Results
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£94.95Waiting for a Pain Hit!??!!? (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Waiting For a Pain Hit!??!!? was written during November and December 2006 as an entry in the 2006/07 Swiss Brass Band Association Composers Competition. It was later chosen as the Championship Section set test piece for the 2010 Swiss National Brass Band Championships.The piece originates from sketches for a Brass Quintet which was written whilst I was in my second year of studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The piece, now being much more elaborate both musically and structurally than the original, aims to explore the many various textures available to a large brass ensemble. The aims of the piece, from its earliest stages, were mainly exploration of textures as well as dealing with issues of continuity and whilst the piece certainly contains challenging technical elements, they were not a driving force behind its inception and more organically grew from the primary aims of the piece. I was purposefully looking throughout the writing and editing process to create a piece of music with a seamless, ethereal quality to both the structure and the musical content.There are no 'performance directions' throughout the piece, the reasoning for this is explained below. However, I have spent much time and thought over the tempo markings throughout the piece and the tempos throughout the piece are the desired tempi and care should be taken with these. The tempo markings contained throughout the piece form a vital part of the structure and affect the continuity of the piece. Metronome marks contained within a box show the tempo of the new section in relation to the tempo that precedes it by use of metronome modulations. Any alterations to the tempo of the section that precedes it will alter the boxed metronome marks.The title of a piece of music, please forgive my generalisation, is to give an insight into 'what a piece is about'. I suppose that this piece is no different, but with the title being slightly abstract I shall resist the temptation to reveal what it means to me. The title, I feel, needs to be open to interpretation along with the music within. That's the way, with this piece especially, I like my music to be. Freedom to find our own meaning and a way to express it from within the score is vital. It is only then that the piece can take on its own identity and grow in ways that even I might not have imagined, revealing different sides to its personality with each performance.Before the music begins I have included some text. Do these words hold the key to the music?! Can they help??! I DON'T KNOW!!! I just like the rhythms, the pulse and the imagery. Hopefully, all of this can help to create a picture. But let it be your picture...- Paul McGhee, June 2010
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£18.15Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore - Verdi
Programme Notes from Andrew Duncan:Like many of the arrangements in the Flexi-Collection - Popular Classics Series I have simplified the rhythms and time signature, etc. I have also omitted trills for ease of playing.Dynamics form a very important aspect of this arrangement and it is important to observe these, especially the p markings. Every dynamic from p through to ff is used as well as some crescendos.The 1st Cornet/Trumpet part is perhaps more difficult than in some of the other arrangements in the series, but the other parts are fairly simple in comparison.The Percussion part (which is optional) is unusual in that it calls for two 'Anvils' to be played. However if these are not available then a good effect can be obtained by hitting two pieces of metal with metal hammers.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 for Brass Band - The Flexi-Collection offers flexibility in every sense of the word.(Available individually or as part of the money-saving Flexi-Collection Popular Classics Album)
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£18.00Scarborough Fair
DescriptionScarborough Fair is a traditional English ballad about the Yorkshire town of Scarborough. The song relates the tale of a young man who instructs the listener to tell his former love to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she completes these tasks he will take her back. Often the song is sung as a duet, with the woman then giving her lover a series of equally impossible tasks, promising to give him his seamless shirt once he has finished.As the versions of the ballad known under the title Scarborough Fair are usually limited to the exchange of these impossible tasks, many suggestions concerning the plot have been proposed, including the theory that it is about the Great Plague of the late Middle Ages. The lyrics of "Scarborough Fair" appear to have something in common with an obscure Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight which has been traced at least as far back as 1670 and may well be earlier. In this ballad, an elf threatens to abduct a young woman to be his lover unless she can perform an impossible task.As the song spread, it was adapted, modified, and rewritten to the point that dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century, although only a few are typically sung nowadays. The references to the traditional English fair, "Scarborough Fair" and the refrain "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" date to 19th century versions. A number of older versions refer to locations other than Scarborough Fair, including Wittingham Fair, Cape Ann, "twixt Berwik and Lyne", etc.The earliest notable recording of it was by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, a version which heavily influenced Simon and Garfunkel's later more famous version. Amongst many other recordings, the tune was used by the Stone Roses as the basis of their song "Elizabeth my Dear".
