Results
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£95.00Variations on a Theme of Michael Tippett (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
A Centenary Tribute by Michael Ball, Edward Gregson, Elgar Howarth, Bramwell Tovey and Philip WilbyThis unique 'pice d'occasion' arose out of a telephone conversation in 2004 with Alan Wycherley, who was the soprano cornet player of the Foden's Richardson Band at the time. He indicated that the band would like to include an original birthday tribute for Edward Gregson (60) and Elgar Howarth (70) in its concert at the 2005 RNCM Festival of Brass in Manchester. I have been Artistic Director of Manchester's Festival of Brass since it was established in 1990 as a BBC Radio 3 series, As the centenary of the birth of Sir Michael Tippett fell on 5 January 2005, I devised this collective work as a way of embracing all three anniversaries in a novel way.The idea of joint compositions is not a new one in the classical music world. In the 1860s, Verdi was joined by a number of his contemporaries in a Requiem Mass for Rossini. In this country there have been a number of orchestral examples over the past fifty years, but never before for the brass band. Although Tippett composed only one work for brass band, Festal Brass with Blues, his orchestral works and operas are full of idiomatic brass writing. The theme I chose for this celebration is one of Tippet's most memorable miniatures featuring wind and brass. In the opera Midsummer Marriage it marks the entry of the Ancients. It is also included in the orchestral Suite in D (1948), for the Birthday of Prince Charles.I invited five of the leading contemporary voices in brass band music to add their own creative perspectives to the little Tippett theme, with it's characteristic rhythms, embellishments and modality - the Lydian mode. Each contribution was designed to fit into a tonal and formal template to give the whole work a flow and continuity. In Danse des Amis, Bramwell Tovey has composed a jazzy, humorous variation. Inspiration came from Tippett's love of jazz and, more personally, from the characteristically syncopated gait of the distinguished music critic John Amis, who Tovey once observed leaving a performance of Tippett's opera King Priam before the end. Incidentally, that performance was conducted by Elgar Howarth.We hear Edward Gregson in lyrical mode. His Midsummer Song is redolent of the sound world of Tippett's opera A Midsummer Marriage and it ends with a brief reference to a favourite of Gregson's, Tippett's Concerto for Orchestra. Michael Ball provides a brief moment of light, airy activity bringing to mind perhaps Tippett's love of Shakespearian fantasy, especially The Tempest. Elgar Howarth juxtaposes a slowed down version of the processional theme with distant recollections of fanfares from King Priam. Philip Wilby has rounded the tribute off with a spectacular fugue. During its inexorable progress Wilby ingeniously introduces the two other birthday references - the three-note musical signature that Elgar Howarth includes in much of his music and the characteristic theme which begins Edward Gregson's substantial work for brass an organ The Trumpets of the Angels. An elaborated reprise of Tippett's little theme is followed by a dynamic coda.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 13.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£40.00
Variations on a Theme of Michael Tippett (Brass Band - Score only)
A Centenary Tribute by Michael Ball, Edward Gregson, Elgar Howarth, Bramwell Tovey and Philip WilbyThis unique 'pice d'occasion' arose out of a telephone conversation in 2004 with Alan Wycherley, who was the soprano cornet player of the Foden's Richardson Band at the time. He indicated that the band would like to include an original birthday tribute for Edward Gregson (60) and Elgar Howarth (70) in its concert at the 2005 RNCM Festival of Brass in Manchester. I have been Artistic Director of Manchester's Festival of Brass since it was established in 1990 as a BBC Radio 3 series, As the centenary of the birth of Sir Michael Tippett fell on 5 January 2005, I devised this collective work as a way of embracing all three anniversaries in a novel way.The idea of joint compositions is not a new one in the classical music world. In the 1860s, Verdi was joined by a number of his contemporaries in a Requiem Mass for Rossini. In this country there have been a number of orchestral examples over the past fifty years, but never before for the brass band. Although Tippett composed only one work for brass band, Festal Brass with Blues, his orchestral works and operas are full of idiomatic brass writing. The theme I chose for this celebration is one of Tippet's most memorable miniatures featuring wind and brass. In the opera Midsummer Marriage it marks the entry of the Ancients. It is also included in the orchestral Suite in D (1948), for the Birthday of Prince Charles.I invited five of the leading contemporary voices in brass band music to add their own creative perspectives to the little Tippett theme, with it's characteristic rhythms, embellishments and modality - the Lydian mode. Each contribution was designed to fit into a tonal and formal template to give the whole work a flow and continuity. In Danse des Amis, Bramwell Tovey has composed a jazzy, humorous variation. Inspiration came from Tippett's love of jazz and, more personally, from the characteristically