Results
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£30.00The Sword and the Star
DescriptionThe Sword and the Star was written in 2006 for the Middleton Band at the request of their Musical Director, Carl Whiteoak. The inspiration for the work was the band's badge, which features a medieval archer. The town of Middeton's historical link with the symbol of the Archer came from the English victory at the Battle of Flodden in September 1513, where bowmen from Middleton and Heywood under the command of Sir Richard Assheton played a vital part in crushing the invading Scottish army. Sir Richard captured one of the Scottish commanders and presented the prisoner's sword to the St Leonard's church in Middleton in recognition of the town's contribution. As long time Lords of the Manor, the Assheton family crest was for centuries featured in the coat of arms of Middleton council, and when Middleton became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale the black star from the Assheton crest was used to represent Middleton in the new borough's coat of arms. Hence the title The Sword and the Star, for a piece which attempts to give an impression of the town as it was then and as it is now.The music is in three short sections - a fanfare, a lament and a bright scherzo - and simply aims to contrast the medieval hamlet of Middleton with the bustling urban centre it has now become. The central lament features a Scottish song called "The Flowers of the Forest", written to mourn the loss of so many of Scotland's young men on the field of Flodden; the song returns in a much more positive form at the end of the piece.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£36.00Edward Gregson: The World Rejoicing
DescriptionComposer's NoteIn searching for a common link between the brass band traditions of the various European countries that commissioned this work, I considered the fact that hymns have always played an important role in the relationship that brass bands have with their particular communities; and thus I turned to a well-known Lutheran chorale, Nun danket alle Gott (Now thank we all our God), written around 1636 by Martin Rinkart, with the melody attributed to Johann Cruger. A number of composers have incorporated this chorale into their music, most famously J.S.Bach in his Cantatas no. 79 and 192, and Mendelssohn in the Lobsegang movement of his 2nd Symphony (the harmonization of which is usually used when this hymn is sung).It seemed fitting therefore for me to return to a compositional form I have used many times before (Variations) and to write a work based on this hymn. I have used it in a similar way to that which I employed in my Variations on Laudate Dominum of 1976 - that is, rather than writing a set of variations using elaborations of the complete tune, I have taken various phrases from the chorale and used them within the context of other musical material, applying an overall symphonic process of continuous variation and development. The structure, or sub-divisions of the work, which is through composed and plays without a break, is as follows: Prelude, Capriccio, La Danza 1, Processional, La Danza 2, Arias and Duets, Fuga Burlesca, Chorale, and Postlude.The work is also partly autobiographical - in the manner say of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben - in that I have incorporated into the score brief quotations from many of my other major works for brass band. In that respect, The World Rejoicing sums up a particular facet of my life as a composer, and reflects the admiration I have always had for what is surely one of the great amateur music-making traditions in the world.The World Rejoicing is dedicated 'in loving memory of my brother', Bramwell Logan Gregson, who sadly passed away in the Autumn of 2018.Edward Gregson
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95
COVENANTERS, The (Brass Band Set) - Kenneth Downie
In 1638, many members of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland signed a document called the National Covenant. By doing so, they were declaring that they acknowledged only Jesus Christ as the spiritual head of their church, and not any king or queen. This had become necessary because the Stuart kings believed in the Divine Right of Monarchs and saw themselves as head of the church. In the previous year, Charles I had forcibly introduced the Book of Common Prayer, invoking the wrath of the common people who faced the threat of torture, transportation or execution if they did not use the new liturgy and worship at their local church. The net result of this was that many met illegally in the countryside or in barns and large houses. These meetings became known as 'conventides' and many took place in the south-west of the country. Anyone caught attending was at risk of execution by the muskets of the dragoons who were employed in the area for that specific purpose. This music was written to honour the bravery and loyalty of these Christians to their faith, in the face of extreme danger, in the hope that it will inspire us also to be faithful. There are overtones of military threat, secrecy and solidarity. An old pentatonic tune is used, which the composer heard as a boy being sung to the words The Lord's My Shepherd.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£94.90Stjernen og Rosa (The Star and a Rose) (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Hannevik, John Philip