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£19.95Mythical Tales (Brass Quintet)
Mythical Tales (2012) is a ten minute work in three movements which represents three of the most popular folk stories or indeed in the case of the first movement, true stories, in Welsh culture.I. Owain GlyndwrOwain Glyn Dwr was born around the 1350s into an Anglo-Welsh gentry family. His estates provided him with a modest power base in north-east Wales. After a number of disputes, he proclaimed himself prince of Wales in September 1400.Glyn Dwr led several battles with the English, although he was never captured. Over the next few years punitive measures were enacted to keep control of Wales, but these were matched by many acts of Welsh rebellion - among them the capture of Conwy Castle in April 1401. In June 1402, at the Battle of Pilleth on Bryn Glas Hill, Glyn Dwr led his troops to victory over an English army. By now Glyn Dwr was leading a national revolt. In 1404, he led a march towards Wocester, but failed, with the English capturing parts of Wales. He died defending his country.II. MyfanwyMyfanwy was the most beautiful woman in Powys, but she was vain and liked nothing better than to be told how beautiful she was. Many handsome men would court her, but she would not show interest because they couldn't sing and play to her, reflecting her true beauty.Luckily, a penniless bard, Hywel ap Einion was in love with Myfanwy, and one day plucked up the courage to climb up the hill to the castle with his harp, to sing and play to her. He's allowed in to play for her, and while he's playing and complimenting her on her beauty she can neither listen nor look at any other man. Because of this Hywel believes that she has fallen in love with him. But his hopes are dashed when a richer, more handsome and more eloquent lover comes along. The music of the second movement portrays the despair and upset that Hywel must have felt.III. Battle of the DragonsMany centuries ago when dragons roamed the land, a white ice dragon descended on a small village and decided to live there, not knowing that a red fire dragon was already living nearby.Six months later the red dragon awoke to find a huge white dragon wrapped around his village that he cared for. He could tell that his people were ill from the cold. The Land was bare; nothing was able to grow not even the pesky dandelions. The people were starving. The people longed for the red dragon to free them from the icy misery, so that their life and land could return to the sunny and warm climate that it was once before.The red fire dragon challenged the white ice dragon to a single combat fight at the top of the cliff the next day. The people of the village watched in terror awaiting their fate. The red dragon beat the white dragon, and the crowd cheered with joy as the red dragon roared with triumph. The mayor of the village declared that the land should always fly a flag with the symbol of a Red dragon on it. The flag's background should be half green and half white; the green to represent the lush green grass of the land and the white to represent the ice. This way no one would ever forget what happened.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£30.00Flanfayre - Stephen Deazley
I was asked by Music for Youth to write a flexibly scored fanfare for the school proms at the Royal Albert Hall and at their National Festival in Birmingham in 2013. At its first performance at the National Festival, over 200 young brass players performed Flanfayre in Birmingham Town Hall, directed by Roger Argente, members of Superbrass and myself. The score is a progressive romp through some increasingly dance-like grooves, borrowing some of its swing from South America, from marches and big band, moving from a really quite straight opening to a "let-go" moment at the end. It is more like a flan full of different flavours, than a fanfare, hence the title. I set myself a challenge to write 100 bars but ended up with 102, which, after the introduction, can be broken down into 10 easily discernible sections each with their own mini-musical narrative. If you have time feel free to teach the audience the clapping groove. I also modelled the slow moving melody of the final section on the following words; "nothing beats a nice big cheesy, nothing beats a nice big cheesy, nothing beats a nice big cheesy, nothing beats a cheesy flan". Feel free to incorporate these too, and perform only under the strict instruction that you have fun ! - Programme Note copyright of Stephen Deazley
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£9.95First Quartet (Brass Quartet - Score and Parts)
My first Brass Quartet was written in 1968, immediately after I finished my studies at the Royal Academy of Music, and was in response to a request from my then publisher, R Smith & Co, to write some chamber music for brass band instruments. It is scored for two cornets, horn and euphonium. In the same year I also wrote another quartet (No. 2) which is scored for the more unusual combination of two horns, baritone, and tuba. The First Quartet is really a miniature in terms of length, lasting less than six minutes. However, it packs a lot of punch in its two connected movements, a Prelude and a Capriccio. The Prelude is lyrical in style and opens with a rising figure (covering a major seventh) on euphonium answered by muted cornets. These ideas form the material for the movement which is arch shape in structure. The opening returns, immediately followed by a transition passage which leads directly into the turbulent Capriccio. This is rather Bartokian in style (I was very influenced by Bartok in my student days and had closely studied his six string quartets), in the manner of a Hungarian dance in 5/8 time. The constantly changing metric patterns give the music a rather disruptive quality, but also an opportunity for the players to show their virtuoso abilities. - Edward Gregson
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£15.00Symphony in Two Movements (Brass Band - Study Score) - Gregson, Edward