syncopated gait of the distinguished music critic John Amis, who Tovey once observed leaving a performance of Tippett's opera King Priam before the end. Incidentally, that performance was conducted by Elgar Howarth.We hear Edward Gregson in lyrical mode. His Midsummer Song is redolent of the sound world of Tippett's opera A Midsummer Marriage and it ends with a brief reference to a favourite of Gregson's, Tippett's Concerto for Orchestra. Michael Ball provides a brief moment of light, airy activity bringing to mind perhaps Tippett's love of Shakespearian fantasy, especially The Tempest. Elgar Howarth juxtaposes a slowed down version of the processional theme with distant recollections of fanfares from King Priam. Philip Wilby has rounded the tribute off with a spectacular fugue. During its inexorable progress Wilby ingeniously introduces the two other birthday references - the three-note musical signature that Elgar Howarth includes in much of his music and the characteristic theme which begins Edward Gregson's substantial work for brass an organ The Trumpets of the Angels. An elaborated reprise of Tippett's little theme is followed by a dynamic coda.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 13.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£65.00AN ELGAR PORTRAIT - D.Price
This work was composed in commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the birth English Composer Sir Edward Elgar. The suite is in three movements: 'Introduction', 'Elegy' and 'March', each of which have been inspired by three of Elgar's most celebrated works; Chanson de Matin, Nimrod ('Variation IX' from the Enigma Variations) and Pomp and Circumstance No.1.'Introduction' - Hollybush HillHollybush Hill is the name of one of the peaks of the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire. The Malverns were a favourite walking area for Elgar and his wife, and their panoramic views inspired much of Elgar's music.'Elegy' - BroadheathBroadheath is the small village at the foot of the Malvern Hills where Elgar was born (and lived at various times throughout his life). Elgar is buried not far from Broadheath at St Wulstan's in Little Malvern. 'March' - Worcester CathedralMany of the Worcestershire ensembles and music festivals played an important role in Elgar's early musical education. He was heavily involved in The Three Choirs Festival and either conducted or played in many of the light orchestras and vocal groups that performed at venues across Worcester. A statue of Elgar overlooks the Cathedral at the end of Worcester High Street.An Elgar Portrait has been used regularly as an own-choice test-piece for Section 4 bands, and was also selected as the set work for the Swiss National Championships in 2007 as well as the Pontins Championships in 2008. The composer has slightly reworked this piece for the Section 4 Final of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2020 and it's this version that should be performed at the contest. If bands currently have an older version in their libraries, please contact us directly for more information.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£60.76Avifauna (Brass Band) Joshua Tyler Jameson
This highly descriptive work was commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of America and will be a terrific concert or entertainment contest item. The music paints the picture of the lives of a variety of different birds. The composer writes: 'When I began thinking about this project I was sitting in my office in the early morning, the sun having just risen. There was a gentle breeze and the only thing that I could hear (aside from my hungry whining cats) was the gentle song of the birds outside my open window. As much of my work is programmatic, almost like symphonic poems, this immediately gave me the image of a majestic sunrise with all types of birds fluttering about, almost as if out of an episode of Planet Earth. When I was commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of America, I knew the project had to be something the ensemble could grab onto. Something they could see. Something they could relate to. There being so many types of birds in North America, I selected a handful to help tell my story... The scene where I came up with this idea seemed to be the perfect starting point. Sunrise, tiny chirps of Morning Birds floating around the twilight of dawn, swiftly moving towards the majesty of the sun cresting the horizon. A new day, the beginning of a story. As the sun rises higher in the sky, animal activity stirs, becoming lively and wild. The flowers have opened up to drink in the sun's rays, leaving them open to nectar-seeking Hummingbirds. Whizzing by at lightning speed, the hummingbirds journey from flower to flower, drinking their fill until the sun begins to set back over the horizon. When daylight fades, the enigmatic Owl floats silently through the sky. The wonder of these creatures comes not just from their beauty, but also from their mystery and their ferocity. We see images in pop culture of majestic white owls and marvel in their beauty... but to a mouse roaming the forest floor in the dark of the night, the terror of suddenly being dropped upon by a silent predator is anything but peaceful. In the dead of night, soft rolling clouds thicken as a storm begins to brew. With the ensuing rain also emerges the grotesque scavenging Vulture; marching along from carcass to carcass, tearing into the rotting leftovers of another predator's kill, gorging themselves until over-full. However, from this nightmare fuel of a bird, a new day awaits... As the dawn of another day approaches, you begin to hear the same morning birds you heard the previous day. When the light finally breaks the horizon, the soaring majesty of the Eagle drives us to the end of our story; an exciting journey told through the eyes of the winged creatures that paint the skies of North America. This is Avifauna.' To view a follow-the-score video please visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2bhBpx9KvM Sheet music available from: UK - www.brassband.co.uk USA - www.solidbrassmusic.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 Percussion 1-4
