Results
-
£34.95
SOUTHERN CROSS, The (Brass Band Set) - Brian Bowen
The Southern Cross is one of several excellent marches by Brian Bowen in which he carried on the more sophisticated pattern of British marches by Wilfred Heaton, Leslie Condon and Ray Steadman-Allen. It was written for the Box Hill (Australia) Corps jubilee celebrations in 1970 and formed part of the band's repertoire when it toured Great Britain in the same year. The first half of the march features part of the song, 'March on!' by Klaus Ostby, an early pioneer of Salvation Army music in Scandinavia. The contrapuntal layering of melodies in the trio, especially in the finale where 'March on!' sounds one more triumphant time, is notable, as is the shift to a slower, more stately tempo. The harmonic and rhythmic style also represents the more modern sounds of Salvation Army brass band music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Right from the opening gestures, listeners at early performances knew that a page had turned in the evolution of the Salvation Army march.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£59.95
ELLACOMBE CHRONICLES, The (Brass Band Set) - James Curnow
This piece was commissioned by Brass Band of Columbus for the occasion of the band's 25th anniversary in 2009. It is dedicated to current and former members of the band and its founding Director, Dr Paul Droste. The hymns of Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748) have been a source of inspiration for musical thought and development by composers for over 200 years. His glorious hymn 'I sing the mighty power of God' has been coupled with the hymn tune 'Ellacombe' in many hymnals over these two centuries. This work was created and inspired by Isaac Watts's text and chronicles the three verses of the hymn through a set of diverse variations on the hymn tune 'Ellacombe'. The opening fanfare is intended to capture the joy and exuberance of the first phrase of the first verse, 'I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise'. The developmental material following the fanfare gives a hint of the three large variations that are extracted from the tune.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£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
-
£59.95
PLANTAGENETS, The (Brass Band Set) - Edward Gregson
The Plantagenets was composed for the Championship Section of the Regional contests of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 1973. The work is not intended to be programme music but rather it tries to portray the mood and feelings of an age, that of the House of Plantagenet, which lasted from the middle of the 12th century to the end of the 14th century. To many, it conjures up an Age of Chivalry and this is represented by fanfare motifs which occur throughout the work in varied form. The opening thematic figure, rising through the band in thirds and followed by the fanfares, is important as nearly all the subsequent material is based upon it. There follows two themes, the second of which is lyrical and introduced by horns. In the long, slow middle section, a new theme is introduced by a solo horn (recurring on cornet and euphonium in canon) and is developed at some length. A lively fugato scherzino, however, leads to a recapitulation of the opening section music and the work ends with a maestoso statement of the slow movement theme. A final reference to the fanfares ends the work.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£35.00
2nd Epitaph - Across the Water - Peter Meechan
This piece, as the title suggests, is the second Epitaph I have written, the first being Epitaph (for Hillsborough). a2nd Epitaph - Across the Watera was written for the Fountain City Brass Band, who are from the USA, to perform on D-Day landing beaches in Normandy, France.The title has a double reference point - the water between the UK and France, across which many troops (from the UK and the USA amongst others) travelled in the Normandy invasions, and also the water between the UK (the home of the composer) and the USA (the home of the band).
