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£34.95Sprites & Flares - Christopher Bond
Sprites & Flares (2015), refers to the uncertain activities of sprites (upper atmospheric lightening) and solar flares (solar activity from the sun which cannot penetrate the earth's atmosphere) and uses these two ideas as a basis for the kind of musical material heard within the work - dramatic, swirling motifs, often of a virtuosic nature. The work's dramatic opening ensures the first thirty seconds are high in energy and full of impact. Following this, the music dies down and presents an ethereal atmospheric section, perhaps reflecting the calm before the storm. Before long, the music takes a turn for dramatic, fast, virtuosic playing, all reflecting the theme of the work, and indeed remains in this style through to the close, gaining momentum and becoming ever- more triumphant as the work reaches its close. A huge ending is heard, full of excitement and drama, but more importantly grandeur and rich harmonic-chords. The work was commissioned by and written for Leyland Band and its conductor, Thomas Wyss, as the finale to its 2015 Brass in Concert programme, premiered at The Sage, Gateshead, on 15th November 2015.
Estimated dispatch 10-14 working days
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£90.00Impressions of Seurat (Chris Cobon) - Brass Band Full Score and Parts - LM482 - Chris Cobon
COMPOSER: Chris Cobon1 - Stone breakersThe Suite opens with the only picture, of the five, which is not in the pointillist style. Several pictures were produced on the Stone Breaker theme, painted in oil on small panels called croquetons. The subjects in the art are breaking stones for use in road building. Musically the piece starts canonically alluding to the repetitive nature of the labour. A more direct, rhythmic link of three hammer blows, are first heard in the opening passages in the percussion. These hammer blows are also built into each third bar of the cannon and, therefore, become embedded into the opening section. Arising from the flurry of activity are two, three bar legato phrases in a majestic style until it falls to a more dramatic sounding of the legato phrase over a resounding of the cannon in a new textural order. This leads to a short, new section, featuring a trombone trio underneath rising scales in the cornet section.2: Bathers at AsnieresBathers at Asnieres was Seurat's first major painting...The canvas is of a suburban, Parisian riverside scene. Isolated figures, with their clothes, piled sculpturally on the riverbank, together with trees, austere boundary walls and buildings, and the River Seine are presented in a formal layout. This moment aims to capture the tranquillity of a summer's day in the park. This painting led the development of the pointillist technique whereby the colours were applied as small dots that combine to form a picture when viewed at a distance. The trombones capture this idea in the opening bars with their carillon-style entries. The 2nd/3rd cornets make a more direct link by individual picking out single notes of a melody being sounded on Baritones and trombones at C. The use of mutes adds a subtle darker side to this movement which nods to the industrial working-class aspects of the painting.3: White DogWhite Dog features a few characters relaxing in the sun, and a white dog with its tail held high. Having two dogs myself, I've taken the idea of an excited dog with a waggy tail as the basis for this short, middle, movement.4: Sunday Afternoonon the Island of La Grande Jatte Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is arguably Seurat's most famous work.5: Parade de CirqueCircus Sideshow Parade de Cirque encompasses a circus scene's boisterousness, vitality and chaos. However, the painting, constructed with the new pointillist technique, also portrays stillness, calmness and precision. As expected from looking at the picture, the trombone takes centre stage in various locations on either side of the calming circus waltz and pointillist section (I).LM482ISMN : 9790570004829
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00Reminiscing Dance - Brass Band - LM983
COMPOSER: Chris AllenReminiscing Dance is the most traditional of all the brass band works I have written so far, but it contains beautiful melodies that should appeal to most audiences. The piece is similar in nature to 'The Three Bells',the central movement of Gordon Langford's Three Haworth Impressions, and is inspired by rural imagery and the idea of a widow recalling their precious experiences with their loved one. The general mood of the piece is one of happiness tinged with wistfulness and longing, beginning with a lilting,but not jolly triple time melody in the soprano cornet.This melody gives way to a more jovial tune at bar 56 which can afford to be played with more humour and freedom, but at bar 86 the atmosphere should darken again, with a subdued dynamic and smoother articulation.At bar 114, the upbeat music of the opening returns but bolder than before, to represent a feeling of anger that the opportunity to spend cherished time with a loved one has been stripped away by death. An intense countermelody in the euphoniums and baritones grinds painfully against the main tune in the cornets, before a soft close that suggests ultimately the dominant emotion of the piece is one of happy memories rather than loss.Chris Allen, December 2021
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£25.00Skomer - Brass Band Full Score & Parts - LM294
COMPOSER: Alex McGeeSkomer Island, situated off the Pembrokeshire coast is a haven for a wide variety of marine life, notably sea birds.Puffins, gannets and shearwaters congregate in vast numbers over the cliffs while on land the Skomer Vole is unique to the island.At sea, porpoise, grey seals and dolphins abound, often putting on spectacular displays for visitors lucky enough to see them at play.This work tries to encapsulate some of the ebullience that the wildlife displays. As the work begins picture yourself as a bird, perhaps one of the kestrels that nest there hovering over the teeming mass of sea birds below, seeing puffins bobbing along, gannets diving for fish and gulls soaring on the breeze.Next, with a change of time signature, we dive below the surface, swimming along side playful seals and dolphins before leaping from the water full of the joys of life.However, the music takes us to a more brutal reality, the plight of such island idylls across the world. The music encourages you to reflect on the fragility of nature, and on the damage we are doing to these precious environments.Following this reflection, we are once again uplifted, with the composer taking inspiration from natures ability to overcome all we have thrown in her way and survive.Note to the conductor re percussionThe glockenspiel part is optional and can be played in place of the vibraphone where one is unavailable.The timpanist will require four drums for the performance and adequate time is given for changes throughout.Suitable for Most Bands - Duration 4'.00" (Approx.)
