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£29.50Eden (Score Only)
This work was commissioned by the Brass Band Heritage Trust as the test piece for the final of the 2005 Besson National Brass Band Championship, held at the Royal Albert Hall, London.The score is prefaced by the final lines from Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost (completed in 1663), in which Adam and Eve, expelled from Paradise, make their uncertain way into the outside world:"...The world was all before them, where to chooseTheir place of rest, and providence their guide:They hand in hand with wandering steps and slow,Through Eden took their solitary way."My work is in three linked sections. In the first, the characters of Adam, Eve and the serpent guarding the Tree of Knowledge are respectively represented by solo euphonium, cornet and trombone. The music opens in an idyllic and tranquil mood and leads into a duet between euphonium and cornet. Throughout this passage the prevailing mood darkens, though the soloists seem to remain oblivious to the increasingly fraught atmosphere. A whip-crack announces the malevolent appearance of the solo trombone who proceeds to engage the solo cornet in a sinister dialogue.The second section interprets the Eden story as a modern metaphor for the havoc mankind has inflicted upon the world, exploiting and abusing its resources in the pursuit of wealth. Though certainly intended here as a comment on the present-day, it is by no means a new idea: Milton himself had an almost prescient awareness of it in Book I of his poem, where men, led on by Mammon:"...Ransacked the centre and with impious handsRifled the bowels of their mother earthFor treasures better hid. Soon had his crewOpened into the hill a spacious woundAnd digged out ribs of gold."So this section is fast and violent, at times almost manic in its destructive energy. At length a furious climax subsides and a tolling bell ushers in the third and final section.This final part is slow, beginning with an intense lament featuring solos for tenor-horn, flgel-horn and repiano cornet and joined later by solo baritone, soprano cornet, Eb-bass and Bb-bass.At one stage in the planning of the work it seemed likely that the music would end here - in despair. Then, mid-way through writing it, I visited the extraordinary Eden Project in Cornwall. Here, in a disused quarry - a huge man-made wound in the earth - immense biomes, containing an abundance of plant species from every region of the globe, together with an inspirational education programme, perhaps offer a small ray of hope for the future. This is the image behind the work's conclusion and the optimism it aims to express is real enough, though it is hard-won and challenged to the last.John Pickard 2005
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£70.00
Macbeth - Peter Meechan
Commissioned by the Scottish Brass Band Association for the 2007 Scottish Open Championship, Macbeth takes itsa inspiration from the Shakespeare play of the same name. Character portraits (Of the three witches as well as Macbeth himself), abstractions (The lament), and scenes (Macbethas final battle with Macduff) make up the nine sections of the piece.i: WitchesThe prophecies of the three witches are an integral part of the play, and in this opening section, these mysterious characters are represented by three different sections of music that introduces the listener to the musical material of the piece.ii: DaggerMacbethas aIs this a dagger I see before theea speech, where an imaginary dagger leads him to contemplate the pending murder, builds in intensity before the bell tolls at itsa conclusion - a sign from Lady Macbeth that Duncan is now alone.iii: General MacbethA character portrait of Macbeth - a fearless General who has led his armies to defeat foes from all over Europe. His ambition and flair that make him such a great General are also the characteristics that lead to his eventual downfall.iv: Contemplations of Lady MacbethAlone and mad, Lady Macbeth ponders all that has gone, before taking her own life.v: LamentAlthough the play tells of Macbeth not feeling the pain of his wifeas death, this lament ponders not only her death, but the tale as a whole.vi: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrowIt is in this final soliloquy that we see the ultimate tragedy of Macbeth - the realisation that his life is ultimately worthless.vii: A spell still castThis acts as an prologue to section eight, restating the original awitchesa music, before heading into Macbethas final battle.viii: Final BattleMacbethas final battle, where he locks swords with Macduff.ix: Not of woman bornMacbethas realisation that the witches have misled him comes all too late, as Macduff beheads Macbeth, fulfilling the last prophecy.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£35.00Ascension - Lucy Pankhurst
