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  Amundsen - Jonathan Bates

  DURATION: 14'00". DIFFICULTY: 1st+. 'Amundsen' was commissioned by rskog Brass, Norway for their winning performance at the 2020 Norwegian National Championships held at the Grieghallen in Bergen. In December 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen gained global fame by becoming the first explorer to lead a team to the geographic South Pole. Amundsen and 4 other members of his team arrived 5 weeks ahead of a rival team from the UK led by Robert Falcon Scott, all of which perished on their attempted return from the pole. Initially when Amundsen's team set out in 1910, they were under the impression that they would be making the far shorter journey to the arctic drift to attempt to reach the North Pole, but Amundsen had received news that American explorers Peary and Cook had beaten them to this goal, and so Amundsen's focus changed southward. 'Fram, Forward' - 'Fram' (translating to English as "forward") was the name of the ship Amundsen used for this particular polar expedition. Amundsen had only informed 2 people of his real intentions of conquering the South Pole when the ship first left port in Kristiansand before heading south to the Portuguese island of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean. After weeks at sea - causing the uninformed members of the crew to raise a number of questions and produce a general feel of uncertainty and low spirits - it was here that Amundsen announced his true plans to the rest of his crew. They were asked whether they wished to continue with their expedition, to which all - some begrudgingly - agreed to sail on to the South Pole, through the great Ice Barrier before docking in the Bay of Whales on the Ross Ice Shelf. 'Ross Ice Shelf' - Upon Amundsen's arrival in the Bay of Whales, the team were greeted by the sight of the enormous ice plateau's and glaciers, towering into the Antarctic sky. In 1907, Ernest Shackleton had attempted - and failed - to reach the South Pole, but his route and mapping was by now well documented. Scott and the UK team were to follow this route, whereas Amundsen and his men forged their own way to the pole through unchartered territory and deadly terrain littered with deep crevasses and canyons. The music here though, is a picture of tranquility. The eerie silence of total emptiness with only the heavy snow falling around Amundsen as Fram and the Bay of Whales disappears into the distance, faced by the maginute of the expedition ahead. 'Advance to Polheim' - The first new challenge Amundsen discovered on this route was a rough, sharp and extremely steep glacier (which was later named the Axel heiberg Glacier after the Norwegian monarch who funded much of the expedition), which would take his team up from sea level to an altitude of over 9,000ft in just 20 miles, with most of this over just 7 miles. Once scaled, only the vast Antarctic Plateau stood between Amundsen and the pole. Here the race began, with only one aim - victory for himself, his team, and for the whole of Norway. .

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  The Falcon in the Snow for Brass Band - Paul Saggers

  The Falcon in the Snow is a musical depiction of British explorer Robert Falcon Scott's expedition to reach the South Pole, the work is divided into five sections, using quotes from Falcon Scott's own journal:Saturday November 26, 1910 - "We advertised our start at 3.P.M., and at three minutes to that hour the Terra Nova pushed off from the jetty".Robert Falcon Scott led the British Antarctic Expedition from 1910 to 1913, aiming to be the first to reach the South Pole. Leaving from Cardiff, Wales, in June 1910, the expedition arrived at the Ross Ice Shelf in January 1911. Scott's team established base camp at Cape Evans on Ross Island and began preparations for the push to the Pole.Thursday February 2, 1911 - "The Blizzard, Nature's protest-the crevasse, Nature's pitfall".The expedition faced numerous challenges, including harsh weather, difficult terrain, and the logistics of transporting supplies and equipment over long distances. Scott divided his men into different teams for the Pole attempt, with one led by himself and the other by Ernest Shackleton, who was eventually sent home due to illness.Tuesday January 16, 1912 - "The Norwegians have forestalled us and are first at the pole. It is a terrible disappointment, and I am very sorry for my loyal companions".Scott's team set out for the South Pole, enduring extreme conditions and struggling with low food supplies. They reached the Pole on January 17, 1912, only to discover that the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had beaten them to it by 34 days.Thursday January 18, 1912 - "We have turned our back now on the goal of our ambition and must face our 800 miles of solid dragging".Disheartened, the team began the long and arduous journey back to base camp. Tragically, Scott and his companions-Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates, and Edgar Evans-perished during their return journey. They were slowed by extreme weather and suffering from exhaustion and malnutrition.Thursday March 29, 1912 - "For God's sake look after our people".Their final camp, found in November 1912, became their tomb. Scott's journal, recovered with his body, provides a poignant record of their struggles.Despite the tragic outcome, Scott's expedition contributed significantly to the understanding of the Antarctic region. The scientific research and specimens collected during the journey provided valuable insights into the continent's natural history and biology. Additionally, the expedition stimulated public interest in polar exploration and science, leaving a legacy in the chronicles of exploration.

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