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£79.95The Lost Village of Imber (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bond, Christopher
The Lost Village of Imber was commissioned by Bratton Silver Band in 2019 in celebration of 160 years of the band; 1859-2019. Structured in three movements, the complete work was premiered by Cory Band at Wiltshire Music Centre in February 2020.The village of Imber on Salisbury Plain had been inhabited for over one thousand years when it was evacuated in 1943 to make way for military training in the Second World War. At the time, with preparations for the Allied invasion of Europe underway, most villagers put up no resistance, despite being upset, with the belief that they'd return once the war had concluded. To this day, Imber and its surrounding land remain a military training ground. The villagers never returned, and just the shell of what was once a community remains.Structured in three movements, it is on this very real story that the work is based, setting out the series of events of 1943 in chronological order.The first movement, On Imber Downe, portrays a sense of jollity and cohesiveness, a community of individuals living and working together before news of the evacuation had broken. Sounds of the village are heard throughout, not least in a series of percussive effects, the anvil of the blacksmith; the cowbell of the cattle and the bells of the church.The second movement, The Church of St. Giles, begins mysteriously and this sonorous, atmospheric opening depicts Imber in its desolate state and the apprehension of residents as they learn they have to leave their homes. Amidst this is the Church, a symbol of hope for villagers who one day wish to return, portrayed with a sweeping melodic passage before the music returns to the apprehension of villagers facing eviction around their sadness at losing their rural way of life.In complete contrast, the third movement, Imemerie Aeternum, portrays the arrival of the military, complete with the sounds of the ammunition, firing and tanks, sounds which were all too familiar to those living in the surround areas. To close, the Church of St. Giles theme returns in a triumphant style, representing the idea that the church has always been, even to this day, a beacon of hope for the villagers and local community, both the centrepiece and pinnacle of a very real story.Duration: 13.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£60.02The Glory of Colour (Brass Band) Ivan G. Andrews
This work by Ivan Andrews was inspired by the large Baptistry window of the new Coventry Cathedral and will be suitable both as a contest or concert work. The window was conceIved and designed by Basil Spence and was intended to be a worldwide experience. When installed it was claimed to be "the single largest window in stained glass that hitherto had ever been contemplated and brought into existance." The stained glass design was done by artist John Piper and when completed was described by Bishop Bardsley as a "triumphant expression of faith, a faith encapsulated in the 'glory of colour'".* Hence the title for the piece. The composer writes: 'When thinking of this music the traditional tune now often called Monks Gate kept coming to me. The words often sung to this tune were penned by John Bunyan and each stansa ends with the words "To be a pilgrim". The Cathedral in Coventry, although a Christian Church, is designed to bring all faiths together in Unity - there is a "Unity Chapel" opposite the Baptistry window so the concept of pilgrimage seemed perfectly apt to me. The music is therefore designed to reflect many colours as there are many expressions of faith. Single fragments of the Monks Gate tune are used as a basis for what might be deemed 'variations'. The tune is heard in full towards the end of the piece and then the music rises to a climax of bright brilliant white light. The colours of the window are darker on the outer edges but they all circulate towards the brilliant white at the centre - representing the source of all faith.' To view a rolling score video of the work please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPN_EhhMDAE Duration: Approx. 11.30 minutes Difficulty Level: 2nd Section + PDF download includes parts and score. Sheet music available from www.brassband.co.uk 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 BbTimpani Percussion 1-2
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£45.01City of David (Brass Band) Philip Rayment
