Spring Festival 2027
Grand Shield
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£150.00Music of the Spheres (Philip Sparke)
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 sixknown 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 Bangwhen time and space were created, and this is followed by a depiction of the Big Bangitself, 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 civilizations 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.
Senior Cup
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£59.95Isaiah 40 (Robert Redhead)
Commissioned for the final of the 1996 National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, Isaiah 40 represents Robert Redhead's only 'test piece' composition to date. The timeless truths contained in Isaiah 40 were written to encourage a people facing very intimidating circumstances. The Jewish people of the 5th Century BC were preparing to make an arduous journey though the desert to return to their ravaged homeland after a lengthy exile in the sophisticated society of Babylon. Both Scripture and music sound out a message of hope, as they view life from an eternal perspective, thus placing change in its proper context. Because 'the Lord is the everlasting God' his word 'stands forever' and 'those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength'. They will not merely get through somehow but 'they will soar on wings like eagles'.
Senior Trophy
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£59.95The Forest of Dean (Derek Bourgeois)
Written in 1991 when the composer was living in the area, it is dedicated to Herbert Howells, his teacher at the Royal College of Music who was born in Lydney within its historic borders. Its theme is taken from the first 16 bars of one of Howells' short keyboard pieces, entitled 'De La Mare's Pavane'. It is then explored in six variations — from the forceful and jagged to the lilting and compound, a hymnal, sardonic waltz and joyful 'passacaglia' based finale that brings the music full circle and a re-iteration of its theme in its original guise. The work is approximately 13 minutes in duration. The work used as the 1993 First Section Regional Championship set-work as well as being a popular own-choice selection.