Results
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£25.95Hymn for Africa - Peter Meechan
Part of the Brass Band Aid SeriesBrass Band Aid is a Charitable Organisation formed by members of Stanhope Silver Band, based in the North of England. From an original aim to raise awareness of the Make Poverty History campaign in their local area, a brass band CD recording was planned. The initiative took on a whole new dimension when the collection of local bands performing on CD were then joined by, what is now known as, The Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band, made up of many of the top brass musicians in the country.Following the success of this initial project the Celebrity Band has come together again to record a new CD - "Into Africa". This is a compilation of pieces especially written for the recording by some of the most esteemed brass band writers of today. 'Hymn for Africa' is one such piece, generously contributed by Peter Meechan in support of the ongoing work of the charity."Hymn for Africa is inspired by the the release of Nelson Mandela in the early 1990's and the effect it had upon not only South Africa, but all over the continent of Africa, as well as the World as a whole. The fact that one man can achieve this with peace and great dignity will always be an inspiration, not only to me, but many, many millions of humans around the globe.sense of dignity and peace the composer . A simple 8 bar melody, first heard on an unaccompanied flugel horn at the beginning, is the basis of the composition. A drone is then added, before a chorale, and finally a rousing climax when the percussion and full band enter. The piece ends at it began, with a peaceful, unaccompanied, flugel solo." (Peter Meechan).All sets sold raise money for Brass Band Aid - a charity The Music Company has continued to actively support since 25.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00My Little Welsh Home - Traditional
A beautiful arrangement by Tim Paton of a Welsh song by W S Gwynne Williams. Created in memory of his mother, Tim has produced a wonderful version for brass band and has also included an optional vocal solo or unison choir line.Comments from the arranger:I have arranged [My Little Welsh Home] in memory of my mother. [She] was born, Doreen Davies, on 27th November 1918, in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, a small town in South West Wales. She had a beautiful voice, and met my father, Bill Paton, during World War II, whilst she was singing in a troop concert at the County Theatre in her home town, and my father was the MC.Throughout her life, my mother and father entertained, and she was singing right up until the final months of her life. She spent many years in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, a seaside town in South West England, and it was here that she passed away on 20th September 2004. During the last several months of her life, she often referred to the song My Little Welsh Home:Here are the words.I am dreaming of the mountains of my homeOf the mountains where in childhood I would roamI have dwelt 'neath southern skiesWhere the summer never diesBut my heart is in the mountains of my homeI can see the little homestead on the hillI can hear the magic music of the RhyllThere is nothing to compareWith the love that once was thereIn the lonely little homestead on the hillI can see the quiet churchyard down belowWhere the mountain breezes wander to and froAnd when God my soul will keepIt is there I want to sleepWith those dear old folks that loved me long agoLooking at the words, I can see why it meant so much to her. Haverfordwest is at the foot of the Preseli Mountains, and her home and church were at the top of a hill. My mothers' ashes were taken back to her own little Welsh home, and laid to rest in the grounds of the church where she had been Christened, Confirmed and Married.Look and Listen (Score-reading digital sound-sample):
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00The St Louis Blues - Sandy Coffin, W C Handy
Two-Step MarchCommissioned by John Wallace, this arrangement of The St Louis Blues has been crafted by Sandy Coffin through close listening of the available recordings of the Harlem Hellfighters Band. Sandy had been heavily involved with the Historic Brass Society symposium 2017 held in New York and assisted John with his research on this fascinating band and the style of music it generated.Eye-witness accounts refer to the 369th band 'dancing' rather than 'marching'. Above all, in modern performance, finding a 'dancing beat' is crucial to a successful performance of this Ragtime march in order to do justice to the great pioneering work of James Reese Europe.Note the flutter-tonguing and use of muting, the counter-melody in soprano cornet, and the wilder and yet wilder nature of each repetition of the Chorus.Look and Listen:Background to the Harlem HellfightersThe US Army 369th Regiment, made up largely of African-Americans from New York, became known as the Harlem Hellfighters because of the heroic reputation which accrued to them during the actions they engaged in during the First World War in Europe.James Reese Europe was one of the most active African-American composer/musical directors in the pre-war American music scene. The legendary Harlem Hellfighters Band, which he assembled in 1917 from African-American and Puerto Rican musicians, came at an important transitional point in musical history. A new form of music called jazz was emerging from Ragtime and the performing style of Europe's band was immersed in the flow of this new direction.Europe's Harlem Hellfighters influenced and inspired everyone who heard them, including the welcoming crowd when they disembarked in France, bowled over by their swinging rendition of La Marseillaise. Reese Europe became a war hero, commanding a machine-gun unit as well as the band.On return from War in 1919 the band led a ticker-tape parade along Fifth Avenue in New York and soon made about 30 shellac recordings. These recordings display some of the fingerprints of their performing style: ragging, improvising, muting, wailing, smearing (their word for glissando) - and from the evidence of their recordings they took the printed page as a blueprint for individuality.In May 1919 during the Hellfighters' triumphant coast-to-coast tour after their return, James Reese Europe was tragically murdered, bringing to premature close, at the age of 39, the work of a great musical innovator.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£37.35Great is Thy Faithfulness (Brass Band) Runyan arr. Dan Forrest trs. Wainwright
This marvelous setting by Dan Forrest of the classic hymn Great is thy Faithfulness has quickly become a popular item for choirs around the world. This setting for brass band by English composer Andrew Wainwright was commissioned by the Melbourne Staff Band to commemorate Bandmaster Ken Waterworth's final year as Bandmaster before his retirement. It begins with quiet assurance, a beautiful combination of strength and gentleness which continues to build to a dramatic final statement of truth. For bands looking to combine with a choir, this setting is in the same key and format as the original choral version. To view a rolling score video of Melbourne Staff Band performing the piece please visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPtXdxaEPHc Duration: Approx. 5.30 minutes Difficulty Level: 3rd Section + PDF download includes parts and score. Sheet music available from www.brassband.co.uk (UK) or https://satradecentral.org (USA) 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 Percussion 1-2
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£34.95Song of the Night Sky - Christopher Bond
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.