Selected as the Championship Section test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025This work was jointly commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB) and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales (NYBBW), the latter with funding from T Cerdd (Music Centre Wales), to celebrate their 60th and 30th anniversaries respectively. The first performances were given at Cadogan Hall, London, in April 2012, by the NYBBGB, conducted by Bramwell Tovey; and at the Great Hall, Aberystwyth University, in July 2012, by the NYBBW, conducted by Nicholas Childs.When I was approached about a joint commission to write a new work to celebrate the anniversaries of these two outstanding youth bands I was delighted to accept, and decided to respond by writing a work apposite for the magnitude of these special occasions, namely a 'symphony for brass'.Through a long journey of writing music for brass band, which commenced with Connotations (1977), and continued with Dances and Arias (1984), Of Men and Mountains (1991), The Trumpets of the Angels (2000) and Rococo Variations (2008), I arrived at what I regard as the most important work of the cycle to date, combining as it does serious musical intent with considerable technical demands. It is perhaps my most abstract work for brass band, avoiding any programmatic content.The symphony lasts for some 19 minutes and is structured in two linked movements. The form is based on that used by Beethoven in his final piano sonata (Op.111), which is in two movements only: a compact sonata-form allegro, followed by a more expansive theme and four variations. Prokofiev also adopted this model in his 2nd Symphony of 1925.The opening Toccata of this Symphony is highly dramatic but compact, whilst still retaining the 'traditional' structural elements of exposition, development and recapitulation; indeed, it also has the 'traditional' element of a contrasting second subject - a gentle, lyrical modal melody first heard on solo cornets.In contrast, the longer and more substantial second movement Variations is built around a theme and four variations. The slowly unfolding chorale-like theme accumulates both added note harmony and increasing instrumentation, whilst the four variations which follow are by turn mercurial (fast, starting with all the instruments muted), march-like (menacing, with short rhythmic articulations underpinning an extended atonal melody), serene (a series of 'romances' for solo instruments alongside echoes of the chorale) with an emerging theme eventually bursting into a climax of passionate intent; whilst the final variation is a dynamic scherzo (concertante-like in its series of rapid-fire solos, duets, trios and quartets) with the music gradually incorporating elements of the main ideas from the first movement, thus acting as a recapitulation for the whole work. It reaches its peroration with a return to the very opening of the symphony, now in the 'home' tonality of F, and thus creating a truly symphonic dimension to the music.Most of the melodic material of the symphony is derived from the opening eleven-note 'row', which contains various intervallic sets, and although the work is not serially conceived it does use some typical quasi-serial procedures, such as canons, inversions, and retrogrades. The symphony uses somewhat limited percussion, in line with a 'classical' approach to the sound world of the brass band, alongside a use of multi-divisi instrumentation, whereby each player has an individual part rather than the traditional doubling within certain sections of the band.- Edward GregsonDuration: 19.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£107.95Symphony in Two Movements (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
Selected as the Championship Section test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025This work was jointly commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB) and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales (NYBBW), the latter with funding from T Cerdd (Music Centre Wales), to celebrate their 60th and 30th anniversaries respectively. The first performances were given at Cadogan Hall, London, in April 2012, by the NYBBGB, conducted by Bramwell Tovey; and at the Great Hall, Aberystwyth University, in July 2012, by the NYBBW, conducted by Nicholas Childs.When I was approached about a joint commission to write a new work to celebrate the anniversaries of these two outstanding youth bands I was delighted to accept, and decided to respond by writing a work apposite for the magnitude of these special occasions, namely a 'symphony for brass'.Through a long journey of writing music for brass band, which commenced with Connotations (1977), and continued with Dances and Arias (1984), Of Men and Mountains (1991), The Trumpets of the Angels (2000) and Rococo Variations (2008), I arrived at what I regard as the most important work of the cycle to date, combining as it does serious musical intent with considerable technical demands. It is perhaps my most abstract work for brass band, avoiding any programmatic content.The symphony lasts for some 19 minutes and is structured in two linked movements. The form is based on that used by Beethoven in his final piano sonata (Op.111), which is in two movements only: a compact sonata-form allegro, followed by a more expansive theme and four variations. Prokofiev also adopted this model in his 2nd Symphony of 1925.The opening Toccata of this Symphony is highly dramatic but compact, whilst still retaining the 'traditional' structural elements of exposition, development and recapitulation; indeed, it also has the 'traditional' element of a contrasting second subject - a gentle, lyrical modal melody first heard on solo cornets.In contrast, the longer and more substantial second movement Variations is built around a theme and four variations. The slowly unfolding chorale-like theme accumulates both added note harmony and increasing instrumentation, whilst the four variations which follow are by turn mercurial (fast, starting with all the instruments muted), march-like (menacing, with short rhythmic articulations underpinning an extended atonal melody), serene (a series of 'romances' for solo instruments alongside echoes of the chorale) with an emerging theme eventually bursting into a climax of passionate intent; whilst the final variation is a dynamic scherzo (concertante-like in its series of rapid-fire solos, duets, trios and quartets) with the music gradually incorporating elements of the main ideas from the first movement, thus acting as a recapitulation for the whole work. It reaches its peroration with a return to the very opening of the symphony, now in the 'home' tonality of F, and thus creating a truly symphonic dimension to the music.Most of the melodic material of the symphony is derived from the opening eleven-note 'row', which contains various intervallic sets, and although the work is not serially conceived it does use some typical quasi-serial procedures, such as canons, inversions, and retrogrades. The symphony uses somewhat limited percussion, in line with a 'classical' approach to the sound world of the brass band, alongside a use of multi-divisi instrumentation, whereby each player has an individual part rather than the traditional doubling within certain sections of the band.- Edward GregsonDuration: 19.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£57.95Symphony in Two Movements (Brass Band - Score only) - Gregson, Edward
