Results
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£69.99The Pioneers - Philip Sparke
In The Pioneers Philip Sparke salutes the bicentenary of an expedition by two all time American heroes - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They were commissioned by US President Thomas Jefferson to find the headwaters of the Missouri and a route to the Pacific following the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the USA. They set out as the 'Corps of Discovery' from Louisville, Kentucky, in May 1804 and not only did they succeed in reaching the Pacific through hostile territory, but also found their way back - in 3 years! The piece is not descriptive of the journey but gives the composer the opportunity to celebrate the 200th anniversary of this amazing feat. Add atouch of the wild-west to any concert with this exciting work.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£183.99Perihelion: Closer to the Sun - Philip Sparke
Perihelion was commissioned by the Cory Band as their own-choice piece for the 2013 European Brass Band Championships, held in Oslo, Norway. Winning the set piece section of the contest and coming second to Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklag with their own choice selection, Cory went on to become European Champions for the fifth time.Cory MD Philip Harper had asked for a 'Concerto for Band' to fully exploit his outstanding band of virtuosi, and composer Philip Sparke created a one-movement work with contiguous sections, first featuring horns and flugel, then trombones followed by cornets and a slower central section for percussion and baritones, euphonium andbasses.The piece is abstract in nature, without a specific programme, and the title merely reflects the fact that the piece was begun on January 2nd 2013, the day of Earth's perihelion - the point in its orbit when it is closest to the sun. It could also be argued that the piece weaves between moments of brilliant optimism and dark shadow, both of which can be the result of bright sunshine.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£168.50Music of the Spheres - Philip Sparke
Music of the Spheres was commissioned by the Yorkshire Building Society Band and first performed by them at the European Brass Band Championships in Glasgow, May 2004.The piece reflects the composers fascination with the origins of the universe and deep space in general. The title comes from a theory, formulated by Pythagoras, that the cosmos was ruled by the same laws he had discovered that govern the ratios of note frequencies of the musical scale. ('Harmonia' in Ancient Greek, which means scale or tuning rather than harmony - Greek music was monophonic). He also believed that these ratios corresponded to the distances of the sixknown planets from the sun and thatthe planets each produced a musical note which combined to weave a continuous heavenly melody (which, unfortunately, we humans cannot hear). In this work, these six notes form the basis of the sections Music of the Spheres and Harmonia.The pieces opens with a horn solo called t = 0, a name given by some scientists to the moment of the Big Bangwhen time and space were created, and this is followed by a depiction of the Big Bangitself, as the entire universe bursts out from a single point. A slower section follows called The Lonely Planet which is a meditation on the incredible and unlikely set of circumstances which led to the creation of the Earth as a planet that can support life, and the constant search for other civilizations elsewhere in the universe. Asteroids and Shooting Stars depicts both the benign and dangerous objects that are flying through space and which constantly threaten our planet, and the piece ends with The Unknown, leaving in question whether our continually expanding exploration of the universe will eventually lead to enlightenment or destruction.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£23.95The Red Kite (Euphonium Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
At one time the Red Kite was close to national extinction in the UK but now it is possible to admire this distinctive bird of prey with its red colouring and forked tail. I love watching it soaring so gracefully through the sky. I attempted to catch that feeling in this solo composed for Martin Smith. In writing it I had in mind making the euphonium glide solitary and effortlessly, occasionally swooping down then reclaiming its high altitude.To create the desired atmosphere, I avoided too many root position chords and enhanced the feeling of floating by adding notes to a lot of the harmony, giving it subtle colour. The harmonic rhythm is slow but the movement switches in the way that the Red Kite can make slight changes of direction by minor adjustments of its tail. On top of this accompaniment the soloist is left to sing with a sense of grace and freedom.- Rob WiffinDuration: 3.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£68.80When the Lights Go Down (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Houben, Kevin
Kevin Houben created with When the Lights Go Down, a wonderful chorale that can be a moment of reflection in any concert program. The resigned, magnificent melodies at the beginning of this composition slowly build up to a highlight with an increasing orchestration. The piece starts with a suggestive Adagio Meditativo, after which the main theme is immediately announced. A central bridge section takes the listener along through the different spheres at which the melodic and rhythmic drums embellish the chorale melodies. Thematic elements from the introduction brings the piece to a quiet and peaceful end. The sheer simplicity with which this work is written, makes it a resplendent, magnificent concert piece. 'When the Lights Go Down', refers to a moment when time stand still for a while, stillness within and around yourself.Duration: 9.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£119.99The Patriots (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - De Haan, Jan