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£69.95
TRANSFORMATION (Brass Band Set) - Kenneth Downie
I believe in transformation, God can change the hearts of men, And refine the evil nature, till it glows with grace again'. So wrote John Gowans in the second verse of his great hymn, 'I believe that God the Father, can be seen in God the Son', written specifically to affirm Salvationists' beliefs. It is sung to the tune Bethany and in seeking to explore this great subject at the heart of the Christian gospel in musical terms, the composer has used this fine tune as the basis. Although it never appears in its entirety, it is seldom out of the picture and much of the work is derived from it. The other main source of material is the lovely, simple chorus, 'Some day I shall be like him, changed to heavenly beauty, when his face I see'. This chorus is especially prominent in the middle section but there are important references to it throughout. There are also brief references to Charles Wesley's hymn, 'Love Divine' and, in particular, the telling lines, 'Changed from glory into glory, till in Heaven we take our place'. The work suggests that, at times, the process of being transformed is a struggle, portrayed with many passages of fraught and demanding music. Considerable reserves of stamina and technique are required while, in contrast, the chorus, 'Some day I shall be like him' provides the warm, gentle centre of the work. The premiere of the work was given by The International Staff Band of The Salvation Army in Cadogan Hall on Friday 3rd June 2011, as part of the band's 120th anniversary celebrations.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£69.95
STARMAKER (Brass Band Set) - Ray Steadman-Allen
Described by the composer as one of his more ambitious works for brass band, this work is in three movements. Although each movement is capable of standing alone, the composer's own concept is totality with the three movements forming a composite whole. Starmaker presents in music the concept of God's creation of the universe. The frantic and sometimes harsh music of the first movement portrays the chaos from which the immortal and invisible wisdom of God created the order and structure of the heavens, with the stars and planets in their ordered places. An exquisite second movement, based on the benediction 'Now the day is over', brings a calm and ordered peace to the universe, also reminding listeners of the night sky, when God's amazing work is best viewed in all its awesome wonder. The final movement is celebratory in nature, with fragments of melodies like 'Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation' appearing in various guises.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£70.00
Milestone - Peter Meechan
Milestone is a concerto commissioned by Mark Wilkinson (with funds provided by the Arts Council England) to celebrate 21 years as Principal Cornet with Fodens Band. In three movements, the work is intended to not only demonstrate the soloistas virtuosic skills, but also his ability to communicate to the audience.The first movement, titled Milestone, combines sections of driving rhythms (intended to represent Markas years of continuing hard work), in the accompaniment with long legato phrases from the soloist interspersed with dexterous, virtuosic, passages.The second movement, Song, features a simple chord sequence, over which the soloist asingsa a melody, each time varying and each time becoming more expressive, leading to an emotional climax.The final movement, Twenty One, is a quasi-celebratory dance. Opening with the band clapping, the soloist weaves their way through the various textures in the band. Occasionally making both a musical and metaphorical nod to the industrious nature of the first movement, the chord sequence of the second movement also re-appears, before a brief coda takes us to the conclusion of the work.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£70.00
Origins - Peter Meechan
Origins is in three movements, with each movement having a different subject matter, all linked by the idea of origins: the first movement refers to musical origins; the second to the origins of life; and the final movement to the space exploration - the research of all origins. The first movement is based on a short motif, heard in the first three notes the soloist plays. These three notes cover the interval of a minor third (an interval that often plays a crucial role in my music) on which the whole concerto is built. The soloist and accompaniment interplay freely throughout the opening section, before an ostinato accompaniment appears - over which the soloist sounds a long legato melody. A short cadenza follows and a return to the opening material leads the movement to an end. The second movement, titled Harryas Song, is - as tradition dictates - a slow movement. Happy and reflective in nature, the main melody was written on the evening that my closest friend, Mark Bousie (a fine euphoniumist himself), and his wife Jayne, had their first child - Harry Bousie. It seemed only fitting that this song should be written for Harry in celebration. The final movement brings me back to a lifelong fascination with space, and in this particular movement, the Space Shuttle Discovery. Having completed 39 missions (including flying the Hubble telescope in to orbit), and spent a total of 365 days in space, SS Discovery made its final voyage in 2011 and was taken to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. in April 2012. This final movement, titled Discovery, pays tribute to the great shuttle whose missions inspired millions across the generations. Origins was commissioned by Marco Schneider, Adrian Schneider and the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Beijing, China.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£134.99Mirage (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - De Haan, Jan