This engaging major Christmas work features three carols or songs associated with the place of Christ's birth: Once In Royal David's City, O Little Town of Bethlehem (Forest Green) and How Far Is It To Bethlehem? During Old Testament times, the city of Jerusalem had been considered the 'City of David', as the political and spiritual capital of Israel. However, after Christ's birth, that name was given to the town of Bethlehem - a quiet farming village in the countryside. This new designation is first mentioned in the Gospel of Luke: ''For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' (Luke 2:11) A variety of moods are used to express:- The crowds of people arriving in Bethlehem to be taxed, overtaking the town, leaving no room for a young, pregnant Mary and her husband.- The stillness of the countryside on the eve of Christ's birth.- The excitement of worshippers celebrating the birth of a Saviour. To view performances of the work please visit: Canadian Staff Band: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UC-j9jBsx4 Five Lakes Silver Band: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCn4JjQCe9A Duration: 7.30 minutes approx. Difficulty Level: 2nd Section + PDF download includes parts and score. Sheet music available here. Instrumentation: Soprano Cornet Eb Solo Cornet Bb 1st Cornet Bb 2nd 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 BbTimpani Percussion 1-3
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£67.52Dreams of America (Brass Band) Derek Jenkins
Dreams of America was commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of America. The concept of the 'American Dream' is an indelible part of the American psyche. Over time, notions of success, fame, and fortune have become synonymous with this idea. Some have achieved their personal 'American Dreams', and yet for others they often remain only a dream. Dreams of America takes a look at certain, generalised aspects of the 'American Dream' and pits them against the harsh realities faced by many, both in the past and present. To heighten these dichotomies, each movement is accompanied by a slideshow of historic and modern images related to the issues at hand. Movement 1: Yearning to Breathe Free explores the anger, fear, and subjugation that seems rampant in recent years, but has been present throughout the country's founding. Movement 2: Take my Stand looks at the role that change, protest, and equality has had and continues to have in our society. Movement 3: It Beckons and Beckons examines the beauty of nature and our role in preserving and protecting this country's natural wonders while illustrating the ease of which our environment can be ruined and destroyed. Movement 4: Sweet Land of Liberty reflects onthe composer's interpretation at what truly makes the United States of America a great country - the people who call this place home. The patriotic tune America the Beautiful has been woven throughout, in part for its poetic depiction of the American landscape and its call for "brotherhood from sea to shining sea!" Sheet music available from: UK - www.brassband.co.uk USA - www.solidbrassmusic.com Difficulty Level: 1st Section + Instrumentation: 1 Soprano Cornet (Eb) 9 Cornets (Bb) 1 Flugelhorn 3 Tenor Horns (Eb) 2 Baritones (Bb) 2 Trombones (Bb) 1 Bass Trombone 2 Euphoniums (Bb) 2 Basses (Eb) 2 Basses (Bb) 4 Percussion
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£49.95Bestowal of a Century - Christopher Bond
Bestowal of a Century (2014) was commissioned by Lowenna Taylor, and funded through her Harry Mortimer Trust award which she was presented with at the 2013 British Open Championship following the completion of her studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff. The 15-minute work received its world premiere at the Cornwall Youth Brass Band Christmas concert in 2014 with solosit, Lowenna, working alongside the band under the baton of Les Neish. The 'Bestowal' refers to the presentation of the Royal Trophy by the then Prince of Wales to the famous West of England Bandsman's Festival in Bugle in 1913. Over the years it has been won by some of the greatest names in brass banding, including Black Dyke and Munn & Feltons - although more recently it has become a wonderful open festival that includes sections for local bands as well as visitors from all over the banding globe. 2014 marked the one-hundredth anniversary of the presentation of the trophy, which is the only brass band trophy to have the official seal of royal patronage. The work, in three distinct sections, opens in a mysterious way, building progressively with interjections from the horn. The composer notes its as though one can imagine different part of the trophy being put together, piece by piece, until the trophy is complete and a climax is reached. Following this, a playful theme is presented which is developed throughout the first section and interacting between soloist and band. The second movement, in complete contrast, is a lyrical melody; heart-wrenching throughout, and sits well both as part of the concerto and also as a stand-alone solo item. The third movement is light-hearted and virtuosic, demonstrating the technical capabilities of the instrument with fast and virtuosic playing, and a cadenza towards the end of the work.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Puffing Devil, The - Christopher Bond