The Dutch patriottentijd (literally Time of the Patriots) was a period of political instability in the 1780's. The country was led by regents who were occupied with their own personal interests rather than dedicating themselves to the needs of the people. In this revolutionary period, the devoted republican Patriots were in conflict with the Orangists. A civil war followed, in which the Patriots were beaten and driven away by a Prussian army. This composition is an abstract piece inspired by the Patriots. The thematic material is based on the Dutch war song Merck toch hoe sterck. Its powerful minor melody, which has its origins in the Eighty Years' War, is recognisable throughout the work, presented in variations of constantly shifting character.Duration: 14.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95Song of the Night Sky (Cornet Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bond, Christopher
Orpheus is known as the most talented music player of the ancient times. It is said that god Apollo was his father, from whom took his extreme talent in music, and the Muse Calliope was his mother. Tragedy struck when his wife, Eurydice stepped on a viper which in turn bit her, injecting its fatal venom. Nothing could stop his cries of anguish and sheer pain and sorrow upon realizing his beautiful Eurydice was dead. Orpheus decided to go into the Underworld to get his wife back. Apollo, his father, would talk to Hades, the god of the Underworld to accept him and hear his plea. And so Orpheus set off into the Underworld and was warned that for no reason must he look back while his wife was still in the dark, for that would undo everything he hoped for. As Orpheus was reaching the exit of the Underworld, he could hear the footfalls of his wife approaching him. As his was approaching the exit, his heart was beating faster and faster. The moment he stepped on the world of the living, he turned his head to hug his wife. Unfortunately, he got only a glimpse of Eurydice before she was once again drawn back into the underworld. When Orpheus turned his head, Eurydice was still in the dark, she hadn't seen the sun and, was drowned back to the dark world of the dead. Waves of anguish and despair swept over him and shuddering with grief he approached the Underworld again but this time, he was denied entry, the gates were standing shut and god Hermes, sent by Zeus, wouldn't let him in. His songs were no more joyful but extremely sad. His only comfort was to lay on a huge rock and feel the caress of the breeze, his only vision were the open skies. Song of the Night Sky was recorded by Tom Hutchinson and the Cory Band in June 2015, featuring on his debut solo album.Duration: 4.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£22.00Journey of the Lone Wolf (Brass Band - Score only)
Championship Section Test Piece for the 2016 National Finals of the British Brass Band Championship.The Lone Wolf of the title is the great Hungarian composer and folklorist Bla Bartok. Bartok's journey took him from the hills of the Balkans to the heart of the new world. His singular vision may have meant a life out in the cold, a life without warmth and love, a life without true happiness, a death mourned by a few in a strange land.The first of the three linked movements is capturing the Peasants' Song and follows the young Bartok and fellow composer Zoltan Kolday as they embark on Summertime adventures through the Hungarian countryside to collect and catalogue the astonishing variety of Gypsy and folk music heard in the Balkan hills. The arrival of WW1 plunges Bartok's beloved Hungary into chaos.Bartok was at times a cold man, aloof and lonely. The occasional moments of tenderness he showed are portrayed in Night Music. His brief but intense affairs speak of a love he could only long for. Jazz is my night music and here there are hints of what Bartok may have heard in the USA later in his life.Having been forced by the world's evils to leave his homeland of Hungary for America Bartok, the anti-fascist, felt isolated and angry. In the finale, Flight and Fight, we hear his longing for a simpler time of Gypsy folk dances as well as his maturity and depth as a composer finally exploring deeper colours and darker themes.Duration: 15.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95The Southern Cross (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bowen, Brian
The Southern Cross is one of several excellent marches by Brian Bowen in which he carried on the more sophisticated pattern of British marches by Wilfred Heaton, Leslie Condon and Ray Steadman-Allen. It was written for the Box Hill (Australia) Corps jubilee celebrations in 1970 and formed part of the band's repertoire when it toured Great Britain in the same year. The first half of the march features part of the song, 'March on!' by Klaus Ostby, an early pioneer of Salvation Army music in Scandinavia. The contrapuntal layering of melodies in the trio, especially in the finale where 'March on!' sounds one more triumphant time, is notable, as is the shift to a slower, more stately tempo. The harmonic and rhythmic style also represents the more modern sounds of Salvation Army brass band music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Right from the opening gestures, listeners at early performances knew that a page had turned in the evolution of the Salvation Army march.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£17.50The Southern Cross (Brass Band - Score only) - Bowen, Brian
The Southern Cross is one of several excellent marches by Brian Bowen in which he carried on the more sophisticated pattern of British marches by Wilfred Heaton, Leslie Condon and Ray Steadman-Allen. It was written for the Box Hill (Australia) Corps jubilee celebrations in 1970 and formed part of the band's repertoire when it toured Great Britain in the same year. The first half of the march features part of the song, 'March on!' by Klaus Ostby, an early pioneer of Salvation Army music in Scandinavia. The contrapuntal layering of melodies in the trio, especially in the finale where 'March on!' sounds one more triumphant time, is notable, as is the shift to a slower, more stately tempo. The harmonic and rhythmic style also represents the more modern sounds of Salvation Army brass band music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Right from the opening gestures, listeners at early performances knew that a page had turned in the evolution of the Salvation Army march.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
