Results
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£24.99The Wellerman New Zeland Trad. Arr. Joseph Knight
This is a traditional New Zeland Folk Melody circa 1820 - 1830. From 1833 onwards, the Wellermen, on ships owned by Weller Brothers of Sydney, supplied provisions to New Zealand shore whaling stations from their base at Otakou. This melody has been arranged by Joseph Knight for full brass band with Drum Kit and Glockenspiel. It is written for fourth section bands and above, although it could be used with a better youth band. A real audience pleaser!
Estimated dispatch 5-7 days
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£29.99Harbour Bridge, Joseph Knight
This is a light concert piece which has been created in the 1960s cool jazz style. It is a great conversation piece and requires an advanced band with a good percussion section. Interestingly it requires a vibraphone to play it effectively. The concept of the piece is that it could be the title music to a fictional 1960s espionage film.
Estimated dispatch 5-7 days
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£24.99City of Truro - MARCH Joseph Knight
This march is in 6/8 time and was inspired by a trip on the Gloucester and Warwickshire heritage railway. The City of Truro was the engine which pulled the train. It is the first steam locomotive ever to have reached the speed of one hundred miles per hour. This march is a jaunty enjoyable tune which is a real audience pleaser. It is of a simple standard and could even be attempted by a youth group. An ideal number for playing in a massed band concert with youth.
Estimated dispatch 5-7 days
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£28.99She's Like The Swallow - Flugelhorn Solo arr. Joseph Knight
This is a fantastic slow melody that has been arranged for flugelhorn, but it could also be played on Bb cornet. This is the Canadian folk song which has been arranged for other ensembles. It is a fantastic show piece for any decent soloist.
Estimated dispatch 5-7 days
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£30.00A Rachmaninoff Prelude - Rachmaninoff
An arrangement by Tim Paton of this Rachmaninoff favourite for brass band.Comments from Tim:I first heard the Rachmaninoff Prelude in G minor when my brother, (Dr) Rod Paton, used to play it on the piano. The martial sound of the opening theme caught my imagination, and I knew then that this piece would sound magnificent if played by a brass band - if you like the music of Rachmaninoff, then you will love this piece! That spectacular sound that we all know, with busy, melodic bass lines, and a middle section in his well known 'romantic' style - I could already hear the euphonium playing those rippling arpeggios. In response to the enthusiasm for this magnificent piece, I have lightheartedly commented that maybe he wrote it for brass band, but there wasn't one available, so he did it for piano instead!Look and Listen (Score-reading digital sound sample):
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£40.00Alchemists' Fire - Lucy Pankhurst
An original composition from Lucy Pankhurst and Winner of the 2011 John Golland Award, receiving its premiere at the RNCM Festival of Brass that same year.It is a complex, energetic and invigorating major work for brass band, and one which rightly demands attention through its intricate scoring, impact-making effects and bubbling brilliance!Comments from the composer on the work's title and its multi-purpose influence and inspiration upon her composition:"The phrase "Alchemists' Fire" has several possible connotations:Firstly, Alchemists' Fire is a magical weapon featured in the Dungeons & Dragon role playing game. It is a potion, so can be used to splash, throw or pour onto a target, dealing fire damage if it hits successfully.The second possible meaning comes from an historical source, where it was also known as Greek Fire, from which the D&D element takes its influence. This was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire, typically used in naval battles to great effect, as it could continue to burn on water. It provided a technological advantage and was responsible for many key Byzantine victories. The manufacture of this 'fire' was kept a deadly secret; so much so that the formula was eventually lost and contemporary scientists and historians can only speculate at what the chemical make-up might have been.The final implication is a much more visual and sensory concept; that of the fire actually used by the Alchemist in his work - raging, dangerous and white-hot. Some sections of the work reflect the idea of 'magic' and ongoing experiments, some successful, some failing dangerously, in a cacophony of pops, fizzes and explosions amidst furious heat and brief moments of calm as the fire slowly cools, sizzling with residual components and elemental energy."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 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!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£30.00Exegesis - Tim Paton
An exciting, original composition for brass band by Tim Paton. A complex work which entwines melodic lyricism amidst contemporary harmonies and scoring. A tour de force of Tim's creativity and a rewarding challenge for the performers and audience.Tim comments: The term exegesis is applied to a study which works out the meaning of something, an interpretation of a series of events, a comparison of ideas within a given medium, for example, "Biblical exegesis". This brass band piece is a musical exegesis.Section one is made up of three main themes, and although these themes are tonal within themselves, there is a sense that they are trying to understand one another. From the very beginning of this section, there is an element of bi-tonality and dissonance.The middle section is ponderous, where we hear elements of these three themes. It could be called the 'thinking section'.Section three almost interrupts this middle section, with fanfares displaying a realisation, still containing bi-tonality, but in harmony! We are soon led in to a hymn like celebration, followed by a determined, militaristic section for the percussion. Finally, the fanfares which opened this third section, reappear, taking us to a final conclusion.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£15.00In the Hall of the Mountain King - Grieg