The Puffing Devil (2013) was commissioned by Camborne Trevithick Day Committee on the occasion of Camborne's 30th Trevithick Day celebration. The premiere performance of the work, written for brass band and children's choir, saw a massed performance by six brass bands and children from nine local schools. With the intention of being an educational work as well as a musical work, The Puffing Devil reflects the story of Richard Trevithick both in the lyrics and the musical material.A mysterious opening sees running semiquavers in the euphoniums as the flugel horn introduces the work with a solo, before the entry of the horns playing rhythmic quavers. The addition of the voices at the outset is for effect - working with the instruments to create the sound of a steam engine gathering pace simply to the words 'Trevithick'. Once a steady tempo is reached, themes are introduced and sung by the choir, where the vocal writing is a very simple singular-melody; easy for any primary school aged children to learn. An ending of grandeur in a majestic nature is presented, to create a big finish to a feel-good educational work.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£89.95Songs of Ascent - Jonathan Bates
DURATION: 14 minutes. DIFFICULTY: Championship. 'Songs of Ascent' was composed for the Royal Northern College of Music Brass Band, as part of their programme for the 2019 RNCM Festival of Brass. In my view, the festival itself is the leading showcase for original contemporary music for the medium (in a concert setting) in the world and therefore an ideal place to explore new ideas and sounds, which was a notion fundamental to the construction of this work. The piece is subtitled 'Out of the Depths, I cry to you, O Lord'; the opening line of Psalm 130 (which forms part of a set of 15 psalsm, 120-134 known as the Songs of Ascent") which forms the main inspiration for much of the musical material. Following an extended opening for four individual tuba lines, there are a number of solos for members of the band off stage, with bleak and deep accompaniment lines, reflecting the words of Psalm 130. Amongst these 'songs of ascents', the most common and strong themes are repentance and redemption; with the central core of this work emerging 'from the depths' to reveal one of very few calming and reflective passages of the work utilising the tune of 'Guide Me O Thy Great Redeemer' in a new setting, featuring the Solo Horn and Bass Trombone, before returning to the ethereal and dark timbres that form much of the music up to this point. In terms of compositional technique, this work is solely based on a set of 4 9-note scales in their various unique transpositions (below). Each of these scales provide a set of 2 whole tone scales, 6 minor triads, 6 major triads and is built on 9 augmented triads. Whilst most of the music in this work is based melodically on the set of notes (heard right at the outset in the motif in the tuba line), the central section delves into the harmonic capabilities of these 'modes', using a number of the 7 'keys' which can be derived from the minor & major chords derived in each scale. All 4 scales are used independantly to each other, with whole sections of the work focussing on each mode. 'Songs of Ascent' was selected as the set work for the Championship Section at the Butlin's Mineworker's Championships in 2020.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£55.00Teens At The Junkyard - Brass Band Full Score & Parts - LM995
COMPOSER: Chris AllenProgramme NotesWriting about beautiful rural scenes and seascapes seems to be a very British thing to do. The themes of the English Pastoral School seem especially alive and well in the brass band musical repertoire, featuring in popular works such as John McCabe's Cloudcatcher Fells and Ray Steadman-Allen's Seascapes among many others. McCabe's engrossing depictions of place in Cloudcatcher, Maunsell Forts and Scenes in America Deserta conviced me that music really can transport the listener to a different environment, but rather than describing a landmark or a pastoral scene, I decided to give some attention to an ugly, neglected place.In Square Enix's Life is Strange, an episodic adventure game released in 2015, two teens use the local junkyard as a place of escape from the drama of their lives, unbeknowst to the fact that their friend, recently missing, was murdered and buried in that very place. Inspired by these dark images, I sought to write music that reflected the strewn broken glass, the piles of trash, the stories left behind in the waste of the junkyard. In keeping with this theme of buried history, I unearthed a musical relic from the brass band repertoire, cannibalising themes from Eric Ball's Journey into Freedom. In fragmenting and distorting such a treasured work I hope to make the listener feel a process of wasting away of precious memories.The first movement should be spiky, clinical and bleak, with a similar character to that of Harrison Birtwistle's Grimethorpe Aria, and the second, an intense, reminiscing, lyrical slow