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£80.00St. Magnus - Kenneth Downie
Dedicated to Alastair Massey, an inspirational music teacher. Commissioned by the Scottish Brass Band Association for the 2004 European Brass Band Championships in Glasgow. This music is a set of variations on the tune known as St Magnus, which is attributed to Jeremiah Clarke. Most people will associate it with Thomas Kelly's hymn which begins: "The Head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now". The tune is very simple, consisting of just two, four-bar phrases. Neither is there much in the way of rhythmic variety, every note being a crotchet with the exception of two quavers, and the last note in each phrase. Within such a simple structure, however, lies considerable strength. THEME The listener is given the opportunity of hearing it twice, in full, at the beginning, starting with one player but soon taken up by the full ensemble. It returns in the middle of the music and is stated again near the end. This has been done quite deliberately in the hope that there will be an appreciation of what material is being developed, by the listener as well as by those with access to the score, who are able to see the visual connections. VARIATION 1 This takes the rhythm of the last part of the theme and also uses the shape of the opening as a recurring figure. The mood is whimsical and skittish, with short, teasing rhythmic figures tossed around the band, and quick interplay with percussion, at a fast tempo. An energetic flourish finishes this variation before the Andante espress. VARIATION 2 This commences with chords related to the opening of Variation 1. The cantabile on solo comets establishes a new, lyrical mood and there is scope for expressive playing in a series of short solo passages. The theme works its way unobtrusively into the texture before a reprise of the solo cornet melody and some more lyrical interchanges between Eb bass, euphonium, flugel horn and comets. The variation ends serenely with clear references to the last phrase of the theme. VARIATION 3 The first idea to dominate is clearly linked to the shape of the theme's first phrase. There is a frenetic feel to much of this variation, with considerable energy and instability created by extensive use of cross-rhythms. A thinning-out of the score marks a clear change to development of the start of the second phrase of the theme. This proves to be short-lived however, and the opening material returns leading to a restatement of the theme, "Maestoso," after which a euphonium cadenza links to Variation 4. VARIATION 4 Here we have some solos for euphonium, cornet, trombone and Eb bass set against a background of horns and baritones presenting a pensive statement of the theme's opening. VARIATION 5 This commences Allegro, with lively work for cornet and euphonium spreading to the whole band before attention focuses on the beginning of the second phrase of the theme which is initially presented in diminution, then in regular rhythm, then in inversion. An increase in tempo coupled with a decrease in volume, requires dexterity and control, with several metrical challenges thrown in for good measure. The same fragment of phrase becomes an ostinato which generates a frenzied climax, punctuated by short, dramatic silence, before the opening figure returns and the music gradually winds down. The tubular bells herald the final return of the theme, in augmentation, marking the start of the Finale. FINALE This features the running semiquavers of the previous variation sounding in counterpoint. A fast, furious coda speeds the work to a conclusion while references to the opening of the theme are still trying to break into the texture of the music. Kenneth Downie
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£228.70Myte - Myth - Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Commissioned by Radoy Brass for their 20 years anniversary.This version was first performed by Manger Skulemusikklag in 2005.The Work is devided into Five Scenes:1. Sverdet (The Sword) 3:452. Advarsel - fra en vis mann (Warning - from a Wise Man) 2:303. Dragen (The Dragon) 3:004. Advarsel II - fra syngende fugler (Warning II - from singing birds) 1:355. Gull - forbannelsen (Gold - The Curse) 2:50Total durata 13:30This work is based on five scenes from the tale about "Sigurd Favnesbane" (Sigurd the dragonslayer). Moods and atmospheres in the piece represent my way of retelling the old myth.1. The SwordThe dwarf blacksmith Regin is hammering and sharpening the edges of the magical sword Gram. After three attempts the sword is finally sharp enough to kill a dragon. 