Results
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£110.00Diversions after Benjamin Britten (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Suite by Lucy Pankhurst, Simon Dobson, Paul McGhee and Gavin HigginsHaving devised a collective centenary tribute for Michael Tippett at the 2006 RNCM Festival of Brass (Variations on a Theme of Michael Tippett by five eminent composers of brass band music, PHM002), I commissioned this companion piece as a Benjamin Britten tribute for the 2013 festival. In the late 1970s, while researching a book about the English composer, and Britten's first teacher, Frank Bridge (1879 - 1941), I came across a copy of the printed score of Benjamin Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (Op.10) for string orchestra, in which Britten had written descriptive titles for each of the variations suggesting appropriate character traits of his much loved mentor and guide. The character variations are cast in march, song and dance forms.Taking inspiration from Britten's youthful tribute, I invited four award-winning composers, who have all made significant contributions to the brass band medium, to create their own personal reflections on four aspects of Britten's character and music, designed to form a suite of Diversions after Benjamin Britten, but which can also be played separately.Lucy Pankhurst's hauntingly lyrical Prelude: His Depth refers to the emotional and symbolic subtexts that underpin Britten's operas, taking its musical cue from Britten's many arrangements of folk songs. The flugel horn takes a prominent role throughout.Simon Dobson's breathless Scherzo: His Vitality reminds us with its rapid passage work and leaping bass 'groove' that Britten loved tennis and fast cars in his younger days.Paul McGhee's evocative interpretation of the March: His Sympathy represents Benjamin Britten's pacifism, as the composer writes: 'We view the music through the eyes of a pacifist. Whilst war and violence surround us, we do not engage in it and though it continues to happen around us. With the use of muted effects in most of the band throughout the piece, the flugel horn is the lone voice of reason, standing firm against the mechanical and destructive society in which it is forced to live. As the machine of war continues around the lone voice, the voice is gradually dismissed and mocked as the war machine rumbles on into the distance.'In an extended finale, entitled Toccata: His Skill, Gavin Higgins celebrates Benjamin Britten's consummate creativity. For the RNCM Festival of Brass premiere, the four contrasting movements were framed and connected by Britten's Fanfare for St. Edmundsbury for three trumpets, with the trumpet soloists spaced round the hall. I am grateful to the Britten Estate and publishers Boosey & Hawkes for giving permission for the elements of Britten's fanfare to be incorporated in the collective work.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 19.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£45.00
Diversions after Benjamin Britten (Brass Band - Score only)
Suite by Lucy Pankhurst, Simon Dobson, Paul McGhee and Gavin HigginsHaving devised a collective centenary tribute for Michael Tippett at the 2006 RNCM Festival of Brass (Variations on a Theme of Michael Tippett by five eminent composers of brass band music, PHM002), I commissioned this companion piece as a Benjamin Britten tribute for the 2013 festival. In the late 1970s, while researching a book about the English composer, and Britten's first teacher, Frank Bridge (1879 - 1941), I came across a copy of the printed score of Benjamin Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (Op.10) for string orchestra, in which Britten had written descriptive titles for each of the variations suggesting appropriate character traits of his much loved mentor and guide. The character variations are cast in march, song and dance forms.Taking inspiration from Britten's youthful tribute, I invited four award-winning composers, who have all made significant contributions to the brass band medium, to create their own personal reflections on four aspects of Britten's character and music, designed to form a suite of Diversions after Benjamin Britten, but which can also be played separately.Lucy Pankhurst's hauntingly lyrical Prelude: His Depth refers to the emotional and symbolic subtexts that underpin Britten's operas, taking its musical cue from Britten's many arrangements of folk songs. The flugel horn takes a prominent role throughout.Simon Dobson's breathless Scherzo: His Vitality reminds us with its rapid passage work and leaping bass 'groove' that Britten loved tennis and fast cars in his younger days.Paul McGhee's evocative interpretation of the March: His Sympathy represents Benjamin Britten's pacifism, as the composer writes: 'We view the music through the eyes of a pacifist. Whilst war and violence surround us, we do not engage in it and though it continues to happen around us. With the use of muted effects in most of the band throughout the piece, the flugel horn is the lone voice of reason, standing firm against the mechanical and destructive society in which it is forced to live. As the machine of war continues around the lone voice, the voice is gradually dismissed and mocked as the war machine rumbles on into the distance.'In an extended finale, entitled Toccata: His Skill, Gavin Higgins celebrates Benjamin Britten's consummate creativity. For the RNCM Festival of Brass premiere, the four contrasting movements were framed and connected by Britten's Fanfare for St. Edmundsbury for three trumpets, with the trumpet soloists spaced round the hall. I am grateful to the Britten Estate and publishers Boosey & Hawkes for giving permission for the elements of Britten's fanfare to be incorporated in the collective work.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 19.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£74.99Willow Pattern (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Harper, Philip