Performance Notes from Andrew Duncan:This arrangement is fairly difficult for inexperienced players and is without doubt one of the most difficult in the Flexi-Collection Popular Classics Series. But, as it is such a popular piece there is normally a great incentive from the players to learn the piece, despite the difficulties.The accelerando and gradual increases in tempo which are integral to this piece are in themselves very important musical ideas for new players to grasp, and these will be better understood as a result of playing and learning this arrangement.Other features found in this arrangement which may be new to some inexperienced players are the use of tin mutes in the 1st Cornet/Trumpet part, and the falling chromatic notes (accidentals) found in the melody line. Also, the wide range of dynamics, pp - ff , may be new to some players.I have deliberately not suggested any specific metronome markings as this is very much up to the conductor and is dependant on the players' abilities. However, as the arrangement becomes more familiar, the tempo could no doubt be speeded up adding to the excitement of future performances.The Flexi-Collection ApproachFlexible scoring tailored to your needs - A perfect solution for expanding the repertoire of training and junior brass bands. The Flexi-Collection currently offers two series - Popular Classics and World Tour. Based on four-part harmony, these collections provide groups with the advantage of complete flexibility when they may not be balanced. If players or instruments are missing, the show can still go on!The Flexi-Collection - Popular Classics Series, encapsulates all that is great about the wonderful range of musical styles produced by Holst, Elgar, Handel, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Bizet and Parry.The thoughtful scoring and arranging by Andrew Duncan now means that groups of all abilities have access to a truly flexible set of music for their needs. With world parts, rudimentary theory, terminology translations and large format typesetting, The Flexi-Collection ticks all the boxes when it comes to bringing interesting music to the training and junior band/brass group environment.Available individually or as part of the money-saving Flexi-Collection Popular ClassicsAlbum.Scored for Brass Band and supplied with additional Easy Bb, Easy Eb and world parts - The Flexi-Collection offers flexibility in every sense of the word.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£30.00Janacek's 'Taras Bulba' - Janacek
Comments from Tim Paton, the arranger of Janacek's 'Taras Bulba': "I will never forget the day in 1967 when I was introduced to the music of Leos Janacek, a Czech composer born in 1854, who died in 1928. Janacek was little known in Britain until the 1960's, when the conductor Charles Macherras introduced his unique music. I heard a recording of Macherras conducting the Pro Arte Orchestra in a performance of Janacek's "Sinfonietta".It was in 1969 that I first heard Janacek's Symphonic Rhapsody, "Taras Bulba".Janacek's music is exciting, powerful, emotive, impassioned and unpredictable.I have taken the first and third movements of this piece, and adapted them for Brass Band, which was at times extremely difficult, but rewarding. It sometimes took up to an hour to be satisfied that a mere several bars had been reproduced to convey the composer's intentions.The Death of AndriThe Cossaks, under the leadership of Taras Bulba, are fighting against the Poles in the 17th century. Taras's son Andri seeks to rescue his love, a Polish princess, from a city which is being besieged by the Cossaks. Having found her, he throws in his lot with the Poles, but is finally captured by his father, who executes him as a traitor before riding off again to battle.Prophesy and Death of Taras BulbaTaras himself is finally captured and condemned to be nailed to a tree and burned alive. As the flames creep around him, Taras has the satisfaction of seeing histroops escape, and as he dies, sees a vision of his country freed at last.This is incredibly descriptive music. The mood is constantly changing, creating feelings of love and anger, celebration and melancholy, despair and triumph.This Brass Band EditionThe duration of the original symphonic rhapsody, three movements, is approximately 23 minutes. I chose the first and third movements, so the Brass Band edition is approximately 14 minutes. The main reason is twofold: Being realistic about the demands this music would place on the stamina of the brass player; Keeping the piece less than 15 minutes, so that, if desired, it could be used on the contest platform.Two unique qualities of Janacek's music had to be taken into account when preparing this brass band version. His compositional technique was individual, at times not sticking to traditional expectations, in both form and orchestration. I imagined what the genius himself would have said looking at my work, and how to tackle a particular section to emulate his original intentions. This was particularly the case when dealing with high woodwind and violin parts, the use of tremolo in string parts, and the orchestral harp.Percussion: Janacek included timpani, side drum, cymbals, triangle and tubular bells. For reasons stated previously, I have also included xylophone and glockenspiel. I have also added the gong in a couple of places to enhance the dramatic effect of the music.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days