The Star and a Rose is a big-scale Christmas piece for band, featuring four seasonal chorales.The first is a Gregorian-like chant Hodie Christus natus est.In this section of the piece, a soloist can be placed away from the band, maybe on a gallery. The soloist can be a tenor instrument, maybe trombone, or you can feature a vocal soloist. After this, the music leads us on to the old German Christmas chorale Lo, how a rose e'er blooming. This song is given a fairly rhythmical treatment, but make sure that the melody is presented in a cantabile style. An interlude follows, before the piece presents one of the most used and loved Scandinavian Christmas chorales, Mitt hjerte alltid vanker (My Heart will always wander), composed by the Danish bishop Hans Adolph Brorson around 1732. This song is building towards a climax, before the solo horn brings it all down to the Stable view described in the lyrics. Then comes a transition that brings us in to the final section of the piece, which presents the international Christmas Carol Adeste Fideles. As many will notice, I have borrowed a section from David Wilcocks majestic harmonization towards the end.The title of the piece has its background form the lyrics in My heart will always wander, where the text speaks about the stars in the sky. But also in the Latin text for Adeste Fideles: Stella duce, Magi, Christum adorantes. The Rose is of course from the lyrics in the chorale Lo, how a Rose.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.99The Baltic Way (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - De Haan, Jan
In 1989, the demonstration named the Baltic Way also known as the Baltic Chain-- was held in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by its citizens in a call for independence from the Soviet Union. On 23rd August 1989, some two million participants formed a human chain, hand-in-hand all the way from the Estonian capital of Tallinn its Latvian counterpart, Riga, through to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius - six hundred kilometres long. It became the longest human chain ever created and turned out to be the final push needed for much sought-after independence. This historic event became the source of inspiration for this composition. The introduction of thefirst movement, 'Struggle for Independence', is based on a nocturne for piano by the renowned Lithuanian composer and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas iurlionis (1875-1911), thematic material from which has been incorporated throughout the whole composition. The melancholic beginning is followed by a powerful theme which reflects the resolve of the Baltic people. The sudden aggressive, dissonant chords and a dominant and--in rhythmic terms--contrary bass drum announce that the resistance is not going smoothly. Just for a moment, we hear the anthem of the Soviet Union in the lower brass, but this is relentlessly pushed to the background by the rest of the band playing the Lithuanian national anthem, 'Tautika giesm ' (Lithuania, our homeland). The second movement, 'Decades of Suffering', echoes life under the Soviet Union's thumb. In the pursuit of independence, a peaceful protest is planned in which a human chain is formed across the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This 'Chain of Freedom' is depicted in the final movement of the work. Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£124.95The 39th Parallel (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Graham, Peter
Within The 39th Parallel (South) lies the New Zealand district of Whanganui and at its heart the Whanganui river - Te Awa Tupua.This work is cast in two parts:Part 1, a musical evocation of the course of the river from Mount Tongariro to the sea, is constructed according to golden ratio proportions (the fundamental mathematical principle governing nature). Running in parallel a sequence of metrical modulations finds the tempo of the music increase incrementally over the course of the movement.Part 2, Apakura, ("Lament" in the Maori language) develops a theme previously hinted at in Part 1 but now fully realised. This "Home" theme is an elegy to the late Kevin Jarrett, a towering figure in the New Zealand music scene who for many years lived and worked in the town of Whanganui. The elegy includes references to music which formed a significant part of Kevin Jarrett's musical experiences both as a New Zealand Army Band musician (echoes of the Urbach march Through Bolts and Bars) and through his long association with the National Band of New Zealand (hints of fellow countryman Sir Dean Goffin's classic Rhapsody in Brass). The work concludes with a reprise of the Home theme.The 39th Parallel was commissioned by the Brass Band Association of New Zealand, in memory of the late Kevin Jarrett, with funds primarily provided by WNG Loan Finance & Investment Co; McDonnell Coleman Trust; Brass Whanganui; Riki & Rhys McDonnell; Jonathan Wallace; Graham Hickman; Ian & Denise Levien; and the New Zealand Army Band.- Peter Graham
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£54.95Songs of the Great War (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
A Medley of Popular Songs, 1914 - 1918Music of the Great War is a five year project to use music of the period to educate and engage schools, colleges, town bands, and the wider public across the UK and the world to learn in a positive way about the events, the experience of the troops involved from all sides, and how music played its part.This year, to commemorate the centenary of the Great War a specially arranged medley Songs of the Great War has been created. The medley has been arranged for bands to rehearse and eventually perform on the 11 November 2015. It brings together some of the most popular tunes played, sung and performed by the men and women of the time - in the trenches and on the various home fronts.With the support of many countries and organisations, on the 11 November the medley will be first played in New Zealand and Australia. It will ripple east across the world being performed in countries like India and Pakistan before hitting Europe and onwards to include performances in Canada and the Caribbean. This could become one of the most played pieces of music in a 24-hour period.In Britain, there will be performances across the country, including some at key events and sites involving a wide range of military and non-military personnel.The medley includes:It's a Long Way to TipperaryYour King and Country Want YouGood Bye-eeOh! It's a Lovely WarHello! Hello! Who's Your Lady FriendTake Me Back to Dear Old BlightyMademoiselle from ArmentieresThere's a Long, Long Trail A-windingIf You Were the Only Girl in the WorldPack Up Your Troubles (In Your Old Kit Bag)Old Soldiers Never Die/Last Post
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£43.99The Divine Right (Brass Band - Score only) - Harper, Philip