Composed in 2009 for Nicholas Childs and the Black Dyke BandThis piece tells the Willow Pattern legend through music. Several leitmotifs are used both for the different characters and also for some of the important emotions in the tale. Additionally, Knoon-se's part is mainly played by the flugel horn, Chang by the euphonium, the Mandarin by the Eb Bass and the Duke Ta-jin by the trombone.The Willow Pattern Legend:Once, in ancient China, there lived a wealthy and powerful Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter, Knoon-se. She had fallen in love with Chang, a humble accountant, which angered her father who imprisoned her in the Pavilion by the river with only the exotic birds for company. She learnt that the Mandarin planned to marry her to the pompous Duke Ta-jin and that the wedding would take place on the day the blossom fell from the willow tree, so she sent Chang a message: "Gather thy blossom, ere it be stolen". The Duke arrived by sea amid great fanfare when the tree was heavy with bud, and nights of magnificent banquets followed. After one such occasion when the Mandarin slept, Chang crept over the crooked fence and tiptoed into the Pavilion to rescue Knoon-se, but as they escaped the alarm was raised. They fled over the bridge with the Mandarin close on their heels brandishing his whip. They managed to escape by boat to a secluded island where they lived happily for a time. Meanwhile, the Mandarin learned of their refuge and, intent on revenge, he ordered his soldiers to kill them. As Knoon-se and Chang slept at night, the men set fire to the pagoda in which they lived and the lovers perished in the flames. However, the Gods, moved by the lovers' plight, transformed their souls into two turtle-doves which rose from the charred remains, soaring above the Earth, symbolising eternal happiness.Willow Pattern is dedicated to the memory of Jean Harper who passed away as I was completing the piece and who was a great collector of porcelain and china-ware.Duration: 12:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£114.99Keystone (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Deleruyelle, Thierry
Keystone tells the story of the Odeon of Vriezenveen, a town in the Netherlands. Historically speaking, "odeon" (or "odeum") was the name for ancient Greek and Roman buildings used for activities such as singing, music and poetry. This was the name chosen in 1998 by several members of the 'Vriezenveense Harmonie' for the cultural centre they decided to have built. The piece starts slowly with the bass instruments, then speeds up in a counterpoint passage where the main motif moves from one set of instruments to another. After a slower section, the music speeds up again to reach a majestic chorale symbolising the splendid Odeon.This composition has been orchestrated for brass band to serve as the test piece in the first division of the French National Brass Band Championship of 2023.Duration: 15.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£24.95Lloyd (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Howard, Cuthbert - Coles, Bramwell
The first presentation of the theme can be used for the purpose of accompanying congregational singing. At Section A the second presentation of the tune appears in the key of the dominant, the melody being given throughout to Solo Horn, with First Horn, First Trombone, Soprano and Flugel reinforcing the melody in the various phrases. Incidentally, see that the players do not break these phrases; it should be possible to take the four bars in one breath quite easily. Take due care of the light and shade which should be delicately applied. In the last bar the music gathers strength as we pass back into the original key for the last verse; pay particular attention to the part allotted to Second Baritone and Euphonium which needs to be slightly stressed. For the last appearance of the tune at Section B the full Band is used, apart from the third phrase which is given solo by Solo Comet with a light accompaniment above a bass pedal. Notice the rit. operating from the end of the eleventh bar and also the short swell effect on the fourth beat of the fourteenth bar.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£12.50
Lloyd (Brass Band - Score only) - Howard, Cuthbert - Coles, Bramwell
