Results
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£31.95Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Score only) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
Selected as the Section 2 test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025Following his ballet Checkmate, Bliss composed another score for the, by then, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Miracle in the Gorbals, which was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, to a scenario by Michael Benthall. Premired in 1944, the ballet made a considerable impact and was a box-office success. It was followed in turn by a further collaboration with Helpmann and Benthall, Adam Zero. This would serve Helpmann, in the eponymous role, as a vehicle in two respects: demonstrating his gifts as a dancer-actor and as a choreographer. First performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 8 April 1946, Adam Zero was conducted by Constant Lambert, the work's dedicatee. Bliss considered it 'his most varied and exciting ballet score'. Benthall provided a synopsis for the programme:There is a philosophy that life moves in an endless series of timeless cycles. As Nature passes through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so man is born, makes a success in his own particular sphere, loses his position to a younger generation, sees his world crumble before his eyes and only finds peace in death. This age-old story is told in terms of a Company creating a ballet and calling on the resources of the theatre to do so. Lighting, stage mechanism, dance conventions, musical forms and costumes and scenery of all periods are used to symbolize the world of 'Adam Zero'.Apart from Adam, as the Principal Dancer, other main roles included the Stage Director (representing Omnipotence), and Adam's Fates (Designer, Wardrobe Mistress, and Dresser). 'The Woman in this allegory', wrote Bliss, 'under the symbol of the Choreographer, was both the creator and destroyer of Adam: his first love, his wife, his mistress, and finally the figure of beneficent Death.' When the curtain rose, the 'audience saw the Covent Garden stage right back to the wall, completely empty except for the protagonists, 'the Company poised, still and expectant, as they await the birth of... Adam Zero.'Unfortunately, soon after the premire, Helpmann injured himself and had to withdraw from the remaining performances. Despite generally positive reviews, the ballet did not capture the imagination of audiences and, to Bliss's considerable disappointment, was not revived. Seventy years would elapse before its first major return to the stage, in 2016, performed by the ballet company of Stadttheater Bremerhaven with choreography by Sergei Vanaev.Bliss extracted a concert suite from the ballet, conducting its first performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 28 October 1948. For his own suite, arranged for brass band in 2023, Dr Robert Childs chose three dances linked to the seasons, book-ending them with the ebullient 'Fanfare Overture' and 'Fanfare Coda'. After Adam has grown to manhood, his Fates clothe him in a costume synonymous with confident youth, appropriate for the virile, ardent 'Dance of Spring'. In the 'Approach of Autumn', Adam, now wearing a sombre costume, has grown older: his Fates have streaked grey in his hair and put lines on his face. But they had earlier raised Adam to the zenith of his power, and the 'Dance of Summer' depicts him in the prime of life, in music of sweeping grandeur. The 'Fanfare Coda' signals that the next cycle of life is about to begin.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£21.65
Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Study Score) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
Selected as the Section 2 test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025Following his ballet Checkmate, Bliss composed another score for the, by then, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Miracle in the Gorbals, which was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, to a scenario by Michael Benthall. Premired in 1944, the ballet made a considerable impact and was a box-office success. It was followed in turn by a further collaboration with Helpmann and Benthall, Adam Zero. This would serve Helpmann, in the eponymous role, as a vehicle in two respects: demonstrating his gifts as a dancer-actor and as a choreographer. First performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 8 April 1946, Adam Zero was conducted by Constant Lambert, the work's dedicatee. Bliss considered it 'his most varied and exciting ballet score'. Benthall provided a synopsis for the programme:There is a philosophy that life moves in an endless series of timeless cycles. As Nature passes through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so man is born, makes a success in his own particular sphere, loses his position to a younger generation, sees his world crumble before his eyes and only finds peace in death. This age-old story is told in terms of a Company creating a ballet and calling on the resources of the theatre to do so. Lighting, stage mechanism, dance conventions, musical forms and costumes and scenery of all periods are used to symbolize the world of 'Adam Zero'.Apart from Adam, as the Principal Dancer, other main roles included the Stage Director (representing Omnipotence), and Adam's Fates (Designer, Wardrobe Mistress, and Dresser). 