A Symphonic Portrait inspired by the saga of The Flying Dutchman.The composition Mirage takes inspiration from the legendary ghost ship "The Flying Dutchman", a story deeply rooted in maritime folklore. Cursed to wander the oceans forever, the ship often looms like a mirage on the horizon - a mysterious apparition in which reality and illusion blend intangibly.In Mirage the music tries to bring this mystical appearance to life. The piece begins with an atmosphere of mystery and wonder, creating the illusion of a mirage. The listener is taken to the vast sea, where the boundaries between the real and the unreal blur and the ghostly silhouette of the ship gradually becomes visible. Suddenly the tone changes. Powerful rhythms and stormy harmonies follow, expressing the ship's battle against the raging forces of nature. After this intense section, in which the musicians are pushed to their limits, the tranquility of the sea returns. The recurring mirages inspired the composer to create a lyrical middle section, in which various soloists tell their stories within this legend. In the final part, the sails are hoisted again, and the three-master continues its endless journey.Duration: 15.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Score only) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
Selected as the Section 2 test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025Following his ballet Checkmate, Bliss composed another score for the, by then, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Miracle in the Gorbals, which was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, to a scenario by Michael Benthall. Premired in 1944, the ballet made a considerable impact and was a box-office success. It was followed in turn by a further collaboration with Helpmann and Benthall, Adam Zero. This would serve Helpmann, in the eponymous role, as a vehicle in two respects: demonstrating his gifts as a dancer-actor and as a choreographer. First performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 8 April 1946, Adam Zero was conducted by Constant Lambert, the work's dedicatee. Bliss considered it 'his most varied and exciting ballet score'. Benthall provided a synopsis for the programme:There is a philosophy that life moves in an endless series of timeless cycles. As Nature passes through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so man is born, makes a success in his own particular sphere, loses his position to a younger generation, sees his world crumble before his eyes and only finds peace in death. This age-old story is told in terms of a Company creating a ballet and calling on the resources of the theatre to do so. Lighting, stage mechanism, dance conventions, musical forms and costumes and scenery of all periods are used to symbolize the world of 'Adam Zero'.Apart from Adam, as the Principal Dancer, other main roles included the Stage Director (representing Omnipotence), and Adam's Fates (Designer, Wardrobe Mistress, and Dresser). 'The Woman in this allegory', wrote Bliss, 'under the symbol of the Choreographer, was both the creator and destroyer of Adam: his first love, his wife, his mistress, and finally the figure of beneficent Death.' When the curtain rose, the 'audience saw the Covent Garden stage right back to the wall, completely empty except for the protagonists, 'the Company poised, still and expectant, as they await the birth of... Adam Zero.'Unfortunately, soon after the premire, Helpmann injured himself and had to withdraw from the remaining performances. Despite generally positive reviews, the ballet did not capture the imagination of audiences and, to Bliss's considerable disappointment, was not revived. Seventy years would elapse before its first major return to the stage, in 2016, performed by the ballet company of Stadttheater Bremerhaven with choreography by Sergei Vanaev.Bliss extracted a concert suite from the ballet, conducting its first performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 28 October 1948. For his own suite, arranged for brass band in 2023, Dr Robert Childs chose three dances linked to the seasons, book-ending them with the ebullient 'Fanfare Overture' and 'Fanfare Coda'. After Adam has grown to manhood, his Fates clothe him in a costume synonymous with confident youth, appropriate for the virile, ardent 'Dance of Spring'. In the 'Approach of Autumn', Adam, now wearing a sombre costume, has grown older: his Fates have streaked grey in his hair and put lines on his face. But they had earlier raised Adam to the zenith of his power, and the 'Dance of Summer' depicts him in the prime of life, in music of sweeping grandeur. The 'Fanfare Coda' signals that the next cycle of life is about to begin.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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