Results
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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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£35.00In Pitch Black - Lucy Pankhurst
An extremely emotional and poignant work for brass band composed by Lucy Pankhurst, in memory and tribute to those affected by the Pretoria Pit disaster in Lancashire on 21st December 1910. The piece is chilling in its depiction of the tragic story, sensitively conveying the atmosphere and emotions as perceived before, during and after the event. Through its use of playing techniques, effects, sound combinations and even silences, In Pitch Black offers a powerfully reflective piece.Pritoria Pit DisasterLancashire's worst pit disaster and Britain's third largest loss of life from a single mining accident happened at the No. 3 Bank Pit belonging to the Hulton Colliery Company, just 4 days before Christmas 1910. The pit known as the 'Pretoria Pit' was situated on Hulton Parkland on the border of Atherton and Westhoughton. An explosion occurred at 7.50 am on Wednesday, 21 December 1910, resulting in the death of 344 men and boys, including many members of The Wingates Band.The Writing ExperienceDuring Lucy's research for this work, she acknowledges that she found the harsh reality from the shocking images and historical accounts of the event most disturbing, and is not embarrassed to disclose that it was wholly a very emotional experience in creating the composition. Consequently, she chose to create something to illustrate the true emotion of the situation. She wanted to pay tribute to the lives lost and the devastation which remained in their absence, by creating a piece of music which begins in darkness; desolate and claustrophobic, whilst still leaving the audience feeling uplifted and thoughtful in the final bars.The significance and musical appreciation for the creation of In Pitch Black was formally recognised by BASCA in 2011, when Lucy Pankhurst won the internationally acclaimed British Composer Award (the first time a brass band work had received the award, and the first time a female composer had won the category).Full programme notes are included in the product images.Look and Listen (performance courtesy of Manchester University Brass Band):
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£40.00Little Christmas - Elaine Agnew
An atmospheric, contemporary piece for brass band by prolific composer Elaine Agnew. The work was originally commissioned by the North of Ireland Bands' Association as the 'B Section' test piece for the 2006 European Brass Band Championships, with funds from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Lottery Unit and Belfast City Council.Programme notes:The night of Sunday the sixth of January 1839 was a night of madness. On this night, Ireland was hit by a devastating storm. Little Christmas focuses on the events of that day, leading to the arrival of the storm itself.The piece opens with a blast, which is quickly hushed by a motionless phrase whose silence suggests something not quite right. A solo euphonium mimics the local seer who prophesizes the coming of the storm but who is ignored by the locals, who are well used to his rantings and ravings.A brief percussion improvisation hints at an uncertainty in the air but this is quickly ignored by the following fast section with the bustle and excitement of the day's preparations.Quiet solo chromatic lines swoosh over harmonic pillars of sound before the final "dizzy" section where the band lets rip at the arrival of the storm!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£30.00Midnight - Lucy Pankhurst
Written for and premiered by the Leyland Band with euphonium soloist Philippe Schwartz in 2010, Midnight is a haunting euphonium solo which features the engaging combination of lyrical melodies and strident energy.The piece opens with peaceful serenity and then moves towards an energetic and exciting passage which really showcases the soloist and the band alike. Lots of percussion highlights are included in the scoring which adds immense depth to the writing. Following is a return to an atmospheric spotlight on the soloist, developing into an impressive cadenza and eventually closing with the original tranquility.Comments by the composer, Lucy Pankhurst, on writing collaboratively for a band:"I didn't intend to tailor [this piece] specifically, other than knowing I could pretty much write whatever I wanted to for the band and soloist.They are such great players and have a cracking percussion section. The only stipulation I was given was for something 'atmospheric'.This is actually one piece that I started at the first bar and composed chronologically. Everything grew from the opening marimba ostinato."Midnight is featured on the Leyland Band CD - Age of Chivalry.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£15.00Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 (Land of Hope and Glory) - Elgar
Performance Notes by Andrew Duncan:This fine march theme is arranged in two distinct parts.From the beginning up to two bars before letter C the melody is played quietly with the Horns carrying the tune - the Horns have to play up to a high F in this section. If this is not something that your band can manage then you have two options of where you can start playing the arrangement from.If your band can manage the chromatic notes, then begin playing from two bars before letter C. Alternatively, simply start playing directly from letter C .The musical concepts of Rallentando and A tempo are encountered in this arrangement. These can be difficult concepts for inexperienced players to grasp, so playing this arrangement should help to establish this technique.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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£30.00Roots - Lucy Pankhurst