'The Woman in this allegory', wrote Bliss, 'under the symbol of the Choreographer, was both the creator and destroyer of Adam: his first love, his wife, his mistress, and finally the figure of beneficent Death.' When the curtain rose, the 'audience saw the Covent Garden stage right back to the wall, completely empty except for the protagonists, 'the Company poised, still and expectant, as they await the birth of... Adam Zero.'Unfortunately, soon after the premire, Helpmann injured himself and had to withdraw from the remaining performances. Despite generally positive reviews, the ballet did not capture the imagination of audiences and, to Bliss's considerable disappointment, was not revived. Seventy years would elapse before its first major return to the stage, in 2016, performed by the ballet company of Stadttheater Bremerhaven with choreography by Sergei Vanaev.Bliss extracted a concert suite from the ballet, conducting its first performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 28 October 1948. For his own suite, arranged for brass band in 2023, Dr Robert Childs chose three dances linked to the seasons, book-ending them with the ebullient 'Fanfare Overture' and 'Fanfare Coda'. After Adam has grown to manhood, his Fates clothe him in a costume synonymous with confident youth, appropriate for the virile, ardent 'Dance of Spring'. In the 'Approach of Autumn', Adam, now wearing a sombre costume, has grown older: his Fates have streaked grey in his hair and put lines on his face. But they had earlier raised Adam to the zenith of his power, and the 'Dance of Summer' depicts him in the prime of life, in music of sweeping grandeur. The 'Fanfare Coda' signals that the next cycle of life is about to begin.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£74.95A Tale of Hope (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Ponsford, Steven
The piece tells the story of Chicago lawyer and Presbyterian church elder Horatio Gates Spafford. In 1873, the Spafford family planned a vacation to England, but last-minute business demands prevented Horatio from sailing with them. Tragedy struck when the ship collided with an iron sailing vessel while crossing the Atlantic, killing 226 people, including all four of Spafford's daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy, and upon arriving in Cardiff, Wales, she sent a telegram to Spafford that simply read "Saved alone." Shortly afterwards, as Spafford travelled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write the hymn It Is Well with My Soul as his ship passed near where his daughters had died. The hymn was subsequently set to music by fellow American Philip Bliss, with the tune named after the ship on which Spafford's daughters died, Ville du Havre.Composer Steven Ponsford has chosen to portray this story in a substantial composition for brass band. Much of the early music is turbulent, reflecting the long voyage, and then the disaster that claimed Spafford's daughters. After a darker 'Grave' section, the hymn It Is Well With My Soul softly emerges, with the piece ending on a note of optimism and hope.Duration: 11.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£31.95A Tale of Hope (Brass Band - Score only) - Ponsford, Steven
The piece tells the story of Chicago lawyer and Presbyterian church elder Horatio Gates Spafford. In 1873, the Spafford family planned a vacation to England, but last-minute business demands prevented Horatio from sailing with them. Tragedy struck when the ship collided with an iron sailing vessel while crossing the Atlantic, killing 226 people, including all four of Spafford's daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy, and upon arriving in Cardiff, Wales, she sent a telegram to Spafford that simply read "Saved alone." Shortly afterwards, as Spafford travelled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write the hymn It Is Well with My Soul as his ship passed near where his daughters had died. The hymn was subsequently set to music by fellow American Philip Bliss, with the tune named after the ship on which Spafford's daughters died, Ville du Havre.Composer Steven Ponsford has chosen to portray this story in a substantial composition for brass band. Much of the early music is turbulent, reflecting the long voyage, and then the disaster that claimed Spafford's daughters. After a darker 'Grave' section, the hymn It Is Well With My Soul softly emerges, with the piece ending on a note of optimism and hope.Duration: 11.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£74.95
Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
