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£78.20The Rocketeer - James Horner - Roland Smeets
Before Titanic,James Horner was not above composing scores for cartoonish family films, and many of those that brought him on their production board owe him greatly. The Rocketeer entails the story of a young pilot during World War II who happens upon a rocket pack that allows him to fly. The film is based on the tradition of old film serials that left theater-goers hanging with "To be continued," and aside from modern production, it is old fashioned and innocent fun. Horner's score begins and ends with the brilliant "Main Title," which is so moving it was used in previews for later films that did not yet have finished scores. Most of th Rocketeersoundtrack elicits the adventure and lifting spirit of the film and reveals how Horner incorporates rich instrumentals in the tiniest crevices. Even when the film involves danger, as in "Jenny's Rescue," the composer takes care when it is hardly even required. Instead of some "duh-duh-duhs," he brings on a full, stunning orchestra and when he overdoes it, it is in a jolly way -- he never exhausts his medium. That is what separates him from inferior composers, and what makes a nice film like The Rocketeer extra nice. It is a soundtrack worth listening to.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£174.10Three Gentle Giants - Svein H. Giske
Three Gentle Giantswas commissioned by Grenland International Brass Festival as a test piece for the 2nd division in 2008.Three Gentle Giants. The three giants each have their own monologue which leads into a conversation. They gather recognition and respect from each others views as the dialogue evolves. Eventually they find a more nutual and singular expression to their conversation.The giants are old with a long life behind them. This can be heard through a slow, melancholic waltz. A waltz is dance commonly linked to festiveoccasions, such as weddings, but for the giants it holds much more significance. It gives room to think about people they have met, placesthey have been, and all that life has given them.Quietly it ends, more or less like it began. We hear echoes of the past, before it all fades out.The giants wander off into a new beginning.Svein H. Giske- January 2023 -In Memoriam Thorvald, Finn and Thor Louis
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£69.99The Green Hills of Tyrol - Philip Sparke
The Green Hills of Tyrol was commissioned by Jrena and Beat Knusel for their son, Swiss euphonium player Joel Knusel, to celebrate his 20th birthday in 2019. The request was for a piece suitable for use in a solo competition, possibly using a Scottish or Irish melody, and composer Philip Sparke suggested an 'old-fashioned' air varie might be a suitable idea. The piece follows the well-established formula of a theme followed by four variations. The history of the original melody is fascinating and, although it is now well-known as a bagpipe tune, its background is Austrian or Italian, rather than Scottish. The tune appears as a chorus of Swiss soldiers in Rossini's 1829 opera William Tell but was possibly an existing Tyrolean folk tune. In 1854, during the Crimean War, Pipe Major John MacLeod of the 93rd Highlanders heard a band of the Sardinian contingent playing selections from the opera in camp before the Siege of Sebastopol. He was struck by the melody and arranged it for his pipers, calling it The Green Hills of Tyrol, referring to Tell's visit to that corner of Austria in the opera. It has since become universally popular among pipe bands who usually refer to it as A Scottish Soldier, following the addition of new lyrics in a 1961 hit by Andy Stewart.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£127.30Graceful Ghost - William Bolcom
I came to know of this piece when hearing famous Norwegian ragtime pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen playing it at a concert with the Norwegian Navy Band Bergen. I was struck by its melancholic beauty and wanted to arrange it for band.Ragtimes are rarely in a minor key (which this one is) and when you first hear it, you might think it was written around the time when Scott Joplin was the main ragtime composer. But, if you listen more carefully, you notice that some of theharmonies are more advanced than one might expect in traditional ragtime, giving the piece a slightly more contemporary feel. The composer William Bolcom wrote Graceful Ghost in 1970 to honour the memory of his father and it is one of hismost popular pieces.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£54.99Jamaica - Timothy Travis
Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean. In 1494 it was discovered by Christopher Columbus, who used it as private property until 1509. After some skirmishes it fell under British rule and the sugar trade on the island flourished. After the abolition of slavery in 1834 it was only granted Home Rule in 1944, but it remained a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Whereas the export of cane sugar used to be Jamaica's main export product for many years, nowadays music has taken over this role. At first American music used to be very popular on the island. Later, however, Jamaican musicians started to experiment and thus in the end created their ownmusical style called Reggae. Well-known Reggae musicians are Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The most important instruments used in Reggae are the bass and the drums. Together they form the base for the style: the riddim. A bass drum accent on the second and fourth beat are characteristic of a typically reggae drum beat. To this syncopic patterns are often added. The rhythm guitarist plays chords in a characteristic Reggae rhythm, not on, but between the beats.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£54.99Strong Coffee - Ron Gilmore
