Results
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£64.95Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
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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£118.00Decennium - Eric Swiggers
'Decennium' was composed in 2003 as a commission by the municipality of Berheze for its tenth anniversary. The composition describes the history of this town in the Province of Brabant, consisting of 6 different villages: Heesch, Heeswijk, Dinther, Nistelrode, Loosbroek and Vorstenbosch. The composition starts with a slow introduction, Adagio Misterioso, suggesting the atmosphere in long-ago days when the area consisted mainly of swamps, meres and low woods. (The word 'Bern' is a synonym of 'Born' meaning source or water, whereas 'Hese' is derived from 'Haisjo' meaning brushwood ). Above the dark sounds we hear far away trumpet signals announcing the Middle Ages. After a piercing crescendo, we hear the full sound of festive trumpets. A medieval dance, as was to be heard in the Heeswijk castle, follows. This dance gets a more and more stirring character and finally turns into a merry popular dance ending with a burst of laughter reproduced by descending scales with the muted trombones and trumpets. A slow transition with a quotation from a Gregorian plainsong (Domine Deus) and church bell ringing, referring to the Abbey of Berne, brings us to a romantic Larghetto. This part describes the quiet rural life in a beautiful natural surrounding. The last dying note contrasts with the threatening ostinato, referring to the rise of the industrialization, which provoked quite some resistance with the local people. Once more we hear the 'Domine Deus' but much more powerful this time. When the resistance calms down, the work concludes with an Alla Marcia. The first notes of the main theme could be heard all through the composition and now we hear the complete main theme again. The new town is born. A festive conclusion refers both to the tenth anniversary and the optimism and confidence as to the future.
Estimated dispatch 10-14 working days
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£70.00
Apophenia - Peter Meechan
aApophenia is the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data.aApophenia is a trumpet concerto in three movements written for American trumpet virtuoso Rex Richardson. Each of the three movements features a different instrument; Movement 1 is for the Bb trumpet, the second is for flugel horn and trumpet, and the third is for trumpet and piccolo trumpet.Each of the three movements of Apophenia relate to the phenomenon of viewing Dark Side of the Rainbow - a name used to refer to the act of listening to the 1973 Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon whilst watching the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, where moments where the film and the album appear to correspond with each other.Movement 1 is a fast a furious movement. Solo and ensemble interact at high tempo, swapping and creating new ideas, leading each other in new directions. Aside from the trumpet soloist, the kit player also acts as a quasi soloist.The second movement takes its musical inspiration from the Pink Floyd song Us and Them. It is during this segment of the film that some of the most amazing moments of connection happen.The final movement is a dance - and a tour de force for the soloist who begins on the Bb trumpet, before switching to the piccolo trumpet (or Eb trumpet) for the fast and furious finale. Many of the coincidences from Dark Side of the Rainbow relate to dancing, however, as long as a piece of music is the same tempo as the original, and the time signature is a regular one, this could be the case across most films. So the composer chose to write a dance that wouldn't synchronise to too many existing dance scenes!The soloist is free to improvise their own cadenza.Apophenia is dedicated to Rex Richardson.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£54.95Cornish Pastiche (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
A three movement suite depicting aspects of Cornish life and culture.The first movement, Sea Shanties, uses two contrasting call-and-response melodies. The second of these is playful in nature and appears in a number of guises, some more discordant than others, reflecting the crew's use of the shanty to let the captain know what they thought of him! Having passed by, the ship disappears into the sea mist. Laments were traditionally reserved for occasions of the death of a member of the clan. In forming the melody for Celtic Lament I had in mind the type of sorrowful song that would suite the elegiac nature of such an occasion.The last movement of the suite attempts to catch the spirit of the Furry Dance, the ancient dance that heralds the coming of spring. It resembles a farandole but is probably better described as an unashamed romp.My intention was to make Cornish Pastiche readily accessible to both players and listeners. The language is unashamedly tonal but is treated with some harmonic twists to add occasional piquancy. The technical demands on the players are meant to be moderate but conductors and players are asked to observe the different layers, especially in the Basse Dance, and not overload the texture with over-zealous weight on the melodic line.- Rob WiffinDuration: 11.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£55.00Capriol Suite (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Warlock, Peter - Littlemore, Phillip
Peter Warlock's set of set of six dances in renaissance style, Capriol Suite, is by far his most famous work. The suite consists of Basse-Danse, a lively dance for older folk; a stately Pavane; a delicate, yet lively Tordion; Bransles (pronounced 'Brawl'), a fast country dance which works its way into a frenzy, continuously building in speed and excitement; Pieds-en-l'air, with its beautifully serene lines and Mattachins, an exhilarating sword dance with its driving rhythm, culminating in violent dissonances bringing the piece to a spirited close. This is a new arrangement suitable for any band, including those in the 4th Section that relish a challenge. Percussion has been added in all but one of the movements, and is for two players. Duration: 10:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£76.99
Durkle Bandrydge Suite - Bruce Fraser