Selected as the Section 2 test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025Following his ballet Checkmate, Bliss composed another score for the, by then, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Miracle in the Gorbals, which was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, to a scenario by Michael Benthall. Premired in 1944, the ballet made a considerable impact and was a box-office success. It was followed in turn by a further collaboration with Helpmann and Benthall, Adam Zero. This would serve Helpmann, in the eponymous role, as a vehicle in two respects: demonstrating his gifts as a dancer-actor and as a choreographer. First performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 8 April 1946, Adam Zero was conducted by Constant Lambert, the work's dedicatee. Bliss considered it 'his most varied and exciting ballet score'. Benthall provided a synopsis for the programme:There is a philosophy that life moves in an endless series of timeless cycles. As Nature passes through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so man is born, makes a success in his own particular sphere, loses his position to a younger generation, sees his world crumble before his eyes and only finds peace in death. This age-old story is told in terms of a Company creating a ballet and calling on the resources of the theatre to do so. Lighting, stage mechanism, dance conventions, musical forms and costumes and scenery of all periods are used to symbolize the world of 'Adam Zero'.Apart from Adam, as the Principal Dancer, other main roles included the Stage Director (representing Omnipotence), and Adam's Fates (Designer, Wardrobe Mistress, and Dresser). 'The Woman in this allegory', wrote Bliss, 'under the symbol of the Choreographer, was both the creator and destroyer of Adam: his first love, his wife, his mistress, and finally the figure of beneficent Death.' When the curtain rose, the 'audience saw the Covent Garden stage right back to the wall, completely empty except for the protagonists, 'the Company poised, still and expectant, as they await the birth of... Adam Zero.'Unfortunately, soon after the premire, Helpmann injured himself and had to withdraw from the remaining performances. Despite generally positive reviews, the ballet did not capture the imagination of audiences and, to Bliss's considerable disappointment, was not revived. Seventy years would elapse before its first major return to the stage, in 2016, performed by the ballet company of Stadttheater Bremerhaven with choreography by Sergei Vanaev.Bliss extracted a concert suite from the ballet, conducting its first performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 28 October 1948. For his own suite, arranged for brass band in 2023, Dr Robert Childs chose three dances linked to the seasons, book-ending them with the ebullient 'Fanfare Overture' and 'Fanfare Coda'. After Adam has grown to manhood, his Fates clothe him in a costume synonymous with confident youth, appropriate for the virile, ardent 'Dance of Spring'. In the 'Approach of Autumn', Adam, now wearing a sombre costume, has grown older: his Fates have streaked grey in his hair and put lines on his face. But they had earlier raised Adam to the zenith of his power, and the 'Dance of Summer' depicts him in the prime of life, in music of sweeping grandeur. The 'Fanfare Coda' signals that the next cycle of life is about to begin.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£95.00King Lear (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bantock, Granville - Hindmarsh, Paul
Sir Granville Bantock (1868 - 1946) composed the second of his five major brass band work for Callender's Cableworks Band, completing the commission on 30 November 1932. Based in the Thames-side district of Belvedere near Erith, the band was active between 1898 and 1961. The works band of the Callender Cable & Construction Co. Ltd, it was at the peak of its popularity during the 1930s and was a frequent broadcaster on the radio. The band employed an in-house arranger and played saxophones in its lighter material. King Lear was one of the band's major commissions and was not published in Bantock's lifetime. The manuscript score and parts were thought to be lost for decades, but were found in the library of the Haydock Band (Lancashire), which had inherited part of Callender's library of manuscripts material and bespoke arrangements after it has been transferred to nearby Prescott Cables Band after Callender's Cable Works closed.King Lear is a substantial work, in essence a dramatic tone poem in the romantic Tchaikovskian manner, presenting a series of character portraits of the foolish old king and his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. The music is dramatic and lyrical by turns, with the most generous lyrical episode revealing perhaps the warm-hearted Cordelia. An expansive melody that flows from this is brought back towards the end as the main climax of the work.In 2001, Bantock's score was recorded by the University of Salford Brass Band, conducted by Dr. Roy Newsome. The original is serviceable, but in comparison with the orchestral version he made in 1936 (part of which was recorded on a Paxton 78 rpm) and later brass band scores, performing editions of which were prepared by others, it lacks colour and range typical of Bantock's orchestral work. Above all it lacks percussion, which can be heard on the recorded extract. With the kind permission of the Bantock Estate, I have prepared a performing edition for publication that incorporates percussion, derived from the orchestral recording and added editorially in similar manner elsewhere. I have revoiced some of the low- lying instrumental parts to present the material in more comfortable ranges. Editorial interventions more elaborate than revoicing the original text have been identified as cue notes.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 15.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£40.00
