Results
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£44.95The Trumpets of the Angels (Brass Band - Score only) - Gregson, Edward
The Trumpets of the Angels was commissioned by the Fodens (Courtois) Band for their centenary concert at The Bridgewater Hall in 2000. It is based on a work written for the BBC Philharmonic and Huddersfield Choral Society in 1998, the starting point of which was a quotation from the Book of Revelation:and I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpetsThus the idea behind the work is dramatic and I have tried to achieve this by the spatial deployment of seven solo trumpets around the band, four on-stage, the others off-stage. Six of the solo trumpets eventually join the band, but Trumpet 7 remains off-stage and, indeed, has the most dramatic and extended cadenza representing the words of the seventh angel ...and time shall be no more.The Trumpets of the Angels is a large-scale work, scored for seven solo trumpets, brass band, organ and percussion (deploying 'dark' instruments such as tam-tams, bass drum and two sets of timpani). The work opens with a four-note motif announced by off-stage horns and baritones and answered by fanfare figures on solo trumpets. In turn, each of the first four solo trumpets play cadenzas and then all four join together, independently playing their own music. The organ enters dramatically with its own cadenza, leading to the entry of solo trumpets 5 and 6 with music that is more urgent and rhythmic, describing the horsemen of the Apocalypse.The music reaches another climax, more intense this time, with the horns and baritones (now on-stage) again sounding the transformed motif, before subsiding into what might be described as a lament for humanity, slow music which builds from low to high, from soft to loud, with a melody that is both simple and poignant. At the climax, Trumpet 7 enters playing the opening four-note motif, dramatically extended to almost three octaves. This cadenza (to the partial accompaniment of tam-tams) introduces new material and foreshadows the ensuing scherzo which is fast and aggressive. Despite the somewhat desolate mood of this music, it slowly moves towards an optimistic conclusion, transforming the 'humanity' music into an affirmative and triumphant statement.- Edward Gregson
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£5.99Scripture-based Songs Compilation Folio Books
No. of TuneTitleRefernece1Above all powersSpring Harvest Song Book 2003, 12All for theeThe Musical Salvationist, January 19763All Heaven declaresMagnify, 24All the world is waitingThe Musical Salvationist, April 19875As we are gatheredThe Source, 296Be bold, be strongThe Source,387Be still for the presence of the LordMagnify, 78Beauty for brokennessThe Source,379Blessd be the name of the LordThe Source,5310Breathe 11By his handSing to the Lord, Vol.1, Part 112Come, now is the time to worshipThe Source, 66213Come on and celebrate!The Source, 7514Come, thou Fount of every blessing (Nettleton)Salvation Army Song Book, 31315ContentmentHappiness & Harmony, 1416Crown him with many crowns (Diademata)Salvation Army Song Book, 15617Cwm RhonddaSalvation Army Song Book, 57818Do something beautifulSing to the Lord Children's Voices Series, Vol.1219Faithful GodThe Source, 8820Father, we love youHappiness & Harmony, 1621Give thanks with a grateful heartThe Source, 1822Glorious things of thee are spoken (Abbot's Leigh)Salvation Army Song Book, 15723God in youSing to the Lord, Vol.9, Part 224Great is the darkness (Come, Lord Jesus)Magnify, 1425He is ableSing to the Lord Children's Voices Series, Vol.1526He is the Lord (Show your power)Magnify, 1927Healing ChristSing to the Lord, Vol.6, Part 328Here am I, my LordThe Musical Salvationist, July 199129His ProvisionThe Musical Salvationist, July 198530Holy, holy, holy is the LordSongs of Fellowship, 18231HosannaThe Source, 18232How deep the Father's love for usThe Source, 185; Songs of Fellowship II, 78033I am a new creationThe Source, 19134I dare to be differentSing to the Lord, Vol.1, Part 135I love you, LordMagnify, 2436I will run to you (Your eye is on the sparrow)The Source, 109337In Christ aloneThe Source, 131138In his presenceSing to the Lord, Vol.9, Part 339In his time 40In Jesus' nameSing to the Lord, Vol.13, Part 141In this quiet momentSing to the Lord, Vol.13, Part 342It is to youMagnify, 3043Jesus is Lord!The Source, 28444Jesus, name above all namesHappiness & Harmony, 3245Joyful, Joyful (Europe)Salvation Army Song Book, 1046King of Kings, MajestyThe Source, 30947Knowing You (All I once held dear)Magnify, 348Light of the world (Here I am to worship)Sing to the Lord Children's Voices Series, Vol.1049Lord, I lift your name on highMagnify, 3850Lord, you know that we love youThe Musical Salvationist, April 198351Love Divine (Blaenwern)Salvation Army Song Book, 43852MajestyHappiness & Harmony, 4553My Lord and Christ!Sing to the Lord, Vol.2, Part 254My Lord, what love is thisThe Source, 37055My Saviour's love (I stand amazed)Salvation Army Song Book, 