Results
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£164.99Music of the Spheres (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Music of the Spheres was commissioned by the Yorkshire Building Society Band and first performed by them at the European Brass Band Championships in Glasgow, May 2004. The piece reflects the composers fascination with the origins of the universe and deep space in general. The title comes from a theory, formulated by Pythagoras, that the cosmos was ruled by the same laws he had discovered that govern the ratios of note frequencies of the musical scale. ('Harmonia' in Ancient Greek, which means scale or tuning rather than harmony - Greek music was monophonic). He also believed that these ratios corresponded to the distances of the six known planets from the sun and thatthe planets each produced a musical note which combined to weave a continuous heavenly melody (which, unfortunately, we humans cannot hear). In this work, these six notes form the basis of the sections Music of the Spheres and Harmonia. The pieces opens with a horn solo called t = 0, a name given by some scientists to the moment of the Big Bang when time and space were created, and this is followed by a depiction of the Big Bang itself, as the entire universe bursts out from a single point. A slower section follows called The Lonely Planet which is a meditation on the incredible and unlikely set of circumstances which led to the creation of the Earth as a planet that can support life, and the constant search for other civilisations elsewhere in the universe. Asteroids and Shooting Stars depicts both the benign and dangerous objects that are flying through space and which constantly threaten our planet, and the piece ends with The Unknown, leaving in question whether our continually expanding exploration of the universe will eventually lead to enlightenment or destruction.Duration: 18:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£119.95Harrison's Dream (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
At 8.00pm on the 22nd of October 1707, the Association, flagship of the Royal Navy, struck rocks off the Scilly Isles with the loss of the entire crew. Throughout the rest of the evening the remaining three ships in the fleet suffered the same fate. Only 26 of the original 1,647 crew members survived. This disaster was a direct result of an inability to calculate longitude, the most pressing scientific problem of the time. It pushed the longitude question to the forefront of the national consciousness and precipitated the Longitude Act. Parliament funded a prize of �20,000 to anyone whose method or device would solve the dilemma. For carpenter and self-taught clockmaker John Harrison, this was the beginning of a 40 year obsession. To calculate longitude it is necessary to know the time aboard ship and at the home port or place of known longitude, at precisely the same moment. Harrison's dream was to build a clock so accurate that this calculation could be made, an audacious feat of engineering. This work reflects on aspects of this epic tale, brilliantly brought to life in Dava Sobel's book Longitude. Much of the music is mechanistic in tone and is constructed along precise mathematical and metrical lines. The heart of the work however is human - the attraction of the �20,000 prize is often cited as Harrison's motivation. However, the realisation that countless lives depended on a solution was one which haunted Harrison. The emotional core of the music reflects on this, and in particular the evening of 22ndOctober 1707. Peter GrahamCheshireJuly 2000
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£37.95
Harrison's Dream (Brass Band - Score only)
At 8.00pm on the 22nd of October 1707, the Association, flagship of the Royal Navy, struck rocks off the Scilly Isles with the loss of the entire crew. Throughout the rest of the evening the remaining three ships in the fleet suffered the same fate. Only 26 of the original 1,647 crew members survived. This disaster was a direct result of an inability to calculate longitude, the most pressing scientific problem of the time. It pushed the longitude question to the forefront of the national consciousness and precipitated the Longitude Act. Parliament funded a prize of �20,000 to anyone whose method or device would solve the dilemma. For carpenter and self-taught clockmaker John Harrison, this was the beginning of a 40 year obsession. To calculate longitude it is necessary to know the time aboard ship and at the home port or place of known longitude, at precisely the same moment. Harrison's dream was to build a clock so accurate that this calculation could be made, an audacious feat of engineering. This work reflects on aspects of this epic tale, brilliantly brought to life in Dava Sobel's book Longitude. Much of the music is mechanistic in tone and is constructed along precise mathematical and metrical lines. The heart of the work however is human - the attraction of the �20,000 prize is often cited as Harrison's motivation. However, the realisation that countless lives depended on a solution was one which haunted Harrison. The emotional core of the music reflects on this, and in particular the evening of 22ndOctober 1707. Peter GrahamCheshireJuly 2000
