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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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£84.99Pacific Dreams - Jacob de Haan
Pacific Dreams describes the experience of Miguel, a traveling composer from Spain who, feeling somewhat alienated from his homeland, is wandering through an area of Sydney known as The Rocks. At a small outdoor market in a typical street of this oldcolonial neighbourhood, he discovers a print of William DeShazos painting "Pacific Dreams" Portrayed in the painting is the surf of one of the exotic islands in the Pacific. Next, with the impressive Sydney Harbour Bridge looming over the narrowstreets of The Rocks, he envisions sultry Pacific beaches. Suddenly a theme he once composed about the lakes in Japan comes to him. Is it the Asian influences present in cosmopolitan Sydney that bring this theme to mind? Or perhaps the waters aroundSydney, over which he could sail to Tahiti? He is uncertain. Could this same theme be used to create a new composition about his feelings for the metropolis Sydney? How then to work his Pacific Dreams into the mix? Miguel is certainly no fan ofHawaiian music. Mayby he could use the vocabularies of islands like Hawaii and Tahiti, their beautiful vowel combinations being sung ad libitum by a mixed choir.With these ideas and his newly purchased print of "Pacific Dreams", he boards the Metroat Circular Quay. He has a final glimpse of the harbour and the Sydney Opera House as the train races into the ground. On to the hotel! To work! He must compose!Maestoso : Miguel is impressed as he gazes upon the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And yet, hewants to go away from this city. Away, to an exotic island in the Pacific.Steady Rock : In the Rocks, musicians are playing at a square. Miguel basks in the atmosphere but at the same time he is fantasizing about Hawaii and Tahiti.Andante Lamentoso :In his hotel room, Miguel is feeling sad and lonely in this big city. He takes comfort in his "Pacific Dreams".Allegro : Miguel boards the boat that takes him from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. In his mind he is traveling on to Hawaii. Or is ithome, where the bolero is playing? He is pulled back to reality by the skyline of Sydney.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£109.99The Power of the Megatsunami - Carl Wittrock
The word 'tsunami' is of Japanese origin. When you look it up in a dictionary, you will find that it means 'a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption'. A megatsunami is the superlative of this awesome expressionof power that nature can create, and has catastrophic consequences. When Carl Wittrock completed this composition not many such big earth movements had occurred, but since then we have become all too familiar with the disastrousconsequences which a tsunami may have. On the 26th of December 2004 a heavy seaquake took place near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Tidal waves 10 meters in height ravaged the coastal regions of many countries for miles around. The tsunamitook the lives of thousands of people and destroyed many villages and towns. There are more areas which run the risk of being struck by a tsunami, such as the island of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands. This island is based on oceaniccrust at a fracture zone and as such is one of nature's time bombs. The consequences of a natural calamity like a megatsunami are immense. In the case of La Palma, the tidal wave will move in the direction of South America, where it may reach 50km inland, destroying everything on its way. In his composition Wittrock describes an ordinary day which will have an unexpected ending. Right from the beginning there seems to be something in the air, the music creating an oppressiveatmosphere of impending disaster. Themes are interrupted, broken off suddenly, followed by silence, suggesting the calm before the storm. Suddenly a short climax (glissandi in the trombone part) indicates the seaquake, and the megatsunami isa fact. Hereafter follows a turbulent passage symbolising the huge rolling waves. After nature's force has spent itself, resignation sets in and the composition ends with a majestic ode to nature.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£134.99Alienus - Thomas Doss
"Alienus" - a word that means more than just extraterrestrial. It speaks of the foreign, the unfamiliar, the strange. Of that which comes from beyond - and yet stirs questions deep within us.In this work, it may represent many things: an alien, an unknown being, a stranger - or a human soul we cannot understand. My fantasy for brass band, tells the story of an encounter: humans come upon a sleeping, enigmatic creature. They gaze upon it in wonder - and in fear. Hesitantly, they draw near, driven by curiosity. Their inquisitive nature drives them to explore it, gradually crossing the invisible boundaries of reverence and humility - until the creature awakens. What follows remains untold. Each listener is invited to imagine their own story - or simply to be carried away by the music. The sound world of the piece draws from ancient roots: the hymn Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme ("Sleepers Wake, a Voice is Calling"), written in 1599 by Philipp Nicolai and later immortalized by Johann Sebastian Bach in his famous cantata. In the finale, the chorale resounds in its full glory - performed simultaneously in two different time signatures, evoking the echo of a vast, sacred space.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£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
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£54.99
Studio-Pop - Kees Vlak
Studio-Pop consists of five movements. The first movement, entitled Marching on a String, is an energetic rock march in a modern rhythm. Next, the charming Dreaming of Summer has been composed in three-four time - which is quite unusual in modern pop music. The inspiration for the third movement, Chicken-Charley was a youngman selling chicken legs from a stall. His supple, dancing movements can be recognised in the music. The fourth movement, Candlelight is a modern, attractive ballad. Finally, Discoteca takes us along on a night visit to a Spanish discotheque. The typically Spanish chords and the stirring, high-spirited rhythm provide an exuberant closing to Studio-Pop.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£50.00Our Flirtations. - John Philip Sousa
The name John Philip Sousa is no stranger to any brass band aficionado. Our Flirtations has its origins in incidental music written by Sousa for a play of the same name. It was written around 1880, about the time hewas appointed Director of the U.S. Marine Band, a position he held until he formed his own civilian band in 1892. Sousa wrote over 130 marches, many of which have been transcribed for brass band.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£76.99
The Haunter of the Dark - Franco Cesarini
The Haunter of the Dark is based on a tale by the author Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) about a deserted church, where according to an old legend a monster had been lying low for years.A scientist who studies ancient religions visits this church. Besides some ancient writings he discovers a box, which contains a luminous stone. Every time the stone sheds its light, the scientist experiences all sorts of weird visions.The church in the tale actually exists, and can be found in Providence (USA). Franco Cesarini has visited it and sketches the mysterious and occult atmosphere in "The Haunter of the Dark".
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£154.99Spiriti - Thomas Doss
A Bach chorale stands at the centre of this work (Fur deinen Thron tret ich hiermit).Anton Bruckner was one of Johann Sebastian Bach's great admirers. His work is full of the spirit of that musical genius. For Thomas Doss, it was Bruckner's spirit that always seemed to be with him while working on Spiriti. Bruckner's spirit is captured in this composition by a quote from the chorale of his Fifth Symphony at the end of the piece.The introduction, written in the style of a funeral march, already displays the first fragments of the chorale. Like splinters they are strewn throughout the first Allegro, combining and recombining in turbulent, powerful tuttipassages. As the music becomes more rambunctious, the Bach-like fragments begin to swirl around each other, only to be scattered once more.The middle-section is of a more pensive nature. The Religioso character gives the audience time to reflect. The music is meditative and the quarter-note (or crotchet) elements mimic a soul that is yearning and crying out.The third part of the piece finally leads, by way of minimalist elements and the fragments mentioned earlier, to a magnificent presentation of the Bach chorale. As the church bells ring out, one can almost hear the great masters presiding at the organ.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£115.60Humlens flukt - Nikolai Rimaky-Korsakov - Ingebjørg Vilhelmsen
This arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov's famous piece "Flight of the Bumblebee" was originally written for tuba soloist (!) And concert band, commissioned by Lilleaker skoles musikkorps.The target group for this arrangement are bands who want to show off a virtuoso instrumental soloist, without having to spend a lot of time on the accompaniment parts. Unlike other arrangements of this piece, virtually all of the technical challenges lie in the soloist's part.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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