17956Nothing but thy bloodSing to the Lord Children's Voices Series, Vol.1357O God of burning, cleansing flame (Send the fire)Salvation Army Song Book, 20358O happy daySalvation Army Song Book, 36559Oh to see the dawn (The power of the cross)Spring Harvest Song Book 2005, 6760Only by graceMagnify, 4861Power of your love (Lord, I come to you)Magnify, 3762Praise, my soulSalvation Army Song Book, 1763Praise to the Lord (Lobe den Herren)Salvation Army Song Book, 1964Regent SquareSalvation Army Song Book, 14765Rejoice!The Source, 43866Shout to the Lord (My Jesus, my Saviour)Magnify, 4367Sing and make musicHappiness & Harmony, 5568Spirit of the living GodSongs of Fellowship, 511; The Source, 46369Storm the forts of darknessSalvation Army Song Book, 69670Teach me to danceThe Source, 46971The light has comeHappiness & Harmony, 6372The Potter's hand (Beautiful Lord, wonderful Saviour)The Source, 64073The servant King (From Heaven you came)The Source, 11474The splendour of the KingSpring Harvest Song Book 2005, 9775There is a redeemerMagnify, 5976To be in your presence (My Desire)Magnify, 6177To God be the gloryThe Musical Salvationist, April 198878Wake up, O sleeperSing to the Lord, Vol.6, Part 279We are marchingThe Source, 53980We have come into this placeHappiness & Harmony, 7381We want to see Jesus lifted highThe Source, 55982When the music fades (The heart of worship)Magnify, 7083Who is on the Lord's side? (Rachie)Salvation Army Song Book, 707
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95Scripture-based Songs Compilation Full Score
No. of TuneTitleRefernece1Above all powersSpring Harvest Song Book 2003, 12All for theeThe Musical Salvationist, January 19763All Heaven declaresMagnify, 24All the world is waitingThe Musical Salvationist, April 19875As we are gatheredThe Source, 296Be bold, be strongThe Source,387Be still for the presence of the LordMagnify, 78Beauty for brokennessThe Source,379Blessd be the name of the LordThe Source,5310Breathe 11By his handSing to the Lord, Vol.1, Part 112Come, now is the time to worshipThe Source, 66213Come on and celebrate!The Source, 7514Come, thou Fount of every blessing (Nettleton)Salvation Army Song Book, 31315ContentmentHappiness & Harmony, 1416Crown him with many crowns (Diademata)Salvation Army Song Book, 15617Cwm RhonddaSalvation Army Song Book, 57818Do something beautifulSing to the Lord Children's Voices Series, Vol.1219Faithful GodThe Source, 8820Father, we love youHappiness & Harmony, 1621Give thanks with a grateful heartThe Source, 1822Glorious things of thee are spoken (Abbot's Leigh)Salvation Army Song Book, 15723God in youSing to the Lord, Vol.9, Part 224Great is the darkness (Come, Lord Jesus)Magnify, 1425He is ableSing to the Lord Children's Voices Series, Vol.1526He is the Lord (Show your power)Magnify, 1927Healing ChristSing to the Lord, Vol.6, Part 328Here am I, my LordThe Musical Salvationist, July 199129His ProvisionThe Musical Salvationist, July 198530Holy, holy, holy is the LordSongs of Fellowship, 18231HosannaThe Source, 18232How deep the Father's love for usThe Source, 185; Songs of Fellowship II, 78033I am a new creationThe Source, 19134I dare to be differentSing to the Lord, Vol.1, Part 135I love you, LordMagnify, 2436I will run to you (Your eye is on the sparrow)The Source, 109337In Christ aloneThe Source, 131138In his presenceSing to the Lord, Vol.9, Part 339In his time 40In Jesus' nameSing to the Lord, Vol.13, Part 141In this quiet momentSing to the Lord, Vol.13, Part 342It is to youMagnify, 3043Jesus is Lord!The Source, 28444Jesus, name above all namesHappiness & Harmony, 3245Joyful, Joyful (Europe)Salvation Army Song Book, 1046King of Kings, MajestyThe Source, 30947Knowing You (All I once held dear)Magnify, 348Light of the world (Here I am to worship)Sing to the Lord Children's Voices Series, Vol.1049Lord, I lift your name on highMagnify, 3850Lord, you know that we love youThe Musical Salvationist, April 198351Love Divine (Blaenwern)Salvation Army Song Book, 43852MajestyHappiness & Harmony, 4553My Lord and Christ!Sing to the Lord, Vol.2, Part 254My Lord, what love is thisThe Source, 37055My Saviour's love (I stand amazed)Salvation Army Song Book, 17956Nothing but thy bloodSing to the Lord Children's Voices Series, Vol.1357O God of burning, cleansing flame (Send the fire)Salvation Army Song Book, 20358O happy daySalvation Army Song Book, 36559Oh to see the dawn (The power of the cross)Spring Harvest Song Book 2005, 6760Only by graceMagnify, 4861Power of your love (Lord, I come to you)Magnify, 3762Praise, my soulSalvation Army Song Book, 1763Praise to the Lord (Lobe den Herren)Salvation Army Song Book, 1964Regent SquareSalvation Army Song Book, 14765Rejoice!The Source, 43866Shout to the Lord (My Jesus, my Saviour)Magnify, 4367Sing and make musicHappiness & Harmony, 5568Spirit of the living GodSongs of Fellowship, 511; The Source, 46369Storm the forts of darknessSalvation Army Song Book, 69670Teach me to danceThe Source, 46971The light has comeHappiness & Harmony, 6372The Potter's hand (Beautiful Lord, wonderful Saviour)The Source, 64073The servant King (From Heaven you came)The Source, 11474The splendour of the KingSpring Harvest Song Book 2005, 9775There is a redeemerMagnify, 5976To be in your presence (My Desire)Magnify, 6177To God be the gloryThe Musical Salvationist, April 198878Wake up, O sleeperSing to the Lord, Vol.6, Part 279We are marchingThe Source, 53980We have come into this placeHappiness & Harmony, 7381We want to see Jesus lifted highThe Source, 55982When the music fades (The heart of worship)Magnify, 7083Who is on the Lord's side? (Rachie)Salvation Army Song Book, 707