At the time of composing this piece, the Arab Spring was sweeping through the Middle East. It seemed that almost every week a new country's people had risen up against the regimes and dictatorships which had prevailed for generations, leaving many nations at a defining crossroads in their history. There were so many possible ways ahead: so many hopes, yet so many uncertainties.This music is a depiction of these revolutionary times, and several musical themes are in turn presented, discussed, considered, fought over, altered, rejected or accepted.Most nations have had, or probably will have, their own Arab Spring, including the United Kingdom. Events of 17th Century Britain provide the context for this piece, particularly those following the execution of the tyrant King Charles I on 30 January 1649. The regicide was in part due to Charless steadfast belief in the Divine Right of Kings, and led to a tumultuous interregnum, where England stood at its own defining crossroads. The music begins turbulently, before King Charles appears and is led to the gallows outside Banqueting House in central London where he is brutally decapitated. From the assembled crowd rose, according to one observer,a moan as I never heard before and desire I may never hear again.The music descends to emptiness.The musical argument which follows is not strictly programmatic, but a number of musical themes are all thrown into the melting pot, representing ideas such as: religion; military force; reasoned Parliamentary debate; and the chattering, irrepressible voice of the people. Additionally, there are some quotations from the music of royalist composer Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656), who was often in tune with the feeling of the times.This defining episode in England's history was brought to a close with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and as the exiled King Charles II rode back into London the diarist John Evelyn wrote:Never was so joyful a day seen in this nation. I stood in the Strand and beheld it, and blessed God.At the end of the piece the bells ring out, and the musical appearance of the King has transformed from turbulent to triumphant.Duration: 17.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.99
The Divine Right (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Harper, Philip
At the time of composing this piece, the Arab Spring was sweeping through the Middle East. It seemed that almost every week a new country's people had risen up against the regimes and dictatorships which had prevailed for generations, leaving many nations at a defining crossroads in their history. There were so many possible ways ahead: so many hopes, yet so many uncertainties.This music is a depiction of these revolutionary times, and several musical themes are in turn presented, discussed, considered, fought over, altered, rejected or accepted.Most nations have had, or probably will have, their own Arab Spring, including the United Kingdom. Events of 17th Century Britain provide the context for this piece, particularly those following the execution of the tyrant King Charles I on 30 January 1649. The regicide was in part due to Charless steadfast belief in the Divine Right of Kings, and led to a tumultuous interregnum, where England stood at its own defining crossroads. The music begins turbulently, before King Charles appears and is led to the gallows outside Banqueting House in central London where he is brutally decapitated. From the assembled crowd rose, according to one observer,a moan as I never heard before and desire I may never hear again.The music descends to emptiness.The musical argument which follows is not strictly programmatic, but a number of musical themes are all thrown into the melting pot, representing ideas such as: religion; military force; reasoned Parliamentary debate; and the chattering, irrepressible voice of the people. Additionally, there are some quotations from the music of royalist composer Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656), who was often in tune with the feeling of the times.This defining episode in England's history was brought to a close with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and as the exiled King Charles II rode back into London the diarist John Evelyn wrote:Never was so joyful a day seen in this nation. I stood in the Strand and beheld it, and blessed God.At the end of the piece the bells ring out, and the musical appearance of the King has transformed from turbulent to triumphant.Duration: 17.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95The Covenanters (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Downie, Kenneth
In 1638, many members of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland signed a document called the National Covenant. By doing so, they were declaring that they acknowledged only Jesus Christ as the spiritual head of their church, and not any king or queen. This had become necessary because the Stuart kings believed in the Divine Right of Monarchs and saw themselves as head of the church. In the previous year, Charles I had forcibly introduced the Book of Common Prayer, invoking the wrath of the common people who faced the threat of torture, transportation or execution if they did not use the new liturgy and worship at their local church. The net result of this was that many met illegally in the countryside or in barns and large houses. These meetings became known as 'conventides' and many took place in the south-west of the country. Anyone caught attending was at risk of execution by the muskets of the dragoons who were employed in the area for that specific purpose. This music was written to honour the bravery and loyalty of these Christians to their faith, in the face of extreme danger, in the hope that it will inspire us also to be faithful. There are overtones of military threat, secrecy and solidarity. An old pentatonic tune is used, which the composer heard as a boy being sung to the words The Lord's My Shepherd.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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