Results
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£105.00King Arthur - Benjamin Britten
King Arthur was the first of 28 scores Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) composed for radio between 1937 and 1947. It was an ambitious dramatisation of King Arthur's life and times - part pageant, part play, partcantata - written by D.G. Bridson. This colourful suite incorporates the Introduction, a dramatic Wild Dance, some of the music underscoring the scenes for Galahad and The Holy Grail, and two vividbattle scenes, ending with The Final Battle and Apotheosis. King Arthur (scenes from a radio drama) for brass band should not be confused with a much longer orchestral suite which Paul Hindmarsh devised from the same sourcein1995. King Arthur (scenes from a radio drama) will be played by the 20 First Section finalists on 16th September 2018 at this year's National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£134.99Dances and Alleluias - Philip Sparke
Dances and Alleluias was commissioned by the British Federation of Brass Bands for the inaugural English National Brass Band Championships, held in the Lyric Theatre at The Lowry, Salford Quays, on July 1st 2006. In this fantastic work the composer mixes wonderful slow music, vocal in nature and ecstatic in mood, along with faster dances to create a challenging piece, which will bring out the best in any band.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£159.99Rush Hour - Etienne Crausaz
Rush Hour was commissioned by the Swiss Brass Band Association (SBBV) on the occasion of the 38th Swiss National Brass Band Championships 2012 (Montreux SBBW) as the test piece in the Championship division.Structured in three parts without breaks, the work opens in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, sometimes even noisy. After a short passage in a lighter mood a quick tempo takes over, the music becomes nervous and unrelenting, with constant twists and turns. The tension builds, leading to a slower movement in which various soloists are highlighted. A few humorous touches are heard in contrast to a majestic, powerful and dramatic chorale. The end of this part is brighter andmore peaceful. This atmosphere is soon replaced by a return of the thematic material heard in the first movement, developing into an oppressive moos. The piece concludes with a last ecstatic tutti, reusing the harmonies of the introduction in a kind of final flurry.Rush Hour attempts to express the range of feelings we may experience when caught in various stressful situations in the middle of the rush hour.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Sanctuary - Philip Sparke
Sanctuary was commissioned by Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass from New Zealand and was performed as an own choice piece at the 2018 New Zealand National Brass Band Championships. It opens with an expressive cornet solo, hymn-like in mood. A slightly faster central section builds to a change of key and an expansive return of the opening melody, this time scored for full band. After an emotional climax the mood subsides, leading to a quiet close.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£106.99Evolution - Philip Sparke
Evolution was commissioned by Kunstfactor for the 4th section of the Dutch National Brass Band Championships (NBK) 2011. It is dedicated to Jappie Dijkstra and the Music Information Centre (MUI), Arnhem, Holland, in acknowledgement of their outstanding work in developing brass band repertoire. The composer writes:-The idea for the piece came when I was reading an article about a branch of Chinese philosophy which is abbreviated as Wu Xing, which has no exact translation but can mean, for example, five elements, five phases or five states of change. It is central to all elements of Chinese thought, including science, philosophy, medicine and astrology, and in simpleterms tries to create various cyclic relationships between five elements in all walks of life. An example is: Earth - Metal - Water - Wood - Fire - (Earth) etc. where (in one cycle) earth bears metal, metal changes to liquid (water) when heated, water helps trees grow, wood burns to create fire, fire produces ash (earth) and the cycle continues.I was particularly interested in the cycle of emotions: Meditation - Sorrow - Fear - Anger - Joy - (Meditation) etc. and thought this cyclic principle would provide an effective emotional journey for a piece of music. So Evolution has five equal sections which loosely characterise this emotional cycle. I have tried to make the music grow organically, with minimal repetition, and each movement evolves from the musical elements at the end of the previous one, with the opening material appearing, transformed, at the end of the piece to complete the cycle.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£94.99St James's - A New Beginning - Philip Harper
St James's - A New Beginning commemorates 300 years since the death of English architect Sir Christopher Wren who redesigned and rebuilt London after the Great Fire in 1666. It was used as the test-piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain (1st Section) in 2023.The piece is in four parts:I. THE GREAT FIREII. AFTERMATHIII. VISIONIV. RENAISSANCEThe bells ring the alarm and, as the capital city is engulfed by flames, panic and desperation spread. As the fire burns out, we are left to contemplate the aftermath of the inferno. Enter Sir Christopher Wren. His vision and courage were some of the most influential forces in the rebuilding of London which rose to reclaim its place as one of the great cities of the world.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£109.99Frontier Vision - Stephen Bulla
Frontier Vision is a concert or contest piece based on three elements: the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Reformation Day, the Martin Luther melody, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott) on whichthis composition is based, and thirdly the spreading of the evangelical movement in the late 19th century, of which the analogous storyline forms the structural basis of this work. Multi-cultural ethnic influences, along with the driving rhythms thatreflect the perseverance and hard work of those mission-minded pioneers, are both important components that make Frontier Vision an outstanding choice for your concert or contest. Frontier Vision was the test piece for the seconddivision in the Dutch National Brass Band Championships 2017.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£104.99Purcellian Fantasia - Jan de Haan
This composition is based on the march from Henry Purcell's Music for the funeral of Queen Mary II, a work written in 1694. In this fantasia, various movements flow from one to the next following the main theme; these movements not onlyelaborate on the theme, but also contrast with it. At times, the thematic material diverges so much, that the work acquires a character of its own; however, the composer often refers back to fragments of the theme. This work was test piece in the 4thdivision of the Dutch National Brass Band Championships (NBK) in 2017.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Magga - Philip Sparke
The Four Noble Truths was commissioned by the Dutch National Brass Band Championships for their 2003 competition.The Four Noble Truths are the most basic expression of the teaching of Buddha and therefore still form the guidelines for Buddhists to this day. They concern themselves with Dukkha, which has no exact translation but can mean suffering, stress or sadness etc. Magga is The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Dukkha - the Fourth Noble Truth - which gives us a description of eight disciplines which can help us eliminate the origins of stress from our lives.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£74.99Olympus - Philip Harper
Selected as the