A major work written for the RNCM Brass Festival Competition 2005, and inspired by the nature of Ascension - creating a Musical depiction of the spiritual journey towards enlightenment, sanctuary and ultimate inner peace.As aninitial muse for this work, the 'Tibetan Singing Bowl' is utilised with the Brass Band in order to represent this path to Serenity, together withBaoding Balls(Chinese Health Balls) to mark the point of Final Ascension.Programme notes from the composer, Lucy Pankhurst:Ascension is a Musical depiction of the Spiritual Journey towards enlightenment, sanctuary and ultimate inner peace.As my initial muse for this work, the Singing Bowl is utilised with the Brass Band in order to represent this path to Serenity. "Tibetan" Singing Bowls date back to the 8th Century A.D., originating in the pre-Buddhist shamanic Bon Po culture in the Himalayas and are still used in modern Monasteries. The original purpose of them still remains a mystery, with accounts stating that it is forbidden to disclose the true function of the Bowls, as the "secrets of sound" yield so much Power, that they must be kept hidden.Listening to the tones created by the Singing Bowl effectively silences the internal dialogue of the listener, making it an excellent tool for Meditation, Centering and entering trance-like states. In Buddhism, as with many cultures, sound is an important part of Spiritual Practice. There are 9 methods to reach Enlightenment in the Buddhist Doctrine ; the seventh is SOUND.These Bowls are used by Healers in a similar way to help balance the body's residual energies. The Bowls are usually made from seven different sacred metals, intended to correlate directly to the seven sacred "Planets" : GOLD (Sun), SILVER (Moon), MERCURY (Mercury), COPPER (Venus), IRON (Mars), TIN (Jupiter), ANTIMONY (Saturn). Any one Bowl can create up to seven different frequencies (tones) simultaneously. In Healing, the Singing Bowl is played whilst balanced on the palm of the hand, struck three times to stabilise the surrounding energies, before rotating the wooden "beater" around the outer circumference of the Bowl to create the "singing" effect.I have included an optional Vibraphone part (to be played with a Double Bass Bow) with Tubular Bells, to be used only in performances where a Singing Bowl cannot be acquired. However, a traditional Bowl should be used whenever possible, to create this specific and unique sound.Baoding Balls or Chinese Health Balls are also utilised in this work. Their appearance in the Music here, however, is to mark the point of Final Ascension, where the music reaches its ultimate goal. These delicate cloisonne iron Balls are said to stimulate the acupressure points on the hand, thus improving the Chi and Energy Paths (Life Force) throughout the entire body. The delicate "tinkle" produced by these spheres is hypnotic and captivating. For this reason, where no Baoding Balls are obtainable for performance, only delicate metallic percussion should be used in replacement (i.e. Crotales, Antique Cymbals or (liberal) single strikes on a Triangle etc.). Bell Trees, Wind Chimes and Cow Bells should not be used.As in many cultures, the number three is important in Ascension, as it represents not only the purification from the Singing Bowl, but also it is a number of confirmation, reiterated throughout the music in the metallic percussion in addition to the Brass, re-affirming the correct path to Enlightenment.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£35.00Humming Chorus (from Madam Butterfly) (Flugel Quartet with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Puccini, Giacomo - Littlemore, Phillip
In Puccini's opera, Madam Butterfly, the Coro a bocca chiusa (Humming Chorus) is performed by an off-stage chorus which hums a wordless, melancholy tune, whilst Butterfly, her maid Suzuki, and her child begin the long wait for husband Pinkerton to return after many years away. As night falls, Suzuki and the child are soon asleep, but Butterfly keeps her vigil. This arrangement features four flugel horns, each of which plays into the bell of a bass whilst the bass player moves the valves - creating a unique humming sound. Puccini actually wrote five versions of the opera,?Madam Butterfly. After a disastrous premiere in early 1904, Puccini withdrew the opera and substantially rewrote it creating a very successful second version. However, he continued to tinker with the orchestration, not being satisfied until the fifth, and now standard, version dating from 1907.?Duration: 2:40
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.10Extinction:2100! (Brass Band) Joe Galuszka
Extinction:2100!, by Joe Galuszka, takes us on a journey to the present day and shows us the devastating impacts of climate change. With the world reaching crisis, we open with a reminder that the world has suffered in recent years from some of the most raging destruction of our plants and animal life, from wildfires. With the time left becoming smaller and smaller with each day passing, the piece reminds us next of the 'Tolling Bell of Extinction' before the conclusion takes us to a place all too familiar - the present - where with action and with a 'Call for Change', we can hopefully make a difference to our future, our children's future, and save our planet from devastation, from decimation, from extinction! To listen to an audio demo of the work please visit https://on.soundcloud.com/SjxKbnM1Q55hVXck7 Duration: approx. 4.30 mins Difficulty Level: 1st Section + PDF download includes parts and score. Sheet music available from www.brassband.co.uk (UK) or www.cimarronmusic.com (USA) Instrumentation: Soprano Cornet Eb Solo Cornet Bb Repiano Cornet Bb 2nd Cornet Bb 3rd Cornet Bb Flugel Horn Bb Solo Horn Eb 1st Horn Eb 2nd Horn Eb 1st Baritone Bb 2nd Baritone Bb 1st Trombone Bb 2nd Trombone Bb Bass Trombone Euphonium Bb Bass Eb Bass Bb Timpani Percussion 1-3
