Results
-
£15.00Symphony in Two Movements (Study Score Only)
Selected as the Championship Section test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025This work was jointly commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB) and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales (NYBBW), the latter with funding from T Cerdd (Music Centre Wales), to celebrate their 60th and 30th anniversaries respectively. The first performances were given at Cadogan Hall, London, in April 2012, by the NYBBGB, conducted by Bramwell Tovey; and at the Great Hall, Aberystwyth University, in July 2012, by the NYBBW, conducted by Nicholas Childs.When I was approached about a joint commission to write a new work to celebrate the anniversaries of these two outstanding youth bands I was delighted to accept, and decided to respond by writing a work apposite for the magnitude of these special occasions, namely a 'symphony for brass'.Through a long journey of writing music for brass band, which commenced with Connotations (1977), and continued with Dances and Arias (1984), Of Men and Mountains (1991), The Trumpets of the Angels (2000) and Rococo Variations (2008), I arrived at what I regard as the most important work of the cycle to date, combining as it does serious musical intent with considerable technical demands. It is perhaps my most abstract work for brass band, avoiding any programmatic content.The symphony lasts for some 19 minutes and is structured in two linked movements. The form is based on that used by Beethoven in his final piano sonata (Op.111), which is in two movements only: a compact sonata-form allegro, followed by a more expansive theme and four variations. Prokofiev also adopted this model in his 2nd Symphony of 1925.The opening Toccata of this Symphony is highly dramatic but compact, whilst still retaining the 'traditional' structural elements of exposition, development and recapitulation; indeed, it also has the 'traditional' element of a contrasting second subject - a gentle, lyrical modal melody first heard on solo cornets.In contrast, the longer and more substantial second movement Variations is built around a theme and four variations. The slowly unfolding chorale-like theme accumulates both added note harmony and increasing instrumentation, whilst the four variations which follow are by turn mercurial (fast, starting with all the instruments muted), march-like (menacing, with short rhythmic articulations underpinning an extended atonal melody), serene (a series of 'romances' for solo instruments alongside echoes of the chorale) with an emerging theme eventually bursting into a climax of passionate intent; whilst the final variation is a dynamic scherzo (concertante-like in its series of rapid-fire solos, duets, trios and quartets) with the music gradually incorporating elements of the main ideas from the first movement, thus acting as a recapitulation for the whole work. It reaches its peroration with a return to the very opening of the symphony, now in the 'home' tonality of F, and thus creating a truly symphonic dimension to the music.Most of the melodic material of the symphony is derived from the opening eleven-note 'row', which contains various intervallic sets, and although the work is not serially conceived it does use some typical quasi-serial procedures, such as canons, inversions, and retrogrades. The symphony uses somewhat limited percussion, in line with a 'classical' approach to the sound world of the brass band, alongside a use of multi-divisi instrumentation, whereby each player has an individual part rather than the traditional doubling within certain sections of the band.- Edward GregsonDuration: 19.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£29.95Keep in step! (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
The Salvation Army song Keep in step (S.A.S.B. 986) is given a tongue-in-cheek treatment, with the irony of a song that speaks of keeping in step at all times being used in a time signature that would be impossible to march to! This does make the music technically challenging and therefore careful preparation is needed to ensure everything remains within the correct bear, and that the rhythms sound convincing to the listener. There is also a touch of Broadway thrown in, with a recurring motif reminiscent of Gershwin's appropriately named Fascinating Rhythm.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£34.95Unity Series Band Journal February 2018 Numbers 462 - 465
We hope you enjoyed listening to the sound files for the 2017 Unity series.If you are interested in purchasing the music, each set contains 4 of the works.Festival March - To Victory (Andrew Blyth); A quiet moment (William Himes); Rivers of Mercy (Kenneth Downie); March - Tell! (Stephen Gibson).The sets contain a score and full set of parts.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£59.95Judd: Caelum Corona - Stephen Bulla
Stephen Bulla's 'Caelum Corona' ('Crown of Heaven') portrays, in sound, a Christian's walk in faith, intended metaphorically via a musical narrative reminiscent of the early church pilgrims, their struggles and triumphs. The composer initially evokes the atmosphere of Rome at the time of St. Paul and other martyrs, thus the Latin title. Bulla marks his imaginative tone poem with dark, brooding music in the first two of three parts, in each of which he has embedded an appropriate hymn or song reference as thematic material. The first of these sounds in a minor key following a symphonic exposition made up primarily of fanfare-like motives, the music at times quite harsh and abrasive. The song is Paul's statement of exuberant faith (2 Timothy 1:12) in the midst of prison and persecution: 'For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day.' More challenging, aggressive music returns until a further point of reflection on Christ's sacrifice is reached. The music graphically evokes the barren landscape of Golgatha, the horror of the crucifixion, including stark wind sounds, a loss of stability via eerie, dissonant chord clusters, and even the nails being driven into Christ's body. The Baritones and then Flugel Horn softly play 'He died of a broken heart.' Yet the Christian life, despite its perils - both at the time of Paul and now - is a victorious life, and the composer resolves the tensions of the work in a scintillating finale, a brilliant setting of the old song about spiritual warfare and the ultimate triumph of Christ the King: 'Victory for me!' (T.B. 841). The chorus of that tune proclaims: 'No retreating, hell defeating, shoulder to shoulder we stand; God look down, with glory crown our conq'ring band.' That crowning is the same one sought and claimed by St. Paul (2 Timothy 4:8): 'Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.' Believers look forward to participating in the final coronation of their Saviour - King of Kings and Lord of Lords - while humbly desiring their own 'crown of heaven.'