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£85.00Concertante (Piano Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
This work was written in 1966, when I was a student at the Royal Academy of Music in London. It was the first major work to be written for this combination. The Concertante is unashamedly romantic in idiom and is cast in three movements: Prelude, Nocturne and Rondo.The Prelude is in sonata form with a contracted recapitulation. There are two main themes, the first announced after the opening flourish on piano. The second theme is lyrical in character and the interplay between these two themes forms the main focus of the movement.The pensive Nocturne opens with an introduction from the band which contains hints of the two main ideas to follow. The solo piano announces the main theme, which has a slightly 'blues' character in its flattened third and seventh notes of the scale. The band enters with the chorale theme already heard in the introduction. Eventually the first theme returns, this time from piano and band and building to a powerful climax before subsiding to a peaceful ending.The Rondo is full of energetic rhythms and changing time patterns. The main theme is 'giocoso' in character and in the first episode there is more than a hint of the tune 'Onward Christian Soldiers' in what amounts to a good humoured parody. Before the final coda there is a long piano cadenza underlying the virtuoso element of the work.The work had a number of public performances leading up to a memorable one in the Royal Albert Hall in 1989 as part of the Gala Concert that used to be held after the National Brass Band Championship in the Royal Albert Hall. That year, the 'centre band' in the massed bands concert were the GUS Band (then known for sponsorship reasons as 'Rigid Containers Group Band'!) conducted by my great friend and champion, Bramwell Tovey, with myself as the soloist.- Edward GregsonDuration: 18.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.10Libera Me from 'Requiem' (Brass Band) Faure arr. Rob Bushnell
Composed between 1887 and 1890, Gabriel Faure's Requiem is not only one of his best-known works but one of the most popular piece of choral music in the Classical repertoire, coming 23rd in the Classic FM's Hall of Fame 2024. Believed to be a tribute to his father (who died in 1885), Faure himself said "My Requiem wasn't written for anything - for pleasure, if I may call it that!" It started life as a five-movement work but was later expanded to be the final seven-movement work we know today. The first version (which Faure called "un petit Requiem") was first performed on 16 January 1888, with Faure conducting, a second version premiered on 21 January 1893 before the final version (reworked for full orchestra) was played on 12 July 1900; the Requiem was performed at the composer's own funeral in 1924.The Libera Me, or Deliver Me, was actually written in 1877 and is the sixth part of the Requiem.Faure once said of the work, "Everything I managed to entertain by way of religious illusion I put into my Requiem, which moreover is dominated from beginning to end by a very human feeling of faith in eternal rest." Upon interview, he also said, "It has been said that my Requiem does not express the fear of death and someone has called it a lullaby of death. But it is thus that I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience. The music of Gounod has been criticised for its inclination towards human tenderness. But his nature predisposed him to feel this way: religious emotion took this form inside him. Is it not necessary to accept the artist's nature? As to my Requiem, perhaps I have also instinctively sought to escape from what is thought right and proper, after all the years of accompanying burial services on the organ! I know it all by heart. I wanted to write something different."This arrangement is for the British-style brass band, with alternative parts for horns in F and bass-clef lower brass. The tenor solo is featured on the euphonium. A recording of the original composition can be found here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXwFNoBHCf0 Duration: 4.20 minutes approx. Difficulty Level: 4th Section + PDF download includes parts and score. Sheet music available from www.brassband.co.uk Instrumentation: Soprano Cornet Eb Solo Cornet Bb Repiano Cornet Bb 2nd Cornet Bb 3rd Cornet Bb Flugel Horn Bb Solo Horn Eb 1st Horn Eb 2nd Horn Eb 1st Baritone Bb 2nd Baritone Bb 1st Trombone Bb 2nd Trombone Bb Bass Trombone Euphonium Bb Bass Eb Bass BbTimpani