Selected as the Championship Section test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025This work was jointly commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB) and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales (NYBBW), the latter with funding from T Cerdd (Music Centre Wales), to celebrate their 60th and 30th anniversaries respectively. The first performances were given at Cadogan Hall, London, in April 2012, by the NYBBGB, conducted by Bramwell Tovey; and at the Great Hall, Aberystwyth University, in July 2012, by the NYBBW, conducted by Nicholas Childs.When I was approached about a joint commission to write a new work to celebrate the anniversaries of these two outstanding youth bands I was delighted to accept, and decided to respond by writing a work apposite for the magnitude of these special occasions, namely a 'symphony for brass'.Through a long journey of writing music for brass band, which commenced with Connotations (1977), and continued with Dances and Arias (1984), Of Men and Mountains (1991), The Trumpets of the Angels (2000) and Rococo Variations (2008), I arrived at what I regard as the most important work of the cycle to date, combining as it does serious musical intent with considerable technical demands. It is perhaps my most abstract work for brass band, avoiding any programmatic content.The symphony lasts for some 19 minutes and is structured in two linked movements. The form is based on that used by Beethoven in his final piano sonata (Op.111), which is in two movements only: a compact sonata-form allegro, followed by a more expansive theme and four variations. Prokofiev also adopted this model in his 2nd Symphony of 1925.The opening Toccata of this Symphony is highly dramatic but compact, whilst still retaining the 'traditional' structural elements of exposition, development and recapitulation; indeed, it also has the 'traditional' element of a contrasting second subject - a gentle, lyrical modal melody first heard on solo cornets.In contrast, the longer and more substantial second movement Variations is built around a theme and four variations. The slowly unfolding chorale-like theme accumulates both added note harmony and increasing instrumentation, whilst the four variations which follow are by turn mercurial (fast, starting with all the instruments muted), march-like (menacing, with short rhythmic articulations underpinning an extended atonal melody), serene (a series of 'romances' for solo instruments alongside echoes of the chorale) with an emerging theme eventually bursting into a climax of passionate intent; whilst the final variation is a dynamic scherzo (concertante-like in its series of rapid-fire solos, duets, trios and quartets) with the music gradually incorporating elements of the main ideas from the first movement, thus acting as a recapitulation for the whole work. It reaches its peroration with a return to the very opening of the symphony, now in the 'home' tonality of F, and thus creating a truly symphonic dimension to the music.Most of the melodic material of the symphony is derived from the opening eleven-note 'row', which contains various intervallic sets, and although the work is not serially conceived it does use some typical quasi-serial procedures, such as canons, inversions, and retrogrades. The symphony uses somewhat limited percussion, in line with a 'classical' approach to the sound world of the brass band, alongside a use of multi-divisi instrumentation, whereby each player has an individual part rather than the traditional doubling within certain sections of the band.- Edward GregsonDuration: 19.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£24.95The Pilgrim's Prayer (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Rouse, Sydney - Ball, Eric
Introduction - This could hardly be more simple. Inexperienced players may have some little difficulty in intonation, especially as they are starting 'cold', but a useful lesson can be learned in this connection when rehearsing these two bars. Section A - The music is hymn tune-like in character, but it should not become stilted. Close intonation is still a point to study, especially in view of the chromatic nature of some of the harmony. Section B - Aim to secure just balance in the accompanying parts, especially in the second phrase, where the 1st comets may be inclined to treat their moving part as an independent melody rather than part of the 'colour' background. Section C -This is a reprise of the first theme, with a different arrangement. The same comments apply, however. Section D - Here the music becomes more song-like in style, and provides an interesting contrast. The scoring, too, is more varied, and there are a number of points that call for attention. Note that the 1st and 2nd comets and 2nd trombone work as a team throughout; see that the pulsating, syncopated background adds to the movement of the music without giving a jerky effect; the new entries in the fourth and twelfth bars are to be made quite smoothly; and do not allow the texture of the music, especially in the last eight bars of the section, to overshadow the simplicity of the main tune. Section E - Here the first subject appears again. In the arrangement the colour contrasts are quite clear-cut. In order to secure true balance in the fifth and sixth bars, it may be necessary to adjust the amount of tone given by the bass trombone, as this part is not doubled as are the other parts. Section F -This section forms a simple but expressive coda.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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