It is true that tastes differ. Coffee has known a long history : it has been drunk since the 17th century. On one hand people drink coffee for relaxation, on the other hand it is drunk to ward off tiredness or sleepiness. 'Strong Coffee' composed by Ron Gilmore works both ways. There will be people who will be able to relax during 'Strong Coffee', whereas others will experience it as a real boost. Is it a bit too strong after all, such a funky Soul Beat? Then adding a little milk might help. As said before, tastes differ!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£104.99Like a Child - Andreas Ludwig Schulte
The young have the future. This is the statement made at the beginning of 'Like a Child' by Andreas Ludwig Schulte. The opening radiates strength and ambition, but one is also made to wonder which direction will be chosen, which choices will have to be made.After the introduction the first steps on the path of life are taken, still somewhat unsteadily (the 3/4th time used illustrates this uncertainty). However, the child has now set off and will meet the future with an open mind, unafraid, even though experience will teach it how easily it can be hurt.Fortunately, it is sometimes allowed to be vulnerable and it discovers there will always be someone to offer shelter,support and love. (Adagio) The last part breathes a far greater independence. Youth is able to face the future, it can even take on the whole world!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£60.99Angels from the Realms of Glory - Roland Kernen
The title of this clever arrangement reveals the Christmas song it is based on. The melody can be traced back to a French folksong from the 18th century which is now known around the world. In France it is called Les anges dans nos campagnes, in Germany it is most widely known as Engel auf den Feldern singen and in England it was originally called Angels From the Realms of Glory but it often known as Angels We Have Heard on High. Everyone will rejoice upon hearing the 'Gloria in excelsis Deo' refrain!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£134.99Alienus - Thomas Doss
"Alienus" - a word that means more than just extraterrestrial. It speaks of the foreign, the unfamiliar, the strange. Of that which comes from beyond - and yet stirs questions deep within us.In this work, it may represent many things: an alien, an unknown being, a stranger - or a human soul we cannot understand. My fantasy for brass band, tells the story of an encounter: humans come upon a sleeping, enigmatic creature. They gaze upon it in wonder - and in fear. Hesitantly, they draw near, driven by curiosity. Their inquisitive nature drives them to explore it, gradually crossing the invisible boundaries of reverence and humility - until the creature awakens. What follows remains untold. Each listener is invited to imagine their own story - or simply to be carried away by the music. The sound world of the piece draws from ancient roots: the hymn Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme ("Sleepers Wake, a Voice is Calling"), written in 1599 by Philipp Nicolai and later immortalized by Johann Sebastian Bach in his famous cantata. In the finale, the chorale resounds in its full glory - performed simultaneously in two different time signatures, evoking the echo of a vast, sacred space.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£119.50Me and Mrs. Jones - Kenneth Gamble - David Hveem
Me and Mrs. Jones was written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert in 1972, and was first recorded by Billy Paul on the album 360 Degrees of Billy Paul. The song is about a man who has an affair with Mrs. Jones, and how the two secretly meet every day in the same cafe, even though they may know it's not quite right: "We got a thing going on/we both know that it's wrong/but it's much too strong/to let it go now." Paul has stated that he was sure the song was going to be a hit even before it was released, as "it's a song everyone can relate to", but already from the start the lyrics were considered somewhat controversial and the song were banned from several radio stations. Nevertheless, it became one of the best-selling singles of 1972 and Paul received a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.Well known is also Michael Buble's version of the song, released on the album Call Me Irresponsible in 2007. It is his version that has been the inspiration for this arrangement, which brings out even more of the jazz elements Buble has found in the song. The arrangement is quite demanding for the ensemble, and requires great rhythmic precision in particular.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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