2. Warning - from a Wise manRichard Wagners opera Sigfried is based on the same story. In the opera the hero get warned by a wise man. He tells the secret of how to survive an attack of the dragon by hiding in a hole in the pathway and then kill the dragon with the sword as thedragon passes on its way to the river to drink water.3. DragonThe Dragon (Favne) guards a fantastic treasure, but he is also the brother of the blacksmith Regin. Favne get killed and his blood flows slowly while he laments (trombone/bass trombone).4. Warning II - from singing birdsWhile frying the heart, Sigurd burns his thumb and put it into his mouth to cool it down. Then he swallow a drop of fresh magic dragon blood which transfers the ability to understand the birdlanguage. The birds sing warnings to Sigurd telling himthat Regin will betray him and later kill him. Sigurd then kills Regin instead.5. Gold - the CurseSigurd takes the gold treasure and escapes on the horseback of Grane. But his robbery of the gold lead him into trouble: The gold is banned and a curse will hit everyone whotakes it...Myth is a programmatic work where the story is quite clearly illustrated throughout the piece:In the first movement you can hear the blacksmith working with hammer on ambolt while the heat is intense from the glows. The dwarf has got his own theme i lower brass (bar 4-5). The hero Sigurd has his own identifying chord (2 bars before F). Thechord is also a symbol of the sword.In the second movement the warning from the wise man is expressed in the lyric bass line.The airblow in instruments illustrate the dragon Favne on his way out of his cave, and later the blood flows slowly. The dragon takes his last deep breath after a painful duet in trombones. The birds sing their motifs (lightly, but not cheerfulthough), until Sigurd cuts the head off Regin and it hits the ground.The last movement describes the atmosphere andstate of mind as the curse infects the obsessed thief.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£72.99Irish Mood - Stijn Roels
Irish Mood was written in a classic 'theme and variations' construction, opening with an Irish-inspired melodic theme, which is then followed by four variations of divergent character. After the introduction of the theme by the soloist, the cornets and trombones play the main melody in Variation 1, while the soloist provides a flowing counter melody. Next comes the highly extrovert and lively Variation 2, contrasted by an introverted Variation 3 in a minor key. A masterful tutti (Variation 4) then leads the piece toward a brilliant ending.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£129.99Extreme Make-Over - Johan de Meij
The work, set as the test-piece for the 2005 European Brass Band Championships was inspired by a theme from the second movement of Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No.1 (Andante Cantabile). It consists of a number of musical metamorphoses on the theme and includes several excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Fourth and Sixth Symphonies and Romeo and Juliet. The most unconventional element of the work is instrumentation for ten tuned bottles to be played by members of the Cornet section. This gives the piece an Indonesian Gamelan effect. Why not give your players something to get their teeth into with this impressive major new work.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£152.99Between the Two Rivers - Philip Sparke
Between the Two Rivers was commissioned by Fanfare 'Prins Hendrik', from Aalst in the Netherlands. The title derives from the fact that the town of Aalst lies between two tributaries of the River Dommel. The community is a highly religious one, so the famous Luther chorale, Ein' Feste Burg, was an obvious choice for Philip Sparke to use as the theme for this new work. It takes the form of a theme with four contrasting variations. Variation 1 is a moto perpetuo, variation 2 has a slower march like feel, variation 3 is a sinister slow movement and the final variation is in the form of a lyrical fugue. Between The Two Rivers is sure to become a major work inmodern brass band repertoire.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£154.60Variations for Brass Band - John Brakstad
"Variations for Brass Band" consists of a chorale and 5 variations of brilliant, lyric and humorous character. The piece also contains several soloparts and elements of ensemble.Each variation has its own title, but the piece should be played in its entirity.The chorale is based on a minor pentachord, and each variation begins with these five notes, with different rhythmical treatment.There is also a little secondary "theme", consisting of five notes which are heard throughout the work (eg. as sixteens/semiquavers in cornets in bar 1).When the beams sweep across the Earth, they can be heard as regular pulses. We call them pulsars.In this piece there are three percussion parts. In addition there is an "optional part" to replace the marimba and vibraphone written in the three original percussion parts if desired. This fourth part is shown in the full score.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£124.95The 39th Parallel (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Graham, Peter