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£57.00Conspirators Overture
Composer: Andrew Duncan Conspirators Overture was written for Katrina Marzella-Wheeler and the Cooperation Band for their winning programme played at the 2025 Brass in Concert competition at the Glass House in Gateshead in England. The piece describes a meeting in a caf in Paris in 1912 between three very influential Russians. The composer Igor Stravinsky, the dancer Vaslav Nijinsk and the impresario Sergei Diaghilev. Together they conspired about how Stravinsky's new Ballet, Le Sacre du Printemps (The rite of Spring) was going to disrupt what was then a very conservative, classical music scene in Paris. Stravinsky's music would forever change the way harmonies and rhythms are used in classical and jazz music. Starvinsky's full name is Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky. The piece uses the morse code rhythm for IFS, which is Stravinsky's initials as a pulsating 11/8 rhythm which is the foundation of the overture. The opening notes from the Rite of Spring, played by a solo bassoon, are also quoted in the piece in a jazz waltz setting and in a short fugue towards the end of the piece. Suitable for Championship or First Section Bands.
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£34.99Submerged... (Cornet Concerto No.2) - Jonathan Bates
'Submerged..' is a virtuoso concerto for Cornet composed as a response to the 'lost' Derbyshire villages of Ashopton & Derwent,. both of which were drowned in the early 1940's to make way for a new reservoir to aid the ever-increasing water demand from nearby. Sheffield and it's steel industry during World War 2. The work is through-composed but is defined by 3 clear main sections, 'The . Packhorse Bridge, Derwent', 'Ashopton Chapel' and 'Operation Chastise'. Much of the melodic and harmonic material throughout the. concerto is inspired by 3 contrasting sources; an original motif of towering block chords which opens the concerto, the famous opening. fragment of Eric Ball's 'High Peak' (1969) which was composed as a tribute to the district of Derbyshire where Ashopton & Derwent lie, . and finally Claude Debussy's haunting 'La Cath drale Engloutie' or 'The Sunken Cathedral', which was composed in 1910 around the legend of. the submerged cathedral of Ys. . I. Packhorse Bridge, Derwent (1925). One of the most striking features of the former village of Derwent was it's Packhorse Bridge, which spanned the River Derwent. adjacent to the Derwent Hall - a grand, picturesque Jacobean country house. In 1925, the renowned impressionist artist Stanley. Royle painted a striking image of the two in midwinter, with the partially frozen river sat quietly underneath the snow-topped. bridge in the foreground, while the old hall sits peacefully and dark in the background. The opening setion of this concerto paints. this picture in a quite schizophrenic manner; with frosty, shrill march-like material picturing the villagers crossing the narrow icy. bridge, combined with wild and frenzied waltz music of the grand hall and it's masquerade balls laying, for now, quietly mysterious. across the river. . II. Ashopton Chapel (1939). Ashopton was much the smaller and less-populated of the 2 'lost' villages, but still bore home to a Roman Catholic Chapel which was. the focal point of the village. The chapel - along with the rest of Ashopton - was drowned in 1943, but the final service to take place there. was held in 1939, with the final hymn being 'Day's Dying in the West'. This hymn forms a haunting coda to the 2nd section, with firstly the . piano leading the melody before an audio track containing an old recording of the hymn is accompanied by the sound of flowing water and . the rumble of storms as the village hypothetically disappears from existence with the hymn tune still echoing around the valley, before . subsiding into the growing roar of the engine of a Lancaster Bomber as it soars overhead towards Derwent to practise it's 'Dam-Buster' raid. . III. Operation Chastise (1943). The Derwent Reservoir lies adjacent to Ladybower Reservoir (of which Ashopton & Derwent were flooded to make way for) in the . Derbyshire High Peak, and during the 2nd World War was used as one of the central low-atitude practise areas of the 617 Squadron - more . commonly known affectionately as the 'Dambusters'. Before the destruction of Derwent, it's 'Packhorse Bridge' was dismantled stone by stone . and re-assembled upstream at Howden Dam to the north end of Derwent Reservoir. This is where the music begins, with a reconstruction of . the opening material before taking flight into a whirlwind tour of virtuosity from the soloist. .
