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£30.00Russian Rag - George L Cobb, Sandy Coffin
Interpolating the world famous"Prelude" by RachmaninoffCommissioned by John Wallace, this arrangement of Russian Rag 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 cheeky virtuosity and rubato!Look and Listen (courtesy of Tullis Russell Mills Band):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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£15.00Symphony in Two Movements (Study Score Only)
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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£70.00General Series Band Journal August 2017 Numbers 2170-2173
Praise to the Lord! (Andreas Holmund)A joyful and exuberant setting of the tune 'Lobe den Herren' which will be popular amongst many groups looking for an exciting programme item.Carol of the bells (Warren Brookes)The 'Carol of the bells' is an extremely popular and much used carol. This setting will bring a useful addition to the Christmas repertoire and is arranged by a Salvationist from Australia.Breathe on me (Paul Drury)This work is based on the 'Sing to the Lord' setting by Mark Porter which has proved popular amongst many vocal groups. It is hoped that this developed setting will enhance its popularity.March Cedarlights (Norman Bearcroft)Lt. Colonel Norman Bearcroft provides a march with all his hallmarks of energy and rhythmic and melodic interest. The march was written as a tribute to the International College for Officers and features the tunes 'Joy, joy, joy there is joy in The Salvation Army', 'They shall come from the East' and 'The World for God' reflecting the internationalism of the College.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95By Trevone Bay (Flugel Horn Solo)
By Trevone Bay was composed for Flugel Soloist Zoe Hancock and the Black Dyke Band to celebrate both their Double Champion Victory at the British Open and National Championships 2014 and Zoe's unique achievement in winning the Best Soloist Award in both contests - an accomplishment never done before. The world premier was performed by Zoe and the band at Birmingham's Symphony Hall on February 8th 2015.By Trevone Bay is a lovely lyrical slow melody that utilises the full range and colour of the flugel horn. Starting with an atmospheric opening the soloist performs the main theme, which repeats with more colour in the accompanying parts and solo line. After introducing a second theme from the ensemble, the solo cornets perform the main melody with the soloist enjoying a lyrical counter melody. The piece develops with a tranquil middle section from the soloist that builds for the second theme to return, performed by the ensemble while the soloist soars over the top. Ending as it starts, the piece dies away to leave the soloist performing the opening melodic phrase to a tranquil close.As for the title: Trevone Bay is a beautiful tiny bay in Cornwall, close to Zoe's home town of Roche. Its tranquil waters lead out to the Celtic Sea and provide a picturesque landscape. The views there can be enjoyed all year round but they are particularly beautiful at sunset.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£89.95Tuba Concerto (Score and Parts)
This work was commissioned by the Besses o' th' Barn Band with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain. It was written for, and is dedicated to, John Fletcher, who gave the first performance in Middleton Civic Hall, near Manchester, on 24 April, 1976, with Besses o' th' Barn Band conducted by the composer. Another interesting feature about the premire was that it was recorded by BBC Television for an Omnibus programme with Andr Previn as presenter. The concerto exists in three versions: with brass band (1976), orchestra (1978) and wind band (1984).The concerto is in three movements, following the usual, quick-slow-quick pattern: Allegro deciso,Lento e mesto, Allegro giocoso. The first movement has a sonata form shell with two contrasting themes, the first one being rhythmic in character, the second lyrical. There is a reference made in passing to the Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto, but this merges into the other material in the development section.The second movement begins with a chorale, but after the entry of the tuba it leads to a cantabile theme, softly unfolded by the soloist. The opening chorale passage returns, this time briefly on muted brass, and leads to a middle section which is more chromatic in style and soon builds to a powerful climax, where the opening cantabile theme triumphantly returns. The music subsides, returning to the opening chorale and ending peacefully.The finale is light and breezy in style, and is cast in rondo form. After a brief introduction the tuba announces the main rondo theme, which is dance-like and a little jaunty. There are two episodes: the first a broad sweeping tune, the second a slowish waltz and a little jazz-like. After a virtuoso cadenza reference is made to the very opening of the concerto before the work ends with a triumphal flourish.The Tuba Concerto has established itself as one of the main works in the solo tuba repertoire. It has been performed and broadcast in over 40 countries all over the world. There are currently six commercial recordings of the concerto in its various versions.resolution in C major, pointed by a simple but expansive melody towards which the piece has been heading, and ending in a blaze of joyful colour.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£77.00General Series Brass Band Journal, Numbers 2254 - 2257, April 2025