section. The final movement is in a similar vein to Elgar Howarth's Songs for B.L., ending with a blazing finish as if standing upon the tallest pile of trash in the junkyard and looking down upon the chaos below.Chris Allen (2021)About the Composer:Chris Allen, 22, studied Music at the University of Birmingham, graduating with a 1st in his Bachelor's degree in 2020 and achieving a Distinction in his Master's in Composition in 2021. Chris won the University of Birmingham Music Society's Composition Competition in 2019 with his piece for brass band, The Sirens, and was published for the first time by Modrana Music after winning the Durham University Brass Band's inaugural composition competition with his suite, Three Images of North-East England. Both pieces have been performed in concert and recorded recently and Chris continues to write new, original works for brass band.Chris started playing the tenor horn at the age of 7 under the tutelage of Don Blakeson, first joining the Melton Band and then moving onto Hathern Band,conducted by David Newman. Upon moving to university in Birmingham,Chris studied performance on the tenor horn with Owen Farr for a year,started playing with the University of Birmingham Brass Band, under thebaton of Stuart Birnie, and began writing and occasionally conducting his ownworks for brass band. However, his work is not confined to this ensemble,and as part of his studies, he has written for the Ligeti Quartet and theBirmingham Contemporary Music Group.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£120.00
Fire in the Sky - Peter Meechan
Fire in the Sky takes its inspiration from the stunning town of Montreux in Switzerland. I was commissioned to write the work 5 days before I visited this Montreux and was at work forming ideas for the piece as I arrived on the shore of Lake Geneva and its amazing views of the Alps.Whilst the scenery is without doubt some of the most incredible views I have ever witnessed, it was the history of the town that set Fire in the Sky in motion. Whilst there, it occurred to me that many of my musical heroes had lived or performed there, and three of them in particular had a strong connection with the town. Miles Davis, Igor Stravinsky and Freddie Mercury graced Montreux - the large convention centre, where the famous summer jazz festival is held, named its two halls after Davis and Stravinsky, and there is a quite breathtaking statue of Mercury in the town too.Each musician also commemorates an anniversary in 2011, the year of the premiere of Fire in the Sky; it is 40 years since the death of Stravinsky and both Miles Davis and Freddie Mercury died in 1991, making it 20 years since their deaths. So it seemed fitting to write a piece that in some way acknowledges them, and is a kind of personal athanksa for all they have given, and continue to give, me.The title comes from the famous Deep Purple song, Smoke on the Water - whose second line is aFire in the Skya and is a reference to the night the townas casino was set alight by a Frank Zappa fan. The piece tries to recreate the atmosphere of that night, paint a picture of fire in the sky (and smoke on the water) and also uses small anuggetsa of the music of my three greatest musical heroes, Miles Davis, Freddie Mercury and Igor Stravinsky.Fire in the Sky was commissioned by the Tomra Brass Band, Norway, and is dedicated to Stijn BerbeA and Nick Ost - both of whom are connected with the band (teaching and conducting), and both have been close friends - personally and musicaly - for many years. I am indebted to them for the opportunity to write this piece.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£42.95The Platinum Jubilee March - Chris G. Shelton
The Platinum Jubilee March was written to celebrate Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II's seventy-year reign as monarch of the United Kingdom. Its premiere was televised live around the world as part of the Queen's Birthday Parade which marked the start of the national Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Queen's Birthday Parade 2022 saw the First Battalion of the Irish Guards trooping their colour. To reflect this, the march begins in a celebratory style and features a melody based around the opening motif of Let Erin Remember - the regimental slow march of the Irish Guards. In traditional style, the march develops excitement both harmonically and melodically, creating a strong sense of drive before reaching a stately trio. This section has a very regal and noble feel, lending subtle harmonic nods to two of the most quintessentially British composers, Gustav Holst, and Sir William Walton. The march culminates in a bold grandioso, featuring semi-quaver lines that are underpinned by a driving trombone countermelody. A forthright restatement of the introductory fanfare brings the march to a very definite and resolved ending.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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