King Lear (Brass Band - Score only) - Bantock, Granville - Hindmarsh, Paul
Sir Granville Bantock (1868 - 1946) composed the second of his five major brass band work for Callender's Cableworks Band, completing the commission on 30 November 1932. Based in the Thames-side district of Belvedere near Erith, the band was active between 1898 and 1961. The works band of the Callender Cable & Construction Co. Ltd, it was at the peak of its popularity during the 1930s and was a frequent broadcaster on the radio. The band employed an in-house arranger and played saxophones in its lighter material. King Lear was one of the band's major commissions and was not published in Bantock's lifetime. The manuscript score and parts were thought to be lost for decades, but were found in the library of the Haydock Band (Lancashire), which had inherited part of Callender's library of manuscripts material and bespoke arrangements after it has been transferred to nearby Prescott Cables Band after Callender's Cable Works closed.King Lear is a substantial work, in essence a dramatic tone poem in the romantic Tchaikovskian manner, presenting a series of character portraits of the foolish old king and his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. The music is dramatic and lyrical by turns, with the most generous lyrical episode revealing perhaps the warm-hearted Cordelia. An expansive melody that flows from this is brought back towards the end as the main climax of the work.In 2001, Bantock's score was recorded by the University of Salford Brass Band, conducted by Dr. Roy Newsome. The original is serviceable, but in comparison with the orchestral version he made in 1936 (part of which was recorded on a Paxton 78 rpm) and later brass band scores, performing editions of which were prepared by others, it lacks colour and range typical of Bantock's orchestral work. Above all it lacks percussion, which can be heard on the recorded extract. With the kind permission of the Bantock Estate, I have prepared a performing edition for publication that incorporates percussion, derived from the orchestral recording and added editorially in similar manner elsewhere. I have revoiced some of the low- lying instrumental parts to present the material in more comfortable ranges. Editorial interventions more elaborate than revoicing the original text have been identified as cue notes.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 15.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£32.50Kingdom of Dragons (Brass Band - Score only) - Harper, Philip
The 'Kingdom of Dragons' is Gwent in South Wales, known in ancient times as the Kingdom of Gwent, and more recently home to the Newport Gwent Dragons Rugby Union team.This piece was commissioned by the Gwent Music Service with additional funding from Ty Cerdd - Music Centre Wales to celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2010 of the formation of the Gwent Youth Brass Band.Although the music is continuous, it is divided into four distinct sections, each one representing one of the unitary authorities which make up the County of Gwent.Monmouthshire, which has a large number of ancient castlesBlaenau Gwent, an historic area of iron and coal miningTorfaen, where Pontypool Park is a notable landmarkNewport, the largest city in the regionThe music begins with a two-bar fanfare, which sets out all the thematic material of the piece. The mood of pageantry that follows describes some of the ancient castles in Monmouthshire, with rolling tenor drums and fanfaring cornets. After a majestic climax the music subsides and quite literally descends into the coal mines of Blaenau Gwent. The percussion provides effects that suggest industrial machinery clanking into life, and the music accelerates to become a perilous white-knuckle ride on the underground railroad. There is a brief respite as a miner's work-song is introduced and, after a protracted build-up, this is restated at fortissimo before the music comes crashing to an inglorious close, much like the UK's mining industry itself. The middle sonorities of the band portray the tranquillity of Pontypool Park, a place of great natural beauty. Brief cadenzas for cornet and euphonium lead to a full band reprise of the pastoral mood. At the end of this section we find ourselves at the top of the park's 'Folly Tower' from which the distant castle turrets of Monmouthshire are visible. Pontypool RFC was one of eleven clubs in the first Welsh league in 1881 and a brief but bruising musical portrayal of the formidable Pontypool front-row, the 'Viet Gwent' leads into the work's final section. This portrays Newport, a symbol for progress and optimism for the future, ideals shared by the Gwent Youth Band itself. The music is a vigorous fugue which advances through various keys and episodes before the final triumphant augmented entry which brings the work to a magnificent conclusion.Duration: 12:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£74.99