2254: Be glorified today (Martin Cordner)Built around Bob Kilpatrick's song In my life, Lord, be glorified today (S.A.S.B. 593), this concert opener was composed for Cambridge Citadel Band (UK and Ireland Territory) at the request of Bandmaster Simon Fisher. The piece pays homage to the city.2255: Driven by mission (Stephen Bulla)Stephen Bulla wrote this piece to commemorate Willis Howell and his wife's retirement from active officership. Bulla references St. Denio (S.A.S.B. 37), Melita (T.B. 442), For your mission and Men of Harlech (T.B. 756), and the assembling of the tunes and all they represent reflects the masterful artistry that always marks Bulla's works.2256: The Lord's my shepherd (Paul Sharman)This arrangement brings together two settings of Psalm 23; the familiar hymn tune Crimond (T.B. 68) and the more recent melody by Stuart Townend (T.B. 863).2257: Cornet Solo - I love you, Lord (Ian Robinson)Laurie Klein's chorus I love you, Lord (S.A.S.B. 369) has been popular for many years with Salvation Army congregations around the world and this work combines unconventional harmonies with sparse scoring to feature the soloist.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.99Titan's Progress (Brass Band - Score Only)
Commissioned by Austria's leading brass band, Brass Band Oberoesterreich, Titan's Progress is a series of descriptive, virtuoso episodes based on the principal character of the novel by Jean Paul. This was also the original subject of Mahler's Symphony No.1, from which Hermann Pallhuber derives much of his material. The work has proved an exceptionally popular test piece all over the world.Titan's Progress was the selected test piece for the British Open Brass Band Championship, held at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on Saturday 12th September 2009.Suitable for Championship BandsDuration: 17 minutes
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£70.00General Series Band Journal August 2016 Numbers 2158 - 2161
No. 2158 Prelude - My God and King! (Paul Sharman)Based on the hymn tune 'Luckington', this music is a paean of praise to the Lord of all creation.No. 2159 A Christmas overture (Kevin Larsson)An exciting collection of well-known Christmas carols, originally written as a concert opener.No. 2160 March - A voice from above (Eiliv Herikstad)This march refers to a number of Christmas carols. It starts with four bars of 'Hark! the herald angels sing' followed by fragments of 'Joy to the world!' before James R. Murray's 'Den himmelske lovsang' is presented in full. 'Come children, come quickly' requires legato playing from the lower band.No. 2161 In God we trust (Ralph Pearce)Although the title derives from the United States of America's much-neglected motto, the music is a journey through to total trust in God and our Lord Jesus Christ. The tunes featured are 'In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust' leading to 'Trust in God'. Increasingly calm music leads to the more recent song 'In Christ alone, I placed my trust'. The music ends with a brief reference to 'In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust' now in a mood of calm assurance.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£120.00
Titan's Progress (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Commissioned by Austria's leading brass band, Brass Band Oberoesterreich, Titan's Progress is a series of descriptive, virtuoso episodes based on the principal character of the novel by Jean Paul. This was also the original subject of Mahler's Symphony No.1, from which Hermann Pallhuber derives much of his material. The work has proved an exceptionally popular test piece all over the world.Titan's Progress was the selected test piece for the British Open Brass Band Championship, held at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on Saturday 12th September 2009.Suitable for Championship BandsDuration: 17 minutes
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95Judd: Rosehill
The Salvation Army Assurance Society Band was the first Salvation Army band to take part in the Lord Mayors Show, in 1928. The Society relocated from London to Reading at the beginning of World War Two and the title of this march is derived from the name of the Reading property. Rosehill is a fine march containing all the drama and pyrotechnics that make it suitable for a Whit Friday type march contest.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days