The first presentation of the theme can be used for the purpose of accompanying congregational singing. At Section A the second presentation of the tune appears in the key of the dominant, the melody being given throughout to Solo Horn, with First Horn, First Trombone, Soprano and Flugel reinforcing the melody in the various phrases. Incidentally, see that the players do not break these phrases; it should be possible to take the four bars in one breath quite easily. Take due care of the light and shade which should be delicately applied. In the last bar the music gathers strength as we pass back into the original key for the last verse; pay particular attention to the part allotted to Second Baritone and Euphonium which needs to be slightly stressed. For the last appearance of the tune at Section B the full Band is used, apart from the third phrase which is given solo by Solo Comet with a light accompaniment above a bass pedal. Notice the rit. operating from the end of the eleventh bar and also the short swell effect on the fourth beat of the fourteenth bar.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£94.95Rhapsody on a Theme by Purcell (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Norbury, Kevin
Contest VersionIn his relatively short lifetime, Henry Purcell (1659 -1695) achieved stellar musical success and was known and admired internationally by his contemporaries. He is justifiably considered one of England's greatest composers.I thought long and hard before using this magnificent theme as the basis for a band piece because I think that Benjamin Britten has said just about everything possible regarding it in his The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Bearing this in mind, I tentatively set about working on this composition. Once started though, the job became fun because the theme still yielded possibilities - even after Britten!The piece is basically a set of linked variations, much like Rachmaninov's great Rhapsody on theme by Paginini. The music starts slowly and makes much use of crisply dotted rhythms - a Purcellian characteristic. The theme is heard twice before the music changes into a jaunty duple time variation based on the opening motif of Purcell's theme. After this, the mood changes to a waltz-like variation in which clear references to the original theme can be heard. The slow movement follows, and is based on rising and descending scalic figures. This variation is an 'A-B-A' movement with two similar passages framing a more vigorous middle section which features antiphonal fanfare-like figures. Without any preamble, the last variation launches itself - a rumbustious dance which has a distinctive feel to it.The theme eventually reappears as a counter-melody to this dance music before a final triumphant treatment of the melody featuring a somewhat athletic bass line. The music accelerates at the Coda and disappears in a 'puff of smoke'.- Kevin Norbury
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£39.95Rhapsody on a Theme by Purcell (Brass Band - Score only) - Norbury, Kevin
Contest VersionIn his relatively short lifetime, Henry Purcell (1659 -1695) achieved stellar musical success and was known and admired internationally by his contemporaries. He is justifiably considered one of England's greatest composers.I thought long and hard before using this magnificent theme as the basis for a band piece because I think that Benjamin Britten has said just about everything possible regarding it in his The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Bearing this in mind, I tentatively set about working on this composition. Once started though, the job became fun because the theme still yielded possibilities - even after Britten!The piece is basically a set of linked variations, much like Rachmaninov's great Rhapsody on theme by Paginini. The music starts slowly and makes much use of crisply dotted rhythms - a Purcellian characteristic. The theme is heard twice before the music changes into a jaunty duple time variation based on the opening motif of Purcell's theme. After this, the mood changes to a waltz-like variation in which clear references to the original theme can be heard. The slow movement follows, and is based on rising and descending scalic figures. This variation is an 'A-B-A' movement with two similar passages framing a more vigorous middle section which features antiphonal fanfare-like figures. Without any preamble, the last variation launches itself - a rumbustious dance which has a distinctive feel to it.The theme eventually reappears as a counter-melody to this dance music before a final triumphant treatment of the melody featuring a somewhat athletic bass line. The music accelerates at the Coda and disappears in a 'puff of smoke'.- Kevin Norbury
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95
Steadily Onward (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Leidzen, Erik
Steadily Onward stands as the last in a series of festival marches which began with Pressing Onward in the 1920s and continued with the less well-known Fling Wide the Gates in the 1930s. The third strain, the bass solo, features Leidzen's own song 'Onward' while the trio contains one of his most infectious, lilting melodies.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£17.50
Steadily Onward (Brass Band - Score only) - Leidzen, Erik
Steadily Onward stands as the last in a series of festival marches which began with Pressing Onward in the 1920s and continued with the less well-known Fling Wide the Gates in the 1930s. The third strain, the bass solo, features Leidzen's own song 'Onward' while the trio contains one of his most infectious, lilting melodies.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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