Kingdom of Dragons (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Harper, Philip
The 'Kingdom of Dragons' is Gwent in South Wales, known in ancient times as the Kingdom of Gwent, and more recently home to the Newport Gwent Dragons Rugby Union team.This piece was commissioned by the Gwent Music Service with additional funding from Ty Cerdd - Music Centre Wales to celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2010 of the formation of the Gwent Youth Brass Band.Although the music is continuous, it is divided into four distinct sections, each one representing one of the unitary authorities which make up the County of Gwent.Monmouthshire, which has a large number of ancient castlesBlaenau Gwent, an historic area of iron and coal miningTorfaen, where Pontypool Park is a notable landmarkNewport, the largest city in the regionThe music begins with a two-bar fanfare, which sets out all the thematic material of the piece. The mood of pageantry that follows describes some of the ancient castles in Monmouthshire, with rolling tenor drums and fanfaring cornets. After a majestic climax the music subsides and quite literally descends into the coal mines of Blaenau Gwent. The percussion provides effects that suggest industrial machinery clanking into life, and the music accelerates to become a perilous white-knuckle ride on the underground railroad. There is a brief respite as a miner's work-song is introduced and, after a protracted build-up, this is restated at fortissimo before the music comes crashing to an inglorious close, much like the UK's mining industry itself. The middle sonorities of the band portray the tranquillity of Pontypool Park, a place of great natural beauty. Brief cadenzas for cornet and euphonium lead to a full band reprise of the pastoral mood. At the end of this section we find ourselves at the top of the park's 'Folly Tower' from which the distant castle turrets of Monmouthshire are visible. Pontypool RFC was one of eleven clubs in the first Welsh league in 1881 and a brief but bruising musical portrayal of the formidable Pontypool front-row, the 'Viet Gwent' leads into the work's final section. This portrays Newport, a symbol for progress and optimism for the future, ideals shared by the Gwent Youth Band itself. The music is a vigorous fugue which advances through various keys and episodes before the final triumphant augmented entry which brings the work to a magnificent conclusion.Duration: 12:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£124.95Diary of a Madman (Twenty-Fourth February) (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Clarke, Nigel
From the beginning of history, warlords, emperors and dictators have risen up, some benign but many of them a scourge on humanity. Names that resonate to this day include Julius Caesar, Caligula, Genghis Khan, Ivan IV (The Terrible), Attila the Hun, Vlad IV (The Impaler), Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, all of whom were responsible for wanton destruction and the torture and death of millions of victims, either citizens of invaded countries and territories and or indeed, their own peoples.Diary of a Madman starts with a light-hearted march that gives the impression of toy tin soldiers parading in a brightly-coloured ceremonial pageant from a fairy tale, conveying peace and innocence. This spectacle is abruptly interrupted by a 'shock and awe' fanfare-like march, symbolising aggression and war. This theme grinds slowly to a halt, and an atmosphere of introspection, sadness and despair takes over. Rising above the smoky theatre of war, we then hear a distant cornet give a rendition of the Ukrainian Nation Anthem (The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished. Luck will still smile on us brother-Ukrainians). The solo cornet soon enters a fragile duet with a second cornet accompanied by dark undertones. One by one, we hear short shards of aggressive fanfare-like figures from various instruments in the band. The mood breaks - we hear strident fortissimo whole-tone scales representing pealing church bells, warning of danger. In contrast, we also hear pianissimo whole-tone scales announcing that the enemy's troops are falling back. A counter-offensive soon takes centre stage, and battles and skirmishes are heard, with short quotations from Mussorgsky's `Great Gates of Kyiv' symbolising the defenders' heroic struggle.All sides are victims of the Dictator's ambition! The slow central section offer us moments of melancholic beauty and utilises Henry Purcell's `When I am laid in earth' (`Dido's Lament' from Dido and Aeneas 1688). This music represents the loss of homes, dignity and loved ones. There are occasional hints at better times as the theme of the parading toy tin soldiers is heard from afar, like a distant memory.To announce the final push, we hear a church bell strike and an air raid siren signalling a ferocious musical counter-attack. After one final rendition of the Purcell theme, Diary of a Madman closes with a mood of triumph over tyranny.- Nigel Clarke
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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