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£30.31Carol of the Bells - Brass Band (Traditional arr. Andrew Wainwright)
A colourful arrangement of the carol otherwise known as 'Ukranian Bell Carol'. "Andrew's treatment of 'Carol of the Bells', transforms a rather repetitive and uninspired ditty into a miniature, multi-layered jewell for brass band." Paul Hindmarsh, British Bandsman magazine For a follow-the-score video featuring Virtuosi GUS Band performing the work, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g753_aOqAqE Includes score and full set of parts. Sheet music available exclusively from World of Brass - www.worldofbrass.com Difficulty Level: 2nd Section + Instrumentation: Soprano Cornet Eb Solo Cornet Bb Repiano Cornet Bb 2nd Cornet Bb 3rd Cornet Bb Flugel Horn Bb Solo Horn Eb 1st Horn Eb 2nd Horn Eb 1st Baritone Bb 2nd Baritone Bb 1st Trombone Bb 2nd Trombone Bb Bass Trombone Euphonium Bb Bass Eb Bass Bb Timpani Percussion 1-2
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£132.00
Celebration for Band - John Brakstad
Many Norwegian bands have grown up around factories; but Norwegian factories are often located in the countrysides - by a fjord or lake, by a river or waterfall that provided power for the factory.The factory was the foundation for the existence of the community, but it was also essential for the community's cultural life; choirs, bands etc. (cp. British brass bands and mining)."Celebration for band" tries to give a picture of the environment and life around a band like this, with both factory noise and the natural world (Pastorale), as well as the challenges and development of the band itself.The composition is built up of five connected episodes:- Fanfare and Prologue (concludes with a feeling of the untamed power of the river) - Pastorale I: " At the river"- Intermezzo: " The Factory" (starts with the opening of water for the turbines: snare drum. Factory whistle and bell call to work, and the spinning and weaving machinery starts up.)- Pastorale II: " Summer evening on the fjord." - Finale: " Challenge and Progress"
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£25.00BA-Rock - Steve Robson
This can definitely be described as a fun piece from Steve Robson, with a bit of clever styling thrown in for good measure!With an initial, melodious theme written in the style of a 'Baroque' composition, it is then recreated in a modern 'Rock' idiom, joining the two extremes and presenting a great little number to brighten your concert programme.Whilst this already demonstrates one instance of its play on words, it's also worth noting that this composition also formed part of the writer's portfolio for his BA degree!Whilst written withfour percussion parts of Timpani, Kit, Tambourine, Glockenspiel & Cow Bell, the tambourine part can be omitted if necessary.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£32.00The Beacons (Score only) - Ray Steadman-Allen
For centuries hilltop beacon fires blazed across the land signals of important happenings or warnings of invasion. This music tells no specific story but the titles of the four thematically related sections are a guide to the idea: The Beacons; Far Horizons; The Invaders; Celebration. The first movement has something of the character of the march and the fanfare; spirited and tightly driving, it promises most of the thematic material of the work. The second is largelt tranquil and is thinly scores with solo passages. The third has the most dramatic potential; its energy and conflict subsides to a lament and a tolling bell before a vigorous rounding off. Appropriately, the fourth movement is in a merry-making mood, and the jubilant music concludes with fragment statements of the main themes. The Beacons was first performed by IMI Yorkshire Imperial Band (James Scott) at the 'Concert of the Century', celebrating the Centenary of the British Bandsman, at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on 5 September 1987. Duration: 12:30
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£42.00The Beacons (Parts only) - Ray Steadman-Allen
For centuries hilltop beacon fires blazed across the land signals of important happenings or warnings of invasion. This music tells no specific story but the titles of the four thematically related sections are a guide to the idea: The Beacons; Far Horizons; The Invaders; Celebration. The first movement has something of the character of the march and the fanfare; spirited and tightly driving, it promises most of the thematic material of the work. The second is largelt tranquil and is thinly scores with solo passages. The third has the most dramatic potential; its energy and conflict subsides to a lament and a tolling bell before a vigorous rounding off. Appropriately, the fourth movement is in a merry-making mood, and the jubilant music concludes with fragment statements of the main themes. The Beacons was first performed by IMI Yorkshire Imperial Band (James Scott) at the 'Concert of the Century', celebrating the Centenary of the British Bandsman, at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on 5 September 1987. Duration: 12:30
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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