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£85.00Alchymist's Journal. - Kenneth Hesketh
'The Alchymist's Journal' gets its title from the book of the same name by American author Evan S. Connell. The book fictionalises a number of famous Alchemist's writings, each one developing another's thoughts thuscontinuing one idea but changing it subtly to provide a new view point or way of thinking. This process is, in fact, alchemical as one idea transmutes into another. This idea is parallel to the processes at work within thesevariants. The whole work is constructed from 6 notes (C, A, B flat, E flat, F sharp, E) and is presented in nine different sections, each individual in mood but still based upon the original pitches. This is not a thematic setofvariations, as the themes are developed one at a time from small segments of the six notes. For example, the opening theme is the complete number of pitches, the second theme uses three notes transposed then repeated at theoriginal level, and so on. Harmonically, the six notes can be divided into two triads, A minor and E flat minor - each key beginning and ending the piece respectively. Whilst this is essentially abstract music with noprogramme there is an introduction, menacing scherzo, slow reflective section followed by a recap of the scherzo and final coda. 'The Alchymist's Journal' was commissioned by the Brass Band Heritage Trust at the suggestionof Paul Hindmarsh, to whom the work is dedicated.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£94.95Of Men and Mountains - Edward Gregson
Of Men and Mountains was commissioned by the Netherlands Brass Band Championships for their tenth anniversary contest in Drachten in December 1990. In July the previous year, Edward Gregson and his wife took the Trans Canadian Railway from Toronto to Vancouver. The journey through the Rocky Mountains was the starting point for Of Men and Mountains. Gregson writes that: 'its high peaks and shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds, its canyons and ferocious rapids made me understand a little more about the majesty of nature and the fragility of humanity. The eternal struggle between man and nature was personified in the building of this incredible railway... hence my title (after Blake).' The work is dedicated to the memory of Eric Ball, who died shortly before the writing of the work was commenced. Of Men and Mountains is in one continuous movement with a duration of approximately 17 minutes. Its form is difficult to describe because of its motivic and accumulative nature, but it is essentially a symphonic tone poem in search of a theme, which eventually comes in its final and complete state in the majestic ending after an ever-increasing paced scherzo. Of Men and Mountains has been selected as the test pieces for the 2023 National Brass Championships of Great Britain at the Albert Hall.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£159.99Rush Hour - Etienne Crausaz
Rush Hour was commissioned by the Swiss Brass Band Association (SBBV) on the occasion of the 38th Swiss National Brass Band Championships 2012 (Montreux SBBW) as the test piece in the Championship division.Structured in three parts without breaks, the work opens in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, sometimes even noisy. After a short passage in a lighter mood a quick tempo takes over, the music becomes nervous and unrelenting, with constant twists and turns. The tension builds, leading to a slower movement in which various soloists are highlighted. A few humorous touches are heard in contrast to a majestic, powerful and dramatic chorale. The end of this part is brighter andmore peaceful. This atmosphere is soon replaced by a return of the thematic material heard in the first movement, developing into an oppressive moos. The piece concludes with a last ecstatic tutti, reusing the harmonies of the introduction in a kind of final flurry.Rush Hour attempts to express the range of feelings we may experience when caught in various stressful situations in the middle of the rush hour.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£115.60Portias Slottsorkester - Dag Wirèn - Svein H. Giske
Dag Wiren (1905-1986) came to fame as a composer in 1937 with Serenade for string orchestra, Op. 11, which remains his most played work to date. His opus list is mainly instrumental music; five symphonies, five string quartets, several overtures and a lot of film and theatre music.He composed the stage music for William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which was performed at Dramaten in Stockholm in 1944. The drama was performed again in 1961, somewhat revised by Wiren. From this production, Wiren compiled a concert suite that he called Romantic Suite, Op. 22.The fifth and final movement is Portia's Castle Orchestra, which is based on an Irish folk melody.This instrumentation for Brass Band is based on the arrangement for wind band by Jerker Johansson. The instrumentation was written for Askoy Brass Band's performance at Siddis Brass 2022.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£65.00Infernal Ride - Kenneth Hesketh
Infernal Ride is mercurial and virtuosic, reflecting the mad-cap chase of Ichabod Crane's final ride on his horse, Gunpowder, in the story by Washington Irving, namely The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.Often an atmosphere of driven fear pushes the music forward, only briefly stopping for breath. The work closes with flourishes in rapid succession, perhaps with the hapless Ichabod meeting his unfortunate end! BrassBand Grade 5: 1st Section Duration: 7 minutes.Infernal Ride has been recorded by the Leyland Band, conducted by Jason Katsikaris, and is available on theCDPenlee.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£80.00Fanfares and Love Songs - Gavin Higgins
Fanfares and Love Songs was commissioned by the National Children's Brass Band of Great Britain for performance on 25th July 2009. Its three movements contrast the extrovert and lyrical qualities of thetraditional brass band. The fanfare with which the work opens involves the whole cornet section. The second movement is reflective in mood, beginning somewhat pensively on muted brass, and building to an emotional climax beforesubsiding back to a distant pianissimo chord. The finale is a fast dance, which with a final recapitulation of the opening fanfare drives on to a breathless close. Brass Band Grade 4: Advanced Youth and 3rdSectionDuration: 12 minutes
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£66.00Ballet for Band - Joseph Horovitz
Composer Joseph Horovitz will celebrate his 90th birthday in May, with 2016 already seeing a welcome retrospective of some his finest works at the RNCM Brass Band Festival in Manchester in January.It included Ballet for Band, written in 1983 at the set-work for the National Final at the Royal Albert Hall, and which has since become one his most popular major test-pieces - played on numerous occasions throughout the banding world. It is a wonderfully elegant, mischievous composition - a brass band ballet, not of programmatic intent but of fertile imagination; beautifully crafted with a delicacy of touch as light on its feet as any arabesque.The composer has admitted that he had a clear vision of the characters that inhabit his score, yet has never divulged any details - leaving the bands and listeners, as he says, "...to exercise their own imaginations rather than being influenced bymine!"
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£72.00Last Chance Saloon - Dean Jones
There is a certain charm about the 'Old West' and the stories of heroes and villains, gun chases and love stories. In this 3-movement piece you can hear it all from the Cowboys on Horseback to the warmth of the Camp-side fire before one final Gallop!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£69.99
European Overture - Bertrand Moren
With its unique structure, European Overture brings out the vast potential of the concert band. The work opens with a magnificent fanfare followed by a lively allegro section. The lento of the middle section gracefully meanders bringing several soloists into the spotlight. Following another pulsating allegro section the work comes to a close with a final restatement of the central melody. A fantastic opener for any concert.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£54.99Amarillo - Neil Sedaka - Stefan Schwalgin
(Is This the Way to) Amarillo was first recorded in 1971 by Tony Christie, and was a great hit throughout Europe. In 2005, the re-release of the original Tony Christie version, promoted by the comedian Peter Kaye, was Britain's best-selling single. The catchy melody of the chorus is also widely sung by sports fans and in 2006 it was played at the Football World Cup Final in Berlin. Stefan Schwalgin's expert arrangement will certainly spice up any concert.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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