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
-
£35.00
B of the Bang - Peter Meechan
B of the Bang has a double reference point for its title, both of which are very closely related.A quotation from the legendary British Sprinter, Linford Christie, was the initial starting point for the piece. Christie used to say that he started his races not merely at the abanga of the starting pistol, but at aThe B of the Banga.B of the Bang (Again named after the Christie quote) is also the name of a prominent sculpture in the composersa home city, Manchester. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, it is the tallest self-supporting sculpture in the United Kingdom and was constructed close to the City of Manchester Stadium in order to commemorate the success of the 2002 Commonwealth Games.B of the Bang was commissioned by Luc Vertommen and Brass Band Buizingen, Belgium, for the Kerkrade World Brass Band Championships.First performance:Brass Band BuizingenLuc Vertommen - ConductorKerkrade, Holland.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
-
£70.00
Fire in the Sky - Peter Meechan
Fire in the Sky takes its inspiration from the stunning town of Montreux in Switzerland. I was commissioned to write the work 5 days before I visited this Montreux and was at work forming ideas for the piece as I arrived on the shore of Lake Geneva and its amazing views of the Alps.Whilst the scenery is without doubt some of the most incredible views I have ever witnessed, it was the history of the town that set Fire in the Sky in motion. Whilst there, it occurred to me that many of my musical heroes had lived or performed there, and three of them in particular had a strong connection with the town. Miles Davis, Igor Stravinsky and Freddie Mercury graced Montreux - the large convention centre, where the famous summer jazz festival is held, named its two halls after Davis and Stravinsky, and there is a quite breathtaking statue of Mercury in the town too.Each musician also commemorates an anniversary in 2011, the year of the premiere of Fire in the Sky; it is 40 years since the death of Stravinsky and both Miles Davis and Freddie Mercury died in 1991, making it 20 years since their deaths. So it seemed fitting to write a piece that in some way acknowledges them, and is a kind of personal athanksa for all they have given, and continue to give, me.The title comes from the famous Deep Purple song, Smoke on the Water - whose second line is aFire in the Skya and is a reference to the night the townas casino was set alight by a Frank Zappa fan. The piece tries to recreate the atmosphere of that night, paint a picture of fire in the sky (and smoke on the water) and also uses small anuggetsa of the music of my three greatest musical heroes, Miles Davis, Freddie Mercury and Igor Stravinsky.Fire in the Sky was commissioned by the Tomra Brass Band, Norway, and is dedicated to Stijn BerbeA and Nick Ost - both of whom are connected with the band (teaching and conducting), and both have been close friends - personally and musicaly - for many years. I am indebted to them for the opportunity to write this piece.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
-
£35.00
The Pohutukawa Stands - Peter Meechan
The earthquake that hit Christchurch in February 2011 took the lives of 181 people. Being asked to write this work in their memory was an honour, but I didnat want it to simply be performed as a memorial. I wanted to compose a work that conveyed the sadness and grief for those lost - a work of remembrance - but also a piece of music that represented peace, hope and strength.The title and dedication come direct from the commissioners of the work, Woolston Brass Band. The Pohutukawa Trees stay standing and secure, defiant of the earthquake, in Christchurchas aGarden Citya, and the Pohutukawa tree also has special significance beyond their physical appearance.According to Maori mythology, the spirits of the dead travel to Cape Reinga on their journey to the afterlife to leap off the headland and climb the roots of the 800 year old Pohutukawa tree and descend to the underworld to return to their traditional homeland of Hawaiiki-a-nui, using the Te Ara Wairua, the 'Spirits' pathway'.The Pohutukawa Stands is dedicated to the lives lost in the Christchurch earthquake.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
-
£40.00Last Night of the Proms Medley - Traditional
The quintessential most English of English classical music concerts and the self-styled world's largest and most democratic musical festival". The "Proms", originally known as The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts are an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London. Founded in 1895, each season now consists of more than 70 concerts in the Albert Hall, a series of chamber concerts at Cadogan Hall, additional Proms in the Park events across the United Kingdom on the last night, and associated educational and children's events. Often held as outdoor concerts in London's pleasure gardens, where the audience was free to stroll around while the orchestra was playing, this tradition has once again been revived in parks and stately homes not only in the UK, but across the world. The first series of promenade concerts were held indoors at the Queen's Hall in Langham Place. The idea was to encourage an audience for concert hall music who, though not normally attending classical concerts, would be attracted by the low-ticket prices and more informal atmosphere. In addition to "promenading" or "promming"; eating, drinking and smoking was all allowed. Many people's perception of the "Proms" is taken from the "Last Night", although this concert is very different from the others. The concert is traditionally of a lighter vein, with popular classics being followed by a series of British patriotic pieces in the second half of the concert. This second half sequence traditionally includes most of the works included in this medley. Many in the audience use the occasion for an exuberant display of Britishness. Union Jack Flags are carried and waved by the "Prommers", especially during "Rule, Britannia!". Balloons and party poppers are also in abundance.
-
£32.00The Beacons (Score only) - Ray Steadman-Allen
For centuries hilltop beacon fires blazed across the land signals of important happenings or warnings of invasion. This music tells no specific story but the titles of the four thematically related sections are a guide to the idea: The Beacons; Far Horizons; The Invaders; Celebration. The first movement has something of the character of the march and the fanfare; spirited and tightly driving, it promises most of the thematic material of the work. The second is largelt tranquil and is thinly scores with solo passages. The third has the most dramatic potential; its energy and conflict subsides to a lament and a tolling bell before a vigorous rounding off. Appropriately, the fourth movement is in a merry-making mood, and the jubilant music concludes with fragment statements of the main themes. The Beacons was first performed by IMI Yorkshire Imperial Band (James Scott) at the 'Concert of the Century', celebrating the Centenary of the British Bandsman, at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on 5 September 1987. Duration: 12:30
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
View Music