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£94.00Montage (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Each of the movements of the symphony take as their starting point forms originating in music of the 16th and 17th centuries.The first, an intrada, introduces the main thematic material (based on the interval of a minor third) in its embryonic state. As the piece progresses, this material is developed and manipulated in a variety of ways. The interval of the third remains central to the overall scheme of the work, even unifying the three movements on a tonal plane (I: F (minor); II: A flat (major); III: C flat (minor). The internal structure of the intrada is an arch form: ABCBA, roughly modelled on the first movement of Concerto for Orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski, to whose memory the movement is dedicated.A chaconne follows - the basic material now transformed into expansive solo lines underpinned by a recurring sequence of five chords (again, a third apart). The movement's structure combines both ternary form and golden section principles and the chaconne's continuous cycle of chords may be visualised as circles.The final movement, a rondo, bears the dramatic weight of the entire work, as the underlying tonal tensions surface. A musical journey ensues, making diversions through lyrical territories as well as through more spiky, jazz-flavoured ones. The aural (and visual) montage is perhaps most apparent towards the climax of the piece, where three keys and polyrhythms sound simultaneously in the upper brass, xylophone, horns, and timpani. The climax itself combines the lyrical music heard earlier with the rondo theme, now presented by cornets and trombones in canon.The teleological thrust of the movement (if not the entire work) can be symbolized by the flight of an arrow, as it steers a predetermined course towards its target.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£24.95Music from Kantara (Score Only)
4th Section Test Piece 2016 National Finals of the British Brass Band Championship. Music from Kantara was written in 1994 and was first performed by Watership Brass, a band based near Newbury. The title comes from the name of the former home of the composer, in Winchester, a name which was inherited from the previous owners, and which presumably comes from the ruined castle of that name on the Northern coast of Cyprus. The music is not programmatic: it does not tell a story. It is a three-movement suite of absolute music, in a tuneful and straightforward idiom. The slow, central movement calls for playing of a sensitive, vocal nature.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.95Indian Summer (Fantasy) (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
The 'Indian Summer' is that of North America, and the music, entertaining but more than half serious, will perhaps evoke memories of tales of Native Americans.There are four movements:The Great Chief SpeaksBy the Cool WatersTotem DanceHymn to the Great SpiritProgramme Notes:This Fantasy is in the form of a Suite, although there should be no long break between each movement. The composer sometimes concocts a little story to illustrate the music, somewhat as follows:"The Great Chief Speaks": the warmth of Autumn's "Indian Summer" will soon be a memory, and hard Winter will set in; so the Chief must hold a great Powwow with his people"By the Coll Waters": a little girl, not interested in grown-up solemnities, slips away to a nearby lake. She gazes at her reflection in the water; executes a little dance, then falls to dreaming."Totem Dance": this will be exciting - the little girl goes running to see! The dancing becomes wilder, then rhythm more insistent, then suddenly silence."Hymn to the Great Spirit": the Powwow closes with a majestic utterance by the Great Chief. A hymn is sung to the "Great White Spirit", and the people turn their thoughts to preparations for the coming Winter.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£39.95
Indian Summer (Fantasy) (Brass Band - Score only)
The 'Indian Summer' is that of North America, and the music, entertaining but more than half serious, will perhaps evoke memories of tales of Native Americans.There are four movements:The Great Chief SpeaksBy the Cool WatersTotem DanceHymn to the Great SpiritProgramme Notes:This Fantasy is in the form of a Suite, although there should be no long break between each movement. The composer sometimes concocts a little story to illustrate the music, somewhat as follows:"The Great Chief Speaks": the warmth of Autumn's "Indian Summer" will soon be a memory, and hard Winter will set in; so the Chief must hold a great Powwow with his people"By the Coll Waters": a little girl, not interested in grown-up solemnities, slips away to a nearby lake. She gazes at her reflection in the water; executes a little dance, then falls to dreaming."Totem Dance": this will be exciting - the little girl goes running to see! The dancing becomes wilder, then rhythm more insistent, then suddenly silence."Hymn to the Great Spirit": the Powwow closes with a majestic utterance by the Great Chief. A hymn is sung to the "Great White Spirit", and the people turn their thoughts to preparations for the coming Winter.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£44.95Judd: Music of a Legacy - Contest Version - Steven Ponsford
Newly edited contest version.This piece pays tribute to the vast heritage of Salvation Army brass band music. Written in one movement, it is rhapsodic in nature and quotes references from just a few of the many iconic pieces from the past, progressing naturally through the different styles of music; firstly marches, followed by meditations, major works and then solos. The underpinning theme that binds the work together is the much-loved hymn, by Timothy Dudley-Smith, drawing particular attention to the last line of the first verse; Lord for the years, we bring our thanks today. This is music of thanksgiving to the rich inheritance that inspires writers today to continue the mission of the gospel through this very special and unique genre.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£44.95Judd: Music of a Legacy - Original Version - Steven Ponsford
This piece pays tribute to the vast heritage of Salvation Army brass band music. Written in one movement, it is rhapsodic in nature and quotes references from just a few of the many iconic pieces from the past, progressing naturally through the different styles of music; firstly marches, followed by meditations, major works and then solos. The underpinning theme that binds the work together is the much-loved hymn, by Timothy Dudley-Smith, drawing particular attention to the last line of the first verse; Lord for the years, we bring our thanks today. This is music of thanksgiving to the rich inheritance that inspires writers today to continue the mission of the gospel through this very special and unique genre.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 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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