Estimated dispatch 10-14 working days
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£10.00Kopanitsa
DescriptionKopanitsa was commissioned by Gavin Pritchard, who is also the work's dedicatee and gave the first performance with the Tongwynlais Temperance Band conducted by Gareth Pritchard at the Butlins Mineworkers Championship on 20 January 2008, winning the prize for best soloist as a result. He has recorded it on the CD "Enter the Galaxies" accompanied by the Cory Band conducted by Robert Childs.Gavin had requested a virtuoso showpiece featuring as many instruments as possible. The solo part is therefore written for vibraphone (bowed and struck), 10 x tuned tom toms, 5 x suspended cymbals plus hi-hat and a xylophone. The soloist's 'choreography' therefore forms an integral part of the performance. This can be seen to great effect in Gavin's performance of the work at the 2013 Brass in Concert Championship with Tredegar Band, available on the DVD of the event from World of Brass. A 'kopanitsa' is a Bulgarian folk dance that traditionally features two slow beats and two quick beats, reflected in the central 10/8 section. The music is deliberately Balkan in character, using the characteristic modes of Greek and Bulgarian folk music, and accelerates regularly to finish at breakneck speed. The tom-tom section marked 'ad lib.' after [D] can be improvised if the soloist wishes.You can follow the score in the preview video below!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£40.00Last Night of the Proms Medley - Traditional
The quintessential most English of English classical music concerts and the self-styled world's largest and most democratic musical festival". The "Proms", originally known as The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts are an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London. Founded in 1895, each season now consists of more than 70 concerts in the Albert Hall, a series of chamber concerts at Cadogan Hall, additional Proms in the Park events across the United Kingdom on the last night, and associated educational and children's events. Often held as outdoor concerts in London's pleasure gardens, where the audience was free to stroll around while the orchestra was playing, this tradition has once again been revived in parks and stately homes not only in the UK, but across the world. The first series of promenade concerts were held indoors at the Queen's Hall in Langham Place. The idea was to encourage an audience for concert hall music who, though not normally attending classical concerts, would be attracted by the low-ticket prices and more informal atmosphere. In addition to "promenading" or "promming"; eating, drinking and smoking was all allowed. Many people's perception of the "Proms" is taken from the "Last Night", although this concert is very different from the others. The concert is traditionally of a lighter vein, with popular classics being followed by a series of British patriotic pieces in the second half of the concert. This second half sequence traditionally includes most of the works included in this medley. Many in the audience use the occasion for an exuberant display of Britishness. Union Jack Flags are carried and waved by the "Prommers", especially during "Rule, Britannia!". Balloons and party poppers are also in abundance.
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£45.00
In Gardens of Peace - Harper, P
Composed to commemorate the life Henry Nichols, killed in the Battle of the Somme in 1917, the music has a peaceful tranquillity, but also a deep sense of tragedy and loss. It ends positively, with the wish that hope can come from desperation. Recorded by Glyn Williams with Cory Band.2nd section +Duration 5 minsListen to Glyn Williams (Euphonium) with Cory BandCourtesy of World of Brass
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£49.99Journey To The Past - Christopher Bond
Step into an enchanting world of nostalgia with the compelling sounds of Journey To The Past, a wonderful little gem by Stephen Flaherty, magically arranged for brass band by Christopher Bond. This song, originally composed for the popular animated film Anastasia, tells a story of hope, discovery and finding one's true self. The warm brass band sounds add a new dimension, infusing each note with emotion and passion.
Estimated dispatch 10-14 working days
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£45.00Legacy Of Light - Christopher Bond
Legacy of Light was commissioned by the family of Howard Bland, Honorary Secretary of Wessex Band Summer School for many years. Rather than a work in a reflective style, the brief was to provide a work which celebrated his life - energy and music which would be fun to perform and listen to. The bubbling compound time signature combined with the cornet and tuned percussion ostinato to open provide immediate impact with the work's subsequent soaring melodies and joyous style a fitting tribute. The work received its world premiere by the joint forces of the brass and wind bands at the 2024 Wessex Band Summer School, conducted by Michael Fowles.
Estimated dispatch 10-14 working days
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