Within The 39th Parallel (South) lies the New Zealand district of Whanganui and at its heart the Whanganui river - Te Awa Tupua.This work is cast in two parts:Part 1, a musical evocation of the course of the river from Mount Tongariro to the sea, is constructed according to golden ratio proportions (the fundamental mathematical principle governing nature). Running in parallel a sequence of metrical modulations finds the tempo of the music increase incrementally over the course of the movement.Part 2, Apakura, ("Lament" in the Maori language) develops a theme previously hinted at in Part 1 but now fully realised. This "Home" theme is an elegy to the late Kevin Jarrett, a towering figure in the New Zealand music scene who for many years lived and worked in the town of Whanganui. The elegy includes references to music which formed a significant part of Kevin Jarrett's musical experiences both as a New Zealand Army Band musician (echoes of the Urbach march Through Bolts and Bars) and through his long association with the National Band of New Zealand (hints of fellow countryman Sir Dean Goffin's classic Rhapsody in Brass). The work concludes with a reprise of the Home theme.The 39th Parallel was commissioned by the Brass Band Association of New Zealand, in memory of the late Kevin Jarrett, with funds primarily provided by WNG Loan Finance & Investment Co; McDonnell Coleman Trust; Brass Whanganui; Riki & Rhys McDonnell; Jonathan Wallace; Graham Hickman; Ian & Denise Levien; and the New Zealand Army Band.- Peter Graham
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£37.21Seaside Odyssey (Brass Band) Liz Lane
Seaside Odyssey is a celebration of the British seaside! The music represents a juxtaposition between natural and manmade elements; there are two main musical themes - the reflective sea (a wordless setting of John Masefield's Sea Fever) and a more lively 'seaside' theme, heard separately in different ways and later together. From childhood memories, sand, beach and cliffs to cafes, ice creams, fish and chips, buckets and spades, boating trips, beach huts, bandstands, piers, theatres, gardens, mini golf, arcades and more, Seaside Odyssey is a journey from dawn to dusk with the sea at the heart of the music. This work was commissioned by Grimethorpe Colliery Band for its seaside tour, August 2023, where it performed at Paignton, Lyme Regis, Weymouth, Shanklin and Herne Bay. Includes optional poems and words specially curated from poets associated with the seaside towns, which can be read before a performance. Duration: approx. 5 minutes This PDF download includes parts and score. Sheet music available at www.brassband.co.uk (UK) or www.cimarronmusic.com (USA) Instrumentation: Eb Soprano Cornet Bb Solo Cornet Bb Repiano Cornet Bb Cornet 2 Bb Cornet 3 Bb Flugelhorn Eb Solo Tenor Horn Eb Tenor Horn 1 Eb Tenor Horn 2 Bb Baritone 1 Bb Baritone 2 Bb Trombone 1 Bb Trombone 2 Bass Trombone Bb Euphonium Eb Bass Bb Bass Percussion 1: timpani, triangle and optional 'arcade jackpot' effect (see score/part) Percussion 2: 3 suspended cymbals (2 ride, 1 crash) and hi-hat Percussion 3: snare, tom-toms and bass drum Percussion 4: glockenspiel
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£22.50Edward Gregson: Concertante for Piano and Brass Band
DescriptionProgramme NoteThe Concertante for Piano and Brass Band was written in 1966, when the composer was an undergraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music in London. It received its first public concert performance in 1967 at the Royal Festival Hall, London, when the composer was the soloist with the International Band of the Salvation Army, conducted by Bernard Adams. It was one of the first major works to be written for this particular combination.The Concertante is unashamedly romantic in idiom and is in three movements: Prelude, Nocturne and Rondo. The Prelude is cast in sonata form and opens with a short cadenza-like flourish from the soloist, followed by two main ideas - the first sweepingly dramatic, the second highly lyrical. The interplay between these two themes forms the main focus of the movement, and after a return to the opening theme, an exuberant codetta brings the music to a close, albeit a quiet one. https://morthanveld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Gregson-Concertante-1st-movt-clip.mp3The tender Nocturne opens with an introduction from the band that contains precursors of the two main ideas to follow. The solo piano announces the main theme, which has a slightly 'bluesy' character with its flattened third and seventh notes of the scale, and is a love song dedicated to the composer's wife-to-be. The band enters with phrases of a chorale already hinted at in the introduction - Ray Steadman-Allen's hymn tune 'Esher' - but never quite presented in its complete state. Both ideas are developed alongside each other, with eventually the first theme returning, this time with piano and band together, and building to a majestic climax, before subsiding to a peaceful coda - a return to the very opening of the movement. https://morthanveld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Gregson-Concertante-movt-2-clip.mp3The