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£36.30The St Louis Blues - Sandy Coffin, W C Handy
Two-Step MarchCommissioned by John Wallace, this arrangement of The St Louis Blues has been crafted by Sandy Coffin through close listening of the available recordings of the Harlem Hellfighters Band. Sandy had been heavily involved with the Historic Brass Society symposium 2017 held in New York and assisted John with his research on this fascinating band and the style of music it generated.Eye-witness accounts refer to the 369th band 'dancing' rather than 'marching'. Above all, in modern performance, finding a 'dancing beat' is crucial to a successful performance of this Ragtime march in order to do justice to the great pioneering work of James Reese Europe.Note the flutter-tonguing and use of muting, the counter-melody in soprano cornet, and the wilder and yet wilder nature of each repetition of the Chorus.Look and Listen:Background to the Harlem HellfightersThe US Army 369th Regiment, made up largely of African-Americans from New York, became known as the Harlem Hellfighters because of the heroic reputation which accrued to them during the actions they engaged in during the First World War in Europe.James Reese Europe was one of the most active African-American composer/musical directors in the pre-war American music scene. The legendary Harlem Hellfighters Band, which he assembled in 1917 from African-American and Puerto Rican musicians, came at an important transitional point in musical history. A new form of music called jazz was emerging from Ragtime and the performing style of Europe's band was immersed in the flow of this new direction.Europe's Harlem Hellfighters influenced and inspired everyone who heard them, including the welcoming crowd when they disembarked in France, bowled over by their swinging rendition of La Marseillaise. Reese Europe became a war hero, commanding a machine-gun unit as well as the band.On return from War in 1919 the band led a ticker-tape parade along Fifth Avenue in New York and soon made about 30 shellac recordings. These recordings display some of the fingerprints of their performing style: ragging, improvising, muting, wailing, smearing (their word for glissando) - and from the evidence of their recordings they took the printed page as a blueprint for individuality.In May 1919 during the Hellfighters' triumphant coast-to-coast tour after their return, James Reese Europe was tragically murdered, bringing to premature close, at the age of 39, the work of a great musical innovator.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£14.83Jingle Boogie-Woogie Bells (Brass Band - Ukraine Charity Release) Ovcharenko
This piece was arranged by Halyna Ovcharenko, a Ukrainian composer who was born in Lugansk, a Ukrainian city that is currently under occupation by the Russian Federation. All the proceeds from this sale will go towards the 'A family for every orphan' appeal, which is providing emergency relief services to thousands of children and families in Ukraine. For more information about the charity please visit https://afamilyforeveryorphan.org/ukraine/ Halyna Ovcharenko has been composing music since she was 11. Many of her compositions of various genres have received international awards, but she discovered the world of brass band music with its specific timbre and huge range of musical colors only recently, in 2022, while composing her Vyshyvanka for Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Halyna comments: "I enjoyed my experience. Since then I have had an appetite to write more for brass bands, and here we are - an arrangement of a traditional English Christmas song which I have done especially to raise money for Ukrainian orphans. Their heroic parents stood for my Lugansk, for our Ukraine and for the whole World. I hope that the World will make these children feel that they are not left alone, giving them love, care and joy." The picture on the front cover was drawn by Victoria Lebed, a Ukrainian girl. This 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 Bb Percussion 1-2
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£34.95Elixir of Youth - Christopher Bond
Elixir of Youth (2013) was written for the 2013 Brass for Heroes charity event where it was premiered on 19th October 2013 at St Paul's Hall in Huddersfield under the baton of Philip Harper. The title of the work reflects the nature of the band that was put together for that premiere performance; an all-star youth band comprising a selection of the country's young brass banding talent, with the term Elixir referring here to the everlasting talent seen in young brass players throughout the United Kingdom's brass bands and bands' and teachers abilities to keep producing such high quality musicians for the banding movement.The work, structured in three sections, is a showcase for band with a heroic opening where fanfare-like gestures in the cornets and trombones juxtapose rapid euphonium and baritone runs, alongside sweeping horns and percussion effects. As the piece progresses, a grove is introduced - just in the tubas at first, accompanied by a hi-hat - before spreading through the band, definitely stuff to tap your toes to! The middle, slower section of the work sees both flugel and cornet solos, with additional inputs from the euphonium and solo horn before a climax and return to the tempo and music of the opening section. A rousing close concludes the work where all of the work's themes are interweaved to create a sense of power, unity and grandeur; an Elixir of Youth.
Estimated dispatch 10-14 working days
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£79.95Lost Village of Imber, The - Christopher Bond
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. The work was commissioned by Bratton Silver Band in celebration of the band's 160th Anniversary, with funding from the Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants Fund and the Brass Bands England Norman Jones Trust Fund.
Estimated dispatch 10-14 working days
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£85.00
Freaks! - Gavin Higgins
Freaks! was written for Lisa Sarasini in 2006 and first performed by her with Zone One Brass at the Royal College of Music, London. This tuneful and flamboyant showpiece was inspired by the Tod Browning film of the same name. The 1932 black and white cult classic was banned for many years due to its controversial morality issues and lead characters - real life side show 'freaks'. It is one of the most bizarre things to have ever come out of Hollywood. Gavin Higgins' virtuoso trombone solo is programmatic in style, full of humour with a sinister undercurrent, and is broken into seven short scenes: Introduction Roll up... See the Freaks The Amazing Cleopatra - Queen of the Air Gooble Gobble one of us - The Wedding Party The Fall of Cleopatra The Freaks Take Revenge Cleopatra - The Duck Lady
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£19.95As The World Falls Apart... - Jonathan Bates
DURATION: 4 minutes. DIFFICULTY: Moderate. 'As The World Falls Apart' was composed for David Maxted as part of the programme for his BMus Final Recital at the RNCM in May 2017. The work was composed in a time of real political and social divide, with chaos only ever seeming minutes away, and the base of the piece is one of serenity and traniquility amongst the bedlam which is occurring around us all. Originally, the work was planned to be a totally free unaccompanied work for solo horn, however I wanted to make use of the vast space the RNCM concert hall can offer with the surround-sound speakers and decided to utilise a short sound effect track to enhance the feeling of chaos as the music reaches it's peak in dynamic and intensity. AUDIO FILE AVAILABLE FROM COMPOSER - [email protected]. . . .