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£70.00
Origins - Peter Meechan
Origins is in three movements, with each movement having a different subject matter, all linked by the idea of origins: the first movement refers to musical origins; the second to the origins of life; and the final movement to the space exploration - the research of all origins. The first movement is based on a short motif, heard in the first three notes the soloist plays. These three notes cover the interval of a minor third (an interval that often plays a crucial role in my music) on which the whole concerto is built. The soloist and accompaniment interplay freely throughout the opening section, before an ostinato accompaniment appears - over which the soloist sounds a long legato melody. A short cadenza follows and a return to the opening material leads the movement to an end. The second movement, titled Harryas Song, is - as tradition dictates - a slow movement. Happy and reflective in nature, the main melody was written on the evening that my closest friend, Mark Bousie (a fine euphoniumist himself), and his wife Jayne, had their first child - Harry Bousie. It seemed only fitting that this song should be written for Harry in celebration. The final movement brings me back to a lifelong fascination with space, and in this particular movement, the Space Shuttle Discovery. Having completed 39 missions (including flying the Hubble telescope in to orbit), and spent a total of 365 days in space, SS Discovery made its final voyage in 2011 and was taken to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. in April 2012. This final movement, titled Discovery, pays tribute to the great shuttle whose missions inspired millions across the generations. Origins was commissioned by Marco Schneider, Adrian Schneider and the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Beijing, China.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£95.00King Lear (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bantock, Granville - Hindmarsh, Paul
Sir Granville Bantock (1868 - 1946) composed the second of his five major brass band work for Callender's Cableworks Band, completing the commission on 30 November 1932. Based in the Thames-side district of Belvedere near Erith, the band was active between 1898 and 1961. The works band of the Callender Cable & Construction Co. Ltd, it was at the peak of its popularity during the 1930s and was a frequent broadcaster on the radio. The band employed an in-house arranger and played saxophones in its lighter material. King Lear was one of the band's major commissions and was not published in Bantock's lifetime. The manuscript score and parts were thought to be lost for decades, but were found in the library of the Haydock Band (Lancashire), which had inherited part of Callender's library of manuscripts material and bespoke arrangements after it has been transferred to nearby Prescott Cables Band after Callender's Cable Works closed.King Lear is a substantial work, in essence a dramatic tone poem in the romantic Tchaikovskian manner, presenting a series of character portraits of the foolish old king and his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. The music is dramatic and lyrical by turns, with the most generous lyrical episode revealing perhaps the warm-hearted Cordelia. An expansive melody that flows from this is brought back towards the end as the main climax of the work.In 2001, Bantock's score was recorded by the University of Salford Brass Band, conducted by Dr. Roy Newsome. The original is serviceable, but in comparison with the orchestral version he made in 1936 (part of which was recorded on a Paxton 78 rpm) and later brass band scores, performing editions of which were prepared by others, it lacks colour and range typical of Bantock's orchestral work. Above all it lacks percussion, which can be heard on the recorded extract. With the kind permission of the Bantock Estate, I have prepared a performing edition for publication that incorporates percussion, derived from the orchestral recording and added editorially in similar manner elsewhere. I have revoiced some of the low- lying instrumental parts to present the material in more comfortable ranges. Editorial interventions more elaborate than revoicing the original text have been identified as cue notes.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 15.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£40.00
King Lear (Brass Band - Score only) - Bantock, Granville - Hindmarsh, Paul