Durkle Bandrydge is the name of the composers imaginary world, but it could very well be anyones invisible dream world with a different name. In this very versatile suite by Bruce Fraser, 8 characters are featured, each with its ownpeculiarities, making Durkle Bandrydge such a colourful place. Do these characters differ that much from us? That is for you to find out! In the last part, all characters come together in a special way.Durkle Bandrydge exists at the end ofyour street. It is invisible to humans, but Durkle Bandrygators can watch us with great interest. The music will introduce you to some of the characters who live in this unusual place. The parts: Somnanbulyss, who is a giant trollguarding the entrance to Durkle Bandryde. At least, he is supposed to, but he tends to sleep most of the time. His music is therefore very slow moving and sleepy. Long Gwysteen is a tall, mysterious, and somehow sophisticated character,who walls around with a shell on his back. His music glides along rather gracefully. Squelfitch is a rather unpleasant and smelly character who lives in a bog, which is why his music sounds rather slimy and a bit like trying to walkthrough quicksand. Perfydlia is a meddling old woman, who gossips about everybody and squeals with sudden delight at the small exciting bits of tittletattle about others in the village. In the music you can hear her sudden little squealsof delight. Maryann Lovely is a beautiful young lady, graceful, gorgeous, absolutely devine, and her music is obviously just the same. Thistledoo Nicely is a lively character who spends and spends and spends with her credit card,buying the latest fashion and never worries about having to pay the bills. Her music reflects her excitement when shopping and het 'happy go lucky' approach to life. Marsyn Edginton is the Lord of the manor, the richest man in town, the'big cheese', the man with all the power and, of course, the biggest house. He is very grand and his music like he could be a king. Jimmy McScotsmyn is a red haired scotsman wearing tartan cap. He misses his home country terribly and eatslots of shortbread, oatcakes, scotch eggs, porridge and drinks an enormous amount of Scotch Wisky, which helps him to have fond memories of the kind of music he would like to dance to when he was a younger man. His favourite dance is a Jig andthis is the music he remembers. Grand March of the Durkle Bandrydgators. We hope that you have enjoyed meeting these characters from Drukle Bandrydge and would invite you to listen to all the villagers now march along in a grand parade -it is a pity that you can not see them, what is a wonderful sight. If you listen carefully, you will hear the melodies which belong to the characters as they march past. Oh what a grand spectacle!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.95Sinfonietta - Saints and Devils (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
Saints and Devils is a challenging three movement work:Dance with the Devil (4.30)A Glimpse of Paradise (4.45)Reyes Magos (3.45)I wrote it when I was living in Spain where the Catholic culture is still much more prevalent than in the UK. The first two movements are a transition from dark to light; Dance with the Devil is aggressive and occasionally macabre whereas A Glimpse of Paradise is serene.The first and final parts of the second movement were originally written for a sequence in the Royal Military Tattoo 2000, played under the John Magee poem High Flight - 'Oh I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth ............ Put out my hand, and touched the face of God'- with videos of eagle owls in flight dramatically projected onto the buildings of Horse Guards in Whitehall, London.The last movement, Reyes Magos, is the joyous fiesta of the Three Kings. In Spain, January 6th, rather than Christmas Day, is the main day of present-giving, marking the Epiphany, the arrival of the Kings from the Orient at the Nativity. Saints and Devils is technically and expressively demanding but is written within the realms of tonal language.- Rob WiffinDuration: 13.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£137.99Klezmer Discovery - Sjaak van der Reijden
The Yiddish word 'Klezmer' has been derived from the Old Hebrew words 'Kley' (tool, instrument) and 'Zemer' (song, singing, making music).Klezmer is the traditional music of Jews from Eastern Europe.Yiddish musicians (Klezmorim) were regularly invited to come and play at Yiddish weddings as well as several other Jewish celebrations and festive occasions. Despite its close connection with traditional Eastern European folk music, Klezmer music has succeeded in preserving its distinctive Jewish character. 'Klezmer Discovery' is a voyage of discovery through the richly varied music of the Jewish people from Eastern Europe.The introduction consists of a number of motives from differenttraditional melodies (a Mitzve Tenzel and L'cha Dodi), followed by a melody in 3/8th time (Kandel's Hora). This dance melody originally came from Bessarabia (present-day Moldavia) and was taken along to America by Jewish musicians round 1900. Subsequently, 'Der Terk in Amerika', a composition by famous clarinet player Naftule Brandwein can be heard. A number of fast, cheerful dance melodies (bulgars) form the finale of 'Klezmer Discovery' (Lebedyk un Freylekh, Lomir sich iberbetn and Sherele).
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£69.95SEASCAPES (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Steadman-Allen, Ray
Seascapes was commissioned for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in 1988.Seascapes takes its inspiration from the poem 'Cargos' by John Masefield. In the first movement, a gentle lyric theme, set against a pulsating background is contrasted with a dance. The dance reaches its climax and the music concludes with a quiet theme. The second movement has something of the nature of a sarabande, with a central section, which is a little lighter but retains a Spanish flavour. The composer adds a whimsical thought of his own that there may also have been a party of monks aboard. A variety of ingredients blend in the third movement: the coaster engines, the sea, some jovial shanty-music and the storm element through which the coaster steadily chugs.Suitable for Championship Section bands.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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