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£90.00
Fragile Oasis - Peter Meechan
Fragile Oasis is the name of a collective who describe themselves as aaa grass-roots participatory initiative that connects the shared perspective of astronauts from different countries and cultures with people on Earth, encouraging all to work together so that our planet is not only visibly beautiful, but beautiful for alla.Many involved in the project are astronauts on the International Space Station (I.S.S.), who post, on their website (http://www.fragileoasis.org) many different details of their experiments, photos from space, and some incredible video footage of our Earth.One such time lapse video (a video made up many still images) was posted on their website by astronaut Ron Garan (http://www.fragileoasis.org/blog/2011/11/coming-back-down-to-our-fragile-oasis-2/) in 2011. It is made up of images taken from the I.S.S. of what Garan described as aaa couple of laps around our Fragile Oasis before coming back down [to Earth]a and features all kinds of amazing views from space.Each of the five sections of this work relate to an aspect of the video - either something literal or something more metaphorical. The opening section, i: The lights from Above, is a musical description of the view of the Aurora Australis from above the lights. The second section, ii: The Storm from Above (part i), is also a musical portrayal of portions of the video clip - in this case the many lightning storms we see from above. The storms that are so powerful on Earth appear as small bolts of electricity dancing through the clouds.The third section, iii: Freya, has its roots in personal family tragedy. The name Freya derives from a Norse goddess who was associated with both beauty and love, and in this central section I wanted to write music that not only acknowledged how fragile life itself is, but that every day of it counts and should be celebrated.iv: The Storm from Above (part ii) is a again a reference to the lightning storms, but also to the huge hurricanes we see in the video. It leads us to the final section, v: The Oasis from Above - a description of the size and grandeur of Earth, our Fragile Oasis.Fragile Oasis was commissioned by Leyland Brass Band and Michael Bach, and partly funded by The John Golland Trust, for their appearance at the 2013 European Brass Band Championships in Oslo, Norway. It is dedicated to Natalie Youson, in friendship
Estimated dispatch 12-14 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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£30.00Here and There - Martyn Brabbins
An original composition for brass band by Martyn Brabbins.This work was created by Brabbins early in his career and combines his creativity and passion for the sounds of brass bands . It is one of two compositions from that era (the other being There and Back) which have now been given a new lease of life and made available to the general public through The Music Company (UK) Ltd.With great chords, sounds and unexpected bursts of energy, the work lasts just 1 48, making it ideal to be positioned as an attention grabbing opener or a contrasting interlude to greatly enhance the interest of a concert.The brass band version was originally premiered by The Dalmellington Band at The Cumnock Tryst 2017, and the Symphonic Wind Orchestra adaptation was performed by The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in 2019.Available here for brass band. Also available for Symphonic Wind Orchestra.**Brass Band version for purchase/Symphonic Wind Orchestra version for hire only.Listen InFind out more about Martyn Brabbins, listen in to the fascinating podcast presented as part of the British Bandsman's On The Record series:Apple podcasts:apple.co/3ufSsfXSpotify:spoti.fi/3duqoj5Podbean:bit.ly/3k3B75h
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£35.00In Pitch Black - Lucy Pankhurst
An extremely emotional and poignant work for brass band composed by Lucy Pankhurst, in memory and tribute to those affected by the Pretoria Pit disaster in Lancashire on 21st December 1910. The piece is chilling in its depiction of the tragic story, sensitively conveying the atmosphere and emotions as perceived before, during and after the event. Through its use of playing techniques, effects, sound combinations and even silences, In Pitch Black offers a powerfully reflective piece.Pritoria Pit DisasterLancashire's worst pit disaster and Britain's third largest loss of life from a single mining accident happened at the No. 3 Bank Pit belonging to the Hulton Colliery Company, just 4 days before Christmas 1910. The pit known as the 'Pretoria Pit' was situated on Hulton Parkland on the border of Atherton and Westhoughton. An explosion occurred at 7.50 am on Wednesday, 21 December 1910, resulting in the death of 344 men and boys, including many members of The Wingates Band.The Writing ExperienceDuring Lucy's research for this work, she acknowledges that she found the harsh reality from the shocking images and historical accounts of the event most disturbing, and is not embarrassed to disclose that it was wholly a very emotional experience in creating the composition. Consequently, she chose to create something to illustrate the true emotion of the situation. She wanted to pay tribute to the lives lost and the devastation which remained in their absence, by creating a piece of music which begins in darkness; desolate and claustrophobic, whilst still leaving the audience feeling uplifted and thoughtful in the final bars.The significance and musical appreciation for the creation of In Pitch Black was formally recognised by BASCA in 2011, when Lucy Pankhurst won the internationally acclaimed British Composer Award (the first time a brass band work had received the award, and the first time a female composer had won the category).Full programme notes are included in the product images.Look and Listen (performance courtesy of Manchester University Brass Band):
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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