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£25.00Ring'd with the Azure World
DescriptionRing'd with the Azure World was commissioned by the Harmonia Brass quintet for their final recital at the University of Huddersfield in 2016.He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls.- The Eagle by Alfred, Lord TennysonThe music was inspired by Tennyson's poem reproduced above; it seeks simply to reflect the spirit of the poem. It opens in sparse, lonely mood as the eagle surveys the world beneath. The work quickens in three bursts using metrical modulation to disguise the actual moment of acceleration, reflecting the lazy energy stored in the circling raptor before concluding dramatically in a fall 'like a thunderbolt'. Tennyson's poem, although brief, has inspired much analysis and writing, and is notable for being written in the (then somewhat unfashionable) iambic tetrameter, indicating a foursquare emphasis reflected in the main theme of the music. This is heard first in an octatonic version and later in a purely tonal (if somewhat modal) version. The instrumentation reflects that of Harmonia Brass, a quintet composed of brass band instruments (two B flat cornets, an E flat tenor horn, tenor trombone and E flat tuba). However the music is also available for the more conventional brass quintet of two trumpets, french horn, trombone and tuba.To listen to an audio export preview and follow the music, click play on the video below!Performance Notes1st cornet/trumpet requires a cup mute, ideally with an adjustable cup (the marking "tight" denotes that the cup should be adjusted closer to the bell), and a harmon mute with the tube removed (denoted by "TR" in the score). 2nd cornet/trumpet requires a fibre straight mute and a harmon mute with the tube removed. Tenor horn require a fibre straight mute and a practice mute (any sort) - in the orchestral brass version the french horn requires a stop mute. Trombone requires a cup mute (only). Tuba requires a fibre straight mute and a practice mute (of any sort).Metronome marks should be closely observed - starting either too fast or too slow will have a disproportionate effect on the tempi later in the piece due to the metrically controlled tempo changes.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£19.95Bandkraft 1
The first of three superb sets of new music and arrangements for brass ensemble, edited by John Golland.1. Bandkraft - John Golland: A substantial piece with an exciting syncopated rhythm introduced in the opening bars and referred to throughout in a fanfare-like manner, to which a hint of dissonance adds extra thrill to the sound.2. Saraband - Gordon Jacob: A stately Elizabethan dance of great beauty, utilising modal harmony in Jacob's characteristic style. Constant speed, full note values and careful playing will achieve a beautiful, delicate effect.3. La Donna E Mobile - Verdi, arr. Roy Newsome: An amusing arrangement of this popular favourite by a conductor and adjudicator of international acclaim. Easy and enjoyable to play and to listen to.4. Spike's Rag - Michael Ball: A skilfully written piece in the true tradition of Scott Joplin, with the ragtime rhythm the backdrop to an unfolding conversation between the sections of the band. Really persuasive entertainment.5. National Anthem - arr. John Golland: A simple first verse setting the scene for the colourful and majestic second, utilising chromatic harmonies and an optional tenor counter melody for added splendour.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£89.99Broken Sword - Kevin Houben
The Broken Sword is one of the five ceremonial swords kept in the Tower of London and is used during the coronation of a new king or queen. Legend has it that an angel broke off the tip of the sword in an effort to prevent an unjust killing. Composer Kevin Houben lets his music retell this intriguing legend. Broken Sword resembles a film score in many ways and will paint vivid images as the band plays its way through the legend. Many different moods create a contrast-rich work that makes for an exciting listening and playing experience every time!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Sanctuary - Philip Sparke
Sanctuary was commissioned by Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass from New Zealand and was performed as an own choice piece at the 2018 New Zealand National Brass Band Championships. It opens with an expressive cornet solo, hymn-like in mood. A slightly faster central section builds to a change of key and an expansive return of the opening melody, this time scored for full band. After an emotional climax the mood subsides, leading to a quiet close.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Bofors To The Fore Joseph Knight
This piece was a commission to commemorate the memory of Gunner A. E. Collins who during the second world war was engaged in an action where during an advance through Belgium heavy resistance was met and he and an officer had to cover a retreat using Bofors guns. In the final report the title of this piece was actually used by the commanding officer.The piece its self is in three movements and follows the flow of the battle. The first movement called "Advance" is cautious and has the hint of battle. It starts quietly and then builds up slowly and finishes unresolved. Movement two "Engagement" starts suddenly in 7/8 and uses cyclical rhythms and clustered chords to show the horror and chaos of battle and also the firing the Bofors guns. The third movement "Safe Return" brings all of the themes from the first two movements and finishes with "The End Of The Day". The commission stated that bugle calls and "The End Of The Day" should be included.The piece is suitable for a concert work or indeed the contest stage.J Knight 2022.
Estimated dispatch 5-9 working days
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£15.00Symphony in Two Movements (Brass Band - Study Score) - Gregson, Edward
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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£57.50Erin's Isle (Euphonium Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
Erin's Isle was commissioned by euphonium player Micah Parsons and premiered by him in June 2024. The idea was to write a slow melody with an Irish flavour and the title is a romantic, 19th century name often used to refer to the island of Ireland itself. The work opens with fluttering, muted cornets, under which a tentative theme appears. This leads to an accompanied cadenza for the soloist, out of which the main theme emerges. This is a long and expansive melody, which winds through several related phrases with a folk-like flavour. A change of key heralds snatches of the theme by the band with interjections from the soloist, leading to a second cadenza. Eventually the band takes up the main theme again, over which the euphonium weaves an elaborate counter melody. The fluttering cornets return to allow the soloist to close the work with a brief and flowery coda.Duration: 7.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£26.95Golden Lullaby (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
This is a song-setting giving an opportunity for some lyrical expression. It started life as a song on the subject of gold but ended up by standing alone as an instrumental piece. The gentle lilt of the 5/4 melody suggests a lullaby although the texture of the piece builds in an un-lullaby-like fashion towards the end. There is a little white-note dissonance but it is basically traditional in its language.Duration: 3.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£159.99Other Lives (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Waespi, Oliver
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.Duration: 18.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95The Adventurers (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Cordner, Martin
The Adventurers was commissioned by Hempstead Citadel Band (USA) for its anniversary celebrations in 2013. With a respectful nod to film music composers such as Broughton and Williams The Adventurers portrays, in an action movie style, the joys and challenges of the Christian journey. In three movements, it features familiar songs; He leadeth me! O bless?d thought; By his hand (an acknowledgement to composer and songwriter Thomas Mack who is a long-serving member of Hempstead Citadel Band); and Lead me, lest I stray. The message of the music is clear: that in order for life to be lived as an adventure, it is best walked with and ed by Jesus Christ, the ultimate adventure-maker.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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