final Rondo is full of energetic rhythms and changing time patterns. The main theme is playful in character, with much interplay between soloist and band, whilst the middle section presents a new theme, and one that has more than a hint of the hymn tune 'Onward Christian Soldiers', in what amounts to a good humoured parody. The opening Rondo theme returns, this time leading to a powerful and dissonant climax from the band. This is followed by an extended piano cadenza, underlying the virtuoso aspect of the work, and leading to an energetic and life-affirming coda, which brings the work to a triumphant conclusion. https://morthanveld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Gregson-Concertante-movt-3-clip.mp3Duration: 18 minutesInstrumentation:Please note that there is no 1st/Repiano Cornet part in this work. The 1st/Repiano Cornet player should join the Solo Cornet bench. As such an extra Solo Cornet part is provided in the set of parts.Version for two pianosA version of the Concertante for two pianos is available for rehearsal purposes. Piano 1 is the solo part and Piano 2 the band reduction. However, for those pianists not needing to rehearse the work in this way, a solo piano part is also provided with the main set of band parts.To view a preview of the solo part for the first movement click here.The youthful Gregson (his work was written as a third year undergraduate) was seemingly a bit of a musical magpie - but one heck of a skilful one at that.These were shiny baubles of poise, panache and pastiche, with affectionate, remarkably mature nods of appreciation towards Gershwin, Rachmaninov, Ireland and even Elmer as well as Leonard Bernstein.The rich colour palette and flowing lines (with the tenderest of central Nocturnes) were a joy - as were the little buds of motifs that dotted the score like seeds ready to be planted on a future fertile brass band compositional field. - Iwan Fox, 4Barsrest.com, June 2019For more information on Edward Gregson's music please visit the composer's website: www.edwardgregson.com
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£132.00
Myte - Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Commissioned by Radoy Brass for their 20 years anniversary.This version was first performed by Manger Skulemusikklag in 2005.The Work is devided into Five Scenes:1. Sverdet (The Sword) 3:452. Advarsel - fra en vis mann (Warning - from a Wise Man) 2:303. Dragen (The Dragon) 3:004. Advarsel II - fra syngende fugler (Warning II - from singing birds) 1:355. Gull - forbannelsen (Gold - The Curse) 2:50Total durata 13:30This work is based on five scenes from the tale about "Sigurd Favnesbane" (Sigurd the dragonslayer). Moods and atmospheres in the piece represent my way of retelling the old myth.1. The SwordThe dwarf blacksmith Regin is hammering and sharpening the edges of the magical sword Gram. After three attempts the sword is finally sharp enough to kill a dragon. 2. Warning - from a Wise manRichard Wagners opera Sigfried is based on the same story. In the opera the hero get warned by a wise man. He tells the secret of how to survive an attack of the dragon by hiding in a hole in the pathway and then kill the dragon with the sword as the dragon passes on its way to the river to drink water.3. DragonThe Dragon (Favne) guards a fantastic treasure, but he is also the brother of the blacksmith Regin. Favne get killed and his blood flows slowly while he laments (trombone/bass trombone).4. Warning II - from singing birdsWhile frying the heart, Sigurd burns his thumb and put it into his mouth to cool it down. Then he swallow a drop of fresh magic dragon blood which transfers the ability to understand the birdlanguage. The birds sing warnings to Sigurd telling him that Regin will betray him and later kill him. Sigurd then kills Regin instead.5. Gold - the CurseSigurd takes the gold treasure and escapes on the horseback of Grane. But his robbery of the gold lead him into trouble: The gold is banned and a curse will hit everyone whotakes it...Myth is a programmatic work where the story is quite clearly illustrated throughout the piece:In the first movement you can hear the blacksmith working with hammer on ambolt while the heat is intense from the glows. The dwarf has got his own theme i lower brass (bar 4-5). The hero Sigurd has his own identifying chord (2 bars before F). The chord is also a symbol of the sword.In the second movement the warning from the wise man is expressed in the lyric bass line.The airblow in instruments illustrate the dragon Favne on his way out of his cave, and later the blood flows slowly. The dragon takes his last deep breath after a painful duet in trombones. The birds sing their motifs (lightly, but not cheerful though), until Sigurd cuts the head off Regin and it hits the ground.The last movement describes the atmosphere andstate of mind as the curse infects the obsessed thief.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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