Results
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£29.95Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Score only)
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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£19.65
Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Study Score)
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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£32.99Rhapsody For Bb Baritone, Joseph Knight
This piece for solo baritone and brass band and lasts for just over six minutes. It is in four different sections with themes returning throughout. The four sections represent the four seasons of the marsh. The inspiration came from frequent walks over these now world famous marshes (recently the quickest ever traverse of a coocoo from Africa to Europe was recorded by a bird from Carlton). It starts with spring and then moves to, an at first, angry summer, then we have the gentleness of autumn which moves into the crispness of winter. The soloist would need to be of at least grade 7 standard and it requires, however briefly, for the soloist to attain a top D.
Estimated dispatch 5-9 working days
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£34.00Paseo de Otono - Hans Elzinga
Since 1990 Hans Elzinga performs and teaches South-American traditional music. In this piece 'Paseo de Otono' (Autumn walk) he tries to make us familiar with the colourful and rhythmical music of the Mexican bandas . A quite original and sparkling piece for symphonic band clearly testifying the composer's passion for this kind of music.Also available with virtual conductor video on YouTube to create a virtual orchestra!! Video to be viewed here:copy this link into your browser:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAIuJtAj8bA
Estimated dispatch 10-14 working days
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£36.00Edward Gregson: The World Rejoicing
DescriptionComposer's NoteIn searching for a common link between the brass band traditions of the various European countries that commissioned this work, I considered the fact that hymns have always played an important role in the relationship that brass bands have with their particular communities; and thus I turned to a well-known Lutheran chorale, Nun danket alle Gott (Now thank we all our God), written around 1636 by Martin Rinkart, with the melody attributed to Johann Cruger. A number of composers have incorporated this chorale into their music, most famously J.S.Bach in his Cantatas no. 79 and 192, and Mendelssohn in the Lobsegang movement of his 2nd Symphony (the harmonization of which is usually used when this hymn is sung).It seemed fitting therefore for me to return to a compositional form I have used many times before (Variations) and to write a work based on this hymn. I have used it in a similar way to that which I employed in my Variations on Laudate Dominum of 1976 - that is, rather than writing a set of variations using elaborations of the complete tune, I have taken various phrases from the chorale and used them within the context of other musical material, applying an overall symphonic process of continuous variation and development. The structure, or sub-divisions of the work, which is through composed and plays without a break, is as follows: Prelude, Capriccio, La Danza 1, Processional, La Danza 2, Arias and Duets, Fuga Burlesca, Chorale, and Postlude.The work is also partly autobiographical - in the manner say of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben - in that I have incorporated into the score brief quotations from many of my other major works for brass band. In that respect, The World Rejoicing sums up a particular facet of my life as a composer, and reflects the admiration I have always had for what is surely one of the great amateur music-making traditions in the world.The World Rejoicing is dedicated 'in loving memory of my brother', Bramwell Logan Gregson, who sadly passed away in the Autumn of 2018.Edward Gregson
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£60.00
Manchester Concertino - Peter Meechan
Manchester Concertino is a concertino in three movements for trumpet or cornet. It was written in late summer/early autumn in, as the title suggests, Manchester, UK.The first movement, Fanfare, was written for Belgian cornetist Harmen Vanhoorne, and explores the main musical idea behind the piece, a minor third. The loud fanfare gives way to a cadenza over a timpani roll, before a reprise of the opening fanfare.The second movement, Dream, was commissioned by Keith Johnson and is dedicated to Jess Tredrea. It is a slow, lilting, movement - almost as if the listener was hearing the piece through a summer haze.The final movement is simply titled Finale and is dedicated to Roger Webster. New material is fused with the fanfare from the opening movement leading to a climatic finish to the work.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£106.99Portrait of a City - Philip Sparke
In this exciting suite Philip Sparke sets out to capture the essence of his hometown, London, with each of the three movements depicting one of the many characteristics of this fascinating city. Skyline shows the frantic lifestyles of Londoners with millions of diverse people with different hopes and needs. Autumn shows the changes that take place in London during the different seasons and Downtown portrays the exciting nightlife of the West End.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£60.99Yellow Mountains - Jacob de Haan
In October 1997, Jacob de Haan visited the Swiss village of St. Moritz, where he worked as a conductor. The Mountains around St. Moritz were covered in marvelous autumn colors. The Colors, the quietness and nature itself inspired Jacob de Haan to compose this lyrical composition.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£29.95Argos (Brass Band - Score only) - Hodel, Stephan
Argos is a composition commissioned by the Lucerne Cantonal Brass Music Association LKBV. Composed in autumn 2009, Argos was the 3rd grade task piece at the Lucerne Cantonal Music Festival 2010 in Willisau. Argos (from the Greek meaning light) describes the light, festive character of the composition. Roughly speaking, the work consists of three parts, a fanfare-like opening, a song-like or chorale-like middle section and a happy final movement. Duration: 8.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£114.80
Argos (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Hodel, Stephan
Argos is a composition commissioned by the Lucerne Cantonal Brass Music Association LKBV. Composed in autumn 2009, Argos was the 3rd grade task piece at the Lucerne Cantonal Music Festival 2010 in Willisau. Argos (from the Greek meaning light) describes the light, festive character of the composition. Roughly speaking, the work consists of three parts, a fanfare-like opening, a song-like or chorale-like middle section and a happy final movement. Duration: 8.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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