Commissioned by Katrina Marzella in 2008, this modern 'duet' for Baritone and Euphonium soloists with brass band accompaniment has been inspired by 'nature and environment' as its primary muse. The music takes the listener through 7 stages of environmental atmosphere, in its combination of sounds and effects. It is a very uplifting work and with the back-story in mind (see programme notes below), it makes for an incredibly effective concert feature.Programme notes from the composer, Lucy Pankhurst:There are 7 main sections in the piece :RainGerminationGrowthTransionSunshineRainstormRestThe work begins with Rain, symbolised by the rainstick and 'rain sounds' in the brass , which allows the themes to germinate. The 'roots' of the music themselves, are firmly established in the tonic (root Eb) and 5ths in the low brass, from which the solo lines eventually grow, using triads and 5ths.During Growth, the solo baritone and euphonium begin with separate melodies which begin to twist around each other (much like tree roots), interlocking to produce harmonies and counterpoint, complimenting one another and firmly keeping the music in Eb major. Muted cornets and trombones continue to play overlapping semiquavers, reflecting the raindrops as they fall from the trees and leaves.A brief interlude, featuring brass sextet drives the music back to its Germination stage - here, named Transion, as it grows once more, evolving into something new. The Sunshine section is a dance. Moving rapidly through different keys, the warm sunlight catches on the dewy foliage, creating dazzling moments of clarity and beauty.However, the change in conditions also lead to brief moments of uncertainty, as the various creatures tentatively reappear from their shelter to bask as the earth is warmed. Birdsong can be heard in the solo lines as the entire band join in the celebrations.The jollity does not last long, however, as a Rainstorm, more violent than the last , ensues - stopping the dance in its tracks. The tam-tam and bass drum signify thunder, crashing into the music abruptly. However, the music still survives and re-emerges from the storm, delicately but securely establishing itself into a new key (C major), before softly concluding with the two soloists in rhythmic unison as the rain subsides and the world is at Rest.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£20.00The Terracotta Army of Mount Li - Steve Robson
Composed by Steve Robson specifically for our Flexi-Collection World Tour Series. Inspired by this wonder of the world, the piece embraces the Chinese style of music which often uses the pentatonic scale. It's a sequence which is something quite unusual to our ears in the western world and can be quickly demonstrated by playing only the black notes on the piano. Luckily for the players, this version has been put into an easier key, but still retains the distinctive sounds.The Terracotta Army of Mount Li is part of the Flexi-Collection World Tour Series.Our Flexi-Collection Series:Flexible scoring tailored to your needs - a perfect solution for expanding the repertoire of Junior/Youth brass bands and ensembles. The Flexi-Collection currently offers two series and these will be regularly expanded to offer groups an even wider variation of music. Based on four-part harmony, these collections provide brass groups with the advantage of complete flexibility when may not be balanced.Added Extras:Each part of The World Tour Series also includes rudimentary theory reference sheet andLearn Together Moments(warm-up passages which relate to each of the styles of pieces included in the whole series). The score also includes background/programme notes andCheck It Outideas to encourage the players to find out more about the music style and/or inspiration behind the piece.If players or instruments are missing, the show can still go on! The thoughtful scoring and arranging by Steve Robson now means that groups of all abilities have access to a truly flexible set of music for their needs.Available for Brass Band (with world parts included), pieces included in our World Tour Series offer flexibility in every sense of the word.(Available individually or as part of the completeFlexi-Collection World Tour Series Album).
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£30.00Chanson de Matin - Edward Elgar arr. Phillip Littlemore
Chanson de Matin is typical of Elgar's wistful style which, despite the title, has come to represent a nostalgic view of his native Worcestershire and the Malvern Hills in particular. Elgar presented his publisher with this work, originally written for violin and piano, shortly after the success of his Enigma Variations . In a note to accompany the score Elgar referred to piece as something he had found and dusted off, which thought it would serve as a suitable companion piece to the Chanson de Nuit , written a few years earlier.The orchestral version, from which this arrangement is made, was premiered in September 1901 at the Queens Hall, London alongside that same companion piece, Chanson de Nuit .Duration: 3'50"Difficulty: Suitable for all grades
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£55.00Ancient Airs and Dances - Ottorino Respighi arr. Phillip Littlemore
Ancient Airs and Dances is a set of three orchestral suites written in 1917, 1924 and 1932 respectively. In each, Respighi borrows melodic material from the 16th and 17th centuries, and then applies his own distinct voice to create something at once new and old. This arrangement takes four separate movements from two of the three sets. Balletto detto "Il Conte Orlando" by Simone Molinaro, was a popular piece from the beginning of the 17th century. Its noble rhythmic gestures in the opening and closing sections are answered by a more reflective mood in the middle. Gagliarda, by Vincenzo Galilei (father of the famous astronomer) was originally called Polymnia, after one of the muses of song. Arie di Corte (Courtly Airs), is based on a set of songs by Jean-Baptiste Besard, where sprightlier dances are enveloped by a stately dance. The finale is a clever alternation of two anonymous dances of the late 16th century. There are several variations on a passa-mezzo with interjections of a mascherada. The suite arrives at a brilliant finish with the mascherada's fanfare theme.A recording of this work can be found here: Ancient Airs and Dances.Duration: c. 9'30"Grade: 4th Section and above
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£30.00Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Hugh Martin/Richard Blane arr. Phillip Littlemore
The successful songwriting team of Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane wrote Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas for the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis, where it was introduced by Judy Garland.The original lyrics were too melancholic and Garland asked for something a little bit more upbeat instead. Blane substituted them to the now-familiar lyrics of those Garland sang in the movie, although Frank Sinatra asked for one further change so that the song could be included on his album The Joy Of Christmas. It is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time and has been recorded by over 500 artists.This arrangement, for cornet with band accompaniment, captures the reflective style of the original song, although allows a little bit of magic to close.A video of this arrangement can be found here: Have Yourself A Merry Little ChristmasDuration: 3'20"Difficulty: Suitable for all (band accompaniment)
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days