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£125.00
Destroy, Trample, As Swiftly As She - Gavin Higgins
Destroy, Trample, As Swiftly As She, was commissioned by the Tredegar Town Brass Band. This dramatic, virtuoso score contrasts episodes of visceral energy of pounding rhythms and wild flutter tonguing and brassy angular themes with the ominous stillness of calmer moments suffused with the unique sound of four flugel horns.Brass Band Grade 6: ChampionshipDuration: 18 minutes
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
-
£159.99Other Lives - Oliver Waespi
Other Lives is works perfectly for a competition but can also be programmed as concert work. The dark chords at the beginning of the piece are derived from "Der Doppelganger", one of Franz Schubert's late songs. After a short development the music begins to accelerate and find its own shape, gradually moving away from the introduction. The entire first part, "Rage", has an intensely agitated character. The ensuing "Reflection" turns back to the initial chord progression, before a series of interspersing solos explore time and space at a slower pace. After another musical surge, the music is brought close to silence and then gives way to the third part, "Redemption".Here, a widely spaced sound field contains a remote allusion to another work by Schubert "Ruckblick". After this farewell, an abstract musical transformation triggers an emotional change, as the initial motifs are now presented in their inversed form in order to create a much brighter harmonic landscape. Moreover, in the last part of the piece, "Renewal", the grim, tense atmosphere of the first part is transformed into a great energy. Other Lives was commissioned by the Valaisia Brass Band.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£105.20Julepastorale - Arild Sandvold - Kjell Olav Martinsen
Arild Sandvold (1895 - 1984) began his studies at the Music Conservatory in Kristiania (Oslo) in 1906, in piano and organ as well as music theory. After his debut as organist and pianist, he had his debut as orchestral conductor in 1924. At the same time he also had two periods of studies in Leipzig. In addition to studies in piano and organ, he received tutoring in composition. He was a teacher at the Oslo Music Conservatory and organist and a cathedral cantor in Oslo for more than 50 years. Sandvold brought both Baroque and Romantic organ works to a wider audience. He wrote a number of works for organ, in addition to music for choir and orchestra. The polyfony of the lateBaroque and the harmony of the Romantic period serve as the basis of his musical style. "A Christmas Pastorale" arranged with thoughts about the brass bands possibility for sound and colour, and should be a nice piece to do on concerts in the Christmas time.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£125.00As Swiftly As She Destroy, Trample - Gavin Higgins
Destroy, Trample, As Swiftly As She, was commissioned by the Tredegar Town Brass Band. This dramatic, virtuoso score contrasts episodes of visceral energy of pounding rhythms and wild flutter tonguing andbrassy angular themes with the ominous stillness of calmer moments suffused with the unique sound of four flugel horns. Brass Band Grade 6: Championship Duration: 18 minutes
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£115.60Midwinter - Ingebjørg Vilhelmsen
Midwinter is a Christmas song about how the holiday can be a highlight even in the darkest winters. The piece was originally written for brass quartet and choir, for Oslofjord Brass and Vivo Vokal's Christmas concert in 2019. This arrangement for full band can be performed both with and without choir.If the piece is performed together with a choir, the dynamics of the band must be balanced with regard to the size of the choir, possibly using sound amplification if necessary.Choir Parts (SATB) for sale separately.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£69.99Go for Brass! - Jacob de Haan
Subtitled "A Young Person's Guide to the Brass Band", Go for Brass! is a musical introduction to the sound, instrumental groups and the individual instruments of the brass band. Your players will love this work as they stand to highlight their particular section with snippets of the sparkling up-tempo dance style theme. An extremely entertaining concert item with a little fun educational content!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
View Music