Results
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£29.95Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Score only) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
Selected as the Section 2 test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025Following his ballet Checkmate, Bliss composed another score for the, by then, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Miracle in the Gorbals, which was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, to a scenario by Michael Benthall. Premired in 1944, the ballet made a considerable impact and was a box-office success. It was followed in turn by a further collaboration with Helpmann and Benthall, Adam Zero. This would serve Helpmann, in the eponymous role, as a vehicle in two respects: demonstrating his gifts as a dancer-actor and as a choreographer. First performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 8 April 1946, Adam Zero was conducted by Constant Lambert, the work's dedicatee. Bliss considered it 'his most varied and exciting ballet score'. Benthall provided a synopsis for the programme:There is a philosophy that life moves in an endless series of timeless cycles. As Nature passes through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so man is born, makes a success in his own particular sphere, loses his position to a younger generation, sees his world crumble before his eyes and only finds peace in death. This age-old story is told in terms of a Company creating a ballet and calling on the resources of the theatre to do so. Lighting, stage mechanism, dance conventions, musical forms and costumes and scenery of all periods are used to symbolize the world of 'Adam Zero'.Apart from Adam, as the Principal Dancer, other main roles included the Stage Director (representing Omnipotence), and Adam's Fates (Designer, Wardrobe Mistress, and Dresser). 'The Woman in this allegory', wrote Bliss, 'under the symbol of the Choreographer, was both the creator and destroyer of Adam: his first love, his wife, his mistress, and finally the figure of beneficent Death.' When the curtain rose, the 'audience saw the Covent Garden stage right back to the wall, completely empty except for the protagonists, 'the Company poised, still and expectant, as they await the birth of... Adam Zero.'Unfortunately, soon after the premire, Helpmann injured himself and had to withdraw from the remaining performances. Despite generally positive reviews, the ballet did not capture the imagination of audiences and, to Bliss's considerable disappointment, was not revived. Seventy years would elapse before its first major return to the stage, in 2016, performed by the ballet company of Stadttheater Bremerhaven with choreography by Sergei Vanaev.Bliss extracted a concert suite from the ballet, conducting its first performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 28 October 1948. For his own suite, arranged for brass band in 2023, Dr Robert Childs chose three dances linked to the seasons, book-ending them with the ebullient 'Fanfare Overture' and 'Fanfare Coda'. After Adam has grown to manhood, his Fates clothe him in a costume synonymous with confident youth, appropriate for the virile, ardent 'Dance of Spring'. In the 'Approach of Autumn', Adam, now wearing a sombre costume, has grown older: his Fates have streaked grey in his hair and put lines on his face. But they had earlier raised Adam to the zenith of his power, and the 'Dance of Summer' depicts him in the prime of life, in music of sweeping grandeur. The 'Fanfare Coda' signals that the next cycle of life is about to begin.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£19.65
Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Study Score) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
Selected as the Section 2 test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025Following his ballet Checkmate, Bliss composed another score for the, by then, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Miracle in the Gorbals, which was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, to a scenario by Michael Benthall. Premired in 1944, the ballet made a considerable impact and was a box-office success. It was followed in turn by a further collaboration with Helpmann and Benthall, Adam Zero. This would serve Helpmann, in the eponymous role, as a vehicle in two respects: demonstrating his gifts as a dancer-actor and as a choreographer. First performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 8 April 1946, Adam Zero was conducted by Constant Lambert, the work's dedicatee. Bliss considered it 'his most varied and exciting ballet score'. Benthall provided a synopsis for the programme:There is a philosophy that life moves in an endless series of timeless cycles. As Nature passes through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so man is born, makes a success in his own particular sphere, loses his position to a younger generation, sees his world crumble before his eyes and only finds peace in death. This age-old story is told in terms of a Company creating a ballet and calling on the resources of the theatre to do so. Lighting, stage mechanism, dance conventions, musical forms and costumes and scenery of all periods are used to symbolize the world of 'Adam Zero'.Apart from Adam, as the Principal Dancer, other main roles included the Stage Director (representing Omnipotence), and Adam's Fates (Designer, Wardrobe Mistress, and Dresser). 