Sir Granville Bantock (1868 - 1946) composed the second of his five major brass band work for Callender's Cableworks Band, completing the commission on 30 November 1932. Based in the Thames-side district of Belvedere near Erith, the band was active between 1898 and 1961. The works band of the Callender Cable & Construction Co. Ltd, it was at the peak of its popularity during the 1930s and was a frequent broadcaster on the radio. The band employed an in-house arranger and played saxophones in its lighter material. King Lear was one of the band's major commissions and was not published in Bantock's lifetime. The manuscript score and parts were thought to be lost for decades, but were found in the library of the Haydock Band (Lancashire), which had inherited part of Callender's library of manuscripts material and bespoke arrangements after it has been transferred to nearby Prescott Cables Band after Callender's Cable Works closed.King Lear is a substantial work, in essence a dramatic tone poem in the romantic Tchaikovskian manner, presenting a series of character portraits of the foolish old king and his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. The music is dramatic and lyrical by turns, with the most generous lyrical episode revealing perhaps the warm-hearted Cordelia. An expansive melody that flows from this is brought back towards the end as the main climax of the work.In 2001, Bantock's score was recorded by the University of Salford Brass Band, conducted by Dr. Roy Newsome. The original is serviceable, but in comparison with the orchestral version he made in 1936 (part of which was recorded on a Paxton 78 rpm) and later brass band scores, performing editions of which were prepared by others, it lacks colour and range typical of Bantock's orchestral work. Above all it lacks percussion, which can be heard on the recorded extract. With the kind permission of the Bantock Estate, I have prepared a performing edition for publication that incorporates percussion, derived from the orchestral recording and added editorially in similar manner elsewhere. I have revoiced some of the low- lying instrumental parts to present the material in more comfortable ranges. Editorial interventions more elaborate than revoicing the original text have been identified as cue notes.- Paul HindmarshDuration: 15.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£94.95An Age of Kings (Mezzo-Soprano Solo with Brass Band and optional choir - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
The origins of this work date back to 1988, when I was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company to write the music for The Plantagenets trilogy, directed by Adrian Noble in Stratford-upon-Avon. These plays take us from the death of Henry V to the death of Richard III. Later, in 1991, I wrote the music for Henry IV parts 1 and 2, again in Stratford. All of these plays are concerned with the struggle for the throne, and they portray one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the British monarchy.Much of the music used in these productions was adapted into two large symphonic suites for wind band - The Sword and the Crown (1991) and The Kings Go Forth (1996). An Age of Kings is a new version for brass band incorporating music from both the symphonic suites for wind band. It was specially composed for a recording made by the Black Dyke Band, conducted by Nicholas Childs, in 2004.An Age of Kings is music on a large-scale canvas, scored for augmented brass band, with the addition of harp, piano, mezzo-soprano solo, male chorus, as well as two off-stage trumpets. The music is also organized on a large-scale structure, in three movements, which play without a break - "Church and State", "At the Welsh Court", and "Battle Music and Hymn of Thanksgiving".The first movement, "Church and State", opens with a brief fanfare for two antiphonal trumpets (off-stage), but this only acts as a preface to a Requiem aeternam (the death of Henry V) before changing mood to the English army on the march to France; this subsides into a French victory march, but with the English army music returning in counterpoint. A brief reminder of the Requiem music leads to the triumphal music for Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, father of Edward IV and Richard III (the opening fanfare transformed). However, the mood changes dramatically once again, with the horrors of war being portrayed in the darkly-drawn Dies Irae and Dance of Death, leading to the final section of the first movement, a funeral march for Henry VI.The second movement, "At the Welsh Court", takes music from the Welsh Court in Henry IV part 1 with a simple Welsh folk tune sung by mezzo-soprano to the inevitable accompaniment of a harp. This love song is interrupted by distant fanfares, forewarning of battles to come. However, the folk song returns with variation in the musical fabric. The movement ends as it began with off-stage horn and gentle percussion.The final movement, "Battle Music and Hymn of Thanksgiving", starts with two sets of antiphonally placed timpani, drums and tam-tam, portraying the 'war machine' and savagery of battle. Trumpet fanfares and horn calls herald an heroic battle theme which, by the end of the movement, transforms itself into a triumphant hymn for Henry IV's defeat of the rebellious forces.- Edward GregsonDuration - 22'00"Optional TTBB available separately.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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