on many occasions.When they asked him to compose a 'signature' march to celebrate their 30th anniversary, they asked for a bright and breezy march which they could use to open concerts.Jubiloso is in the same 'Broadway' style as Sparke's Slipstream and The Bandwagon with heavily syncopated melodies and the conventional cantabile trio section but also contains sudden bars with unusual time signatures which trip up the march rhythm.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£183.99Perihelion: Closer to the Sun - Philip Sparke
Perihelion was commissioned by the Cory Band as their own-choice piece for the 2013 European Brass Band Championships, held in Oslo, Norway. Winning the set piece section of the contest and coming second to Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklag with their own choice selection, Cory went on to become European Champions for the fifth time.Cory MD Philip Harper had asked for a 'Concerto for Band' to fully exploit his outstanding band of virtuosi, and composer Philip Sparke created a one-movement work with contiguous sections, first featuring horns and flugel, then trombones followed by cornets and a slower central section for percussion and baritones, euphonium andbasses.The piece is abstract in nature, without a specific programme, and the title merely reflects the fact that the piece was begun on January 2nd 2013, the day of Earth's perihelion - the point in its orbit when it is closest to the sun. It could also be argued that the piece weaves between moments of brilliant optimism and dark shadow, both of which can be the result of bright sunshine.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Hava Nagila - Philip Sparke
Hava Nagila (the title means 'let us rejoice') is perhaps the best known example of a style of Jewish music called 'klezmer'. Klezmer music originated in the 'shtetl' (villages) and the ghettos of Eastern Europe, where itinerant Jewish troubadours, known as 'klezmorim', had performed at celebrations, particularly weddings, since the early Middle Ages.'Klezmer' is a Yiddish term combining the Hebrew words 'kley' (instrument) and 'zemer' (song) and the roots of the style are found in secular melodies, popular dances, Jewish 'hazanut' (cantorial music) and also the 'nigunim', the wordless melodies intoned by the 'Hasidim' (orthodox Jews).Since the 16th century, lyrics hadbeen added to klezmer music, due to the 'badkhn' (the master of ceremony at weddings), to the 'Purimshpil' (the play of Esther at Purim) and to traditions of the Yiddish theatre, but the term gradually became synonymous with instrumental music, particularly featuring the violin and clarinet. The melody of Hava Nagila was adapted from a folk dance from the Romanian district of Bucovina. The commonly used text is taken from Psalm 118 of the Hebrew bible.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99A Norwegian Hymn - Axel Fiske - Philip Sparke
British composer Philip Sparke was asked to write this arrangement of Hymn to Frei for the Norwegian Brass Band Frei Hornmusikk . Sparke had already used part of this hymn by a composer well-known in the home region of the band in The Saga of Haakon the Good. In A Norwegian Hymn, three verses of the tune can be heard: the first is performed by various soloists, followed by a quieter second verse, before the third verse brings the piece to a triumphal close. A beautiful piece, which is also excellent to use to work on musicality with bands in lower divisions.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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