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£150.00
Fragile Oasis - Peter Meechan
Fragile Oasis is the name of a collective who describe themselves as aaa grass-roots participatory initiative that connects the shared perspective of astronauts from different countries and cultures with people on Earth, encouraging all to work together so that our planet is not only visibly beautiful, but beautiful for alla.Many involved in the project are astronauts on the International Space Station (I.S.S.), who post, on their website (http://www.fragileoasis.org) many different details of their experiments, photos from space, and some incredible video footage of our Earth.One such time lapse video (a video made up many still images) was posted on their website by astronaut Ron Garan (http://www.fragileoasis.org/blog/2011/11/coming-back-down-to-our-fragile-oasis-2/) in 2011. It is made up of images taken from the I.S.S. of what Garan described as aaa couple of laps around our Fragile Oasis before coming back down [to Earth]a and features all kinds of amazing views from space.Each of the five sections of this work relate to an aspect of the video - either something literal or something more metaphorical. The opening section, i: The lights from Above, is a musical description of the view of the Aurora Australis from above the lights. The second section, ii: The Storm from Above (part i), is also a musical portrayal of portions of the video clip - in this case the many lightning storms we see from above. The storms that are so powerful on Earth appear as small bolts of electricity dancing through the clouds.The third section, iii: Freya, has its roots in personal family tragedy. The name Freya derives from a Norse goddess who was associated with both beauty and love, and in this central section I wanted to write music that not only acknowledged how fragile life itself is, but that every day of it counts and should be celebrated.iv: The Storm from Above (part ii) is a again a reference to the lightning storms, but also to the huge hurricanes we see in the video. It leads us to the final section, v: The Oasis from Above - a description of the size and grandeur of Earth, our Fragile Oasis.Fragile Oasis was commissioned by Leyland Brass Band and Michael Bach, and partly funded by The John Golland Trust, for their appearance at the 2013 European Brass Band Championships in Oslo, Norway. It is dedicated to Natalie Youson, in friendship
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£228.70Fanfare and Chorale - Egil Hovland - Ray Farr
This arrangement (or edition) for brass band will give the possibility for more performances of this fine work by Hovland. The composer, before his death, examined my work and made no suggestions for changes, and his approving comments were complimentary and encouraging. The work was originally written for Concert Band in 1966 as Op. 54a to St. Olaf College Band in the US. It was transcribed in 1967 for symphony orchestra as Op. 54b by the composer himself. The challenges in arranging the piece for brass band were mostly concerned with satisfactorily covering the upper register used by piccolo, flutes and clarinets, and while there are wonderful brass players around who have amazing high registers, I have aimed this edition at a level achievable by reasonably good brass band players who are willing to give time and effort into the proper preparation and delivery of the music. Having worked on this new edition with a top-class brass band, I think it sounds wonderful and interestingly different to the original. Besides the obvious differences of tone-colour and absent high notes, I have used in my scoring, the option for using a vibraphone in place of a celeste. Vaughan Williams, in his Variations for brass band writes for celeste, but because the instrument is quite rare, performances have been mostly given using a glockenspiel- but this, of course sounds two octaves higher than it was intended. I think that vibraphone and brass is an excellent combination and recommend it without hesitation in this piece. Every detail of articulation and dynamic has been considered, so in order to keep the integrity of the music, please do not change anything in the name of "interpretation". As Ravel says- "What is there to interpret?" Ray Farr
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£15.00Symphony in Two Movements (Brass Band - Study Score) - Gregson, Edward
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
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£107.95Symphony in Two Movements (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
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
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£57.95Symphony in Two Movements (Brass Band - Score only) - Gregson, Edward
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
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