'The Woman in this allegory', wrote Bliss, 'under the symbol of the Choreographer, was both the creator and destroyer of Adam: his first love, his wife, his mistress, and finally the figure of beneficent Death.' When the curtain rose, the 'audience saw the Covent Garden stage right back to the wall, completely empty except for the protagonists, 'the Company poised, still and expectant, as they await the birth of... Adam Zero.'Unfortunately, soon after the premire, Helpmann injured himself and had to withdraw from the remaining performances. Despite generally positive reviews, the ballet did not capture the imagination of audiences and, to Bliss's considerable disappointment, was not revived. Seventy years would elapse before its first major return to the stage, in 2016, performed by the ballet company of Stadttheater Bremerhaven with choreography by Sergei Vanaev.Bliss extracted a concert suite from the ballet, conducting its first performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 28 October 1948. For his own suite, arranged for brass band in 2023, Dr Robert Childs chose three dances linked to the seasons, book-ending them with the ebullient 'Fanfare Overture' and 'Fanfare Coda'. After Adam has grown to manhood, his Fates clothe him in a costume synonymous with confident youth, appropriate for the virile, ardent 'Dance of Spring'. In the 'Approach of Autumn', Adam, now wearing a sombre costume, has grown older: his Fates have streaked grey in his hair and put lines on his face. But they had earlier raised Adam to the zenith of his power, and the 'Dance of Summer' depicts him in the prime of life, in music of sweeping grandeur. The 'Fanfare Coda' signals that the next cycle of life is about to begin.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£64.95
Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
Selected as the Section 2 test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025Following his ballet Checkmate, Bliss composed another score for the, by then, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Miracle in the Gorbals, which was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, to a scenario by Michael Benthall. Premired in 1944, the ballet made a considerable impact and was a box-office success. It was followed in turn by a further collaboration with Helpmann and Benthall, Adam Zero. This would serve Helpmann, in the eponymous role, as a vehicle in two respects: demonstrating his gifts as a dancer-actor and as a choreographer. First performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 8 April 1946, Adam Zero was conducted by Constant Lambert, the work's dedicatee. Bliss considered it 'his most varied and exciting ballet score'. Benthall provided a synopsis for the programme:There is a philosophy that life moves in an endless series of timeless cycles. As Nature passes through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so man is born, makes a success in his own particular sphere, loses his position to a younger generation, sees his world crumble before his eyes and only finds peace in death. This age-old story is told in terms of a Company creating a ballet and calling on the resources of the theatre to do so. Lighting, stage mechanism, dance conventions, musical forms and costumes and scenery of all periods are used to symbolize the world of 'Adam Zero'.Apart from Adam, as the Principal Dancer, other main roles included the Stage Director (representing Omnipotence), and Adam's Fates (Designer, Wardrobe Mistress, and Dresser). 'The Woman in this allegory', wrote Bliss, 'under the symbol of the Choreographer, was both the creator and destroyer of Adam: his first love, his wife, his mistress, and finally the figure of beneficent Death.' When the curtain rose, the 'audience saw the Covent Garden stage right back to the wall, completely empty except for the protagonists, 'the Company poised, still and expectant, as they await the birth of... Adam Zero.'Unfortunately, soon after the premire, Helpmann injured himself and had to withdraw from the remaining performances. Despite generally positive reviews, the ballet did not capture the imagination of audiences and, to Bliss's considerable disappointment, was not revived. Seventy years would elapse before its first major return to the stage, in 2016, performed by the ballet company of Stadttheater Bremerhaven with choreography by Sergei Vanaev.Bliss extracted a concert suite from the ballet, conducting its first performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 28 October 1948. For his own suite, arranged for brass band in 2023, Dr Robert Childs chose three dances linked to the seasons, book-ending them with the ebullient 'Fanfare Overture' and 'Fanfare Coda'. After Adam has grown to manhood, his Fates clothe him in a costume synonymous with confident youth, appropriate for the virile, ardent 'Dance of Spring'. In the 'Approach of Autumn', Adam, now wearing a sombre costume, has grown older: his Fates have streaked grey in his hair and put lines on his face. But they had earlier raised Adam to the zenith of his power, and the 'Dance of Summer' depicts him in the prime of life, in music of sweeping grandeur. The 'Fanfare Coda' signals that the next cycle of life is about to begin.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£50.00Greetings to a City (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bliss, Arthur - Hindmarsh, Paul
Sir Arthur Bliss (1891 - 1975) was a significant composer and pillar of the British musical establishment. Although Born in London, his father was from the United States and both countries were important in his life and career. A pupil of Stanford at the Royal College of Music, Bliss travelled to the United States with his father in 1923, taking a prominent part in Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge's Pittsfield Music Festival, as well as undertaking some teaching and conducting. In 1925 he married Trudy Hoffman and they returned to the UK early in 1926. Bliss's most influential scores were his ballets and film scores. In 1953 Sir Arthur was appointed Master of the Queen's Music, after which he added a steady stream of fanfares and ceremonial works to his list of works. In 1960 he was commissioned by the American Wind Symphony of Pittsburgh, which requested for festive work to feature on an extensive European tour, including a performance in London.Bliss scored Greetings to a City for antiphonal brass, a choir each of 2 trumpets, 2 horns and three trombones, with tuba and percussion. This adaptation for brass band instruments retains an element of antiphony, emphasing the contrast between the fanfare instruments (cornets and trombones) and the horns and tubas. Greetings to a City is cast in three connected sections, with extended fanfare episodes separated by a short lyrical interlude.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 6.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£59.95The Ellacombe Chronicles (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Curnow, James
This piece was commissioned by Brass Band of Columbus for the occasion of the band's 25th anniversary in 2009. It is dedicated to current and former members of the band and its founding Director, Dr Paul Droste. The hymns of Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748) have been a source of inspiration for musical thought and development by composers for over 200 years. His glorious hymn 'I sing the mighty power of God' has been coupled with the hymn tune 'Ellacombe' in many hymnals over these two centuries. This work was created and inspired by Isaac Watts's text and chronicles the three verses of the hymn through a set of diverse variations on the hymn tune 'Ellacombe'. The opening fanfare is intended to capture the joy and exuberance of the first phrase of the first verse, 'I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise'. The developmental material following the fanfare gives a hint of the three large variations that are extracted from the tune.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95
The Ellacombe Chronicles (Brass Band - Score only) - Curnow, James
This piece was commissioned by Brass Band of Columbus for the occasion of the band's 25th anniversary in 2009. It is dedicated to current and former members of the band and its founding Director, Dr Paul Droste. The hymns of Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748) have been a source of inspiration for musical thought and development by composers for over 200 years. His glorious hymn 'I sing the mighty power of God' has been coupled with the hymn tune 'Ellacombe' in many hymnals over these two centuries. This work was created and inspired by Isaac Watts's text and chronicles the three verses of the hymn through a set of diverse variations on the hymn tune 'Ellacombe'. The opening fanfare is intended to capture the joy and exuberance of the first phrase of the first verse, 'I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise'. The developmental material following the fanfare gives a hint of the three large variations that are extracted from the tune.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£60.99Conzensus (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Van der Roost, Jan
This stately concert opener was originally written by Jan Van der Roost for a special event in which six respected wind orchestras (two Belgian and four Dutch) of different composition (two symphonic bands, two fanfare bands and two brass bands) were featured during six concerts. Each evening brought forth a performance by a symphonic band, a fanfare, and brass band, so that the audience could experience all three types of ensembles. This was indeed an original concept. The name, ConZEnSus, comes from a combination of the words, 'Concert Cyclus' (concert series) and 'zes' (Dutch for 'six'). This leads to a new word, which refers to 'consensus'. The general tenor of the cycle is thus immediately indicated. The richness of color of the various ensembles is revealed through an open and friendly atmosphere. During all six concerts (over a span of three years), ConZEnSus functioned as a permanent opening number for each orchestra. Thus the same musical story was portrayed in three different packages.Duration: 2:30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£60.99Signature (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Van der Roost, Jan
This opener was written for the 10th anniversary of Brass Band Midden Brabant (BBMB), the composer's own band. A soft and lyrical middle section follows on the powerful opening fanfare which, if the technical equipment is available, can be used as background music for a spoken text or presentation. The finale is distinctly rhythmical in character, and develops into a somewhat unusual ending. Here, the composer piles ten different notes on top of each other, representing the BBMB anniversary in a musical way. At a later date the composer made two new versions of Signature, namely for wind band and fanfare.Duration: 3:30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£69.99Fanfares and Love Songs (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Higgins, Gavin
Fanfares and Love Songs was commissioned by the National Children's Brass Band of Great Britain for performance on 25th July 2009. Its three movements contrast the extrovert and lyrical qualities of the traditional brass band. The fanfare with which the work opens involves the whole cornet section. The second movement is reflective in mood, beginning somewhat pensively on muted brass, and building to an emotional climax before subsiding back to a distant pianissimo chord. The finale is a fast dance, which with a final recapitulation of the opening fanfare drives on to a breathless close.Suitable for Advanced Youth/3rd Section Bands and aboveDuration: 12.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£14.99
Fanfares and Love Songs (Brass Band - Score only) - Higgins, Gavin
Fanfares and Love Songs was commissioned by the National Children's Brass Band of Great Britain for performance on 25th July 2009. Its three movements contrast the extrovert and lyrical qualities of the traditional brass band. The fanfare with which the work opens involves the whole cornet section. The second movement is reflective in mood, beginning somewhat pensively on muted brass, and building to an emotional climax before subsiding back to a distant pianissimo chord. The finale is a fast dance, which with a final recapitulation of the opening fanfare drives on to a breathless close.Suitable for Advanced Youth/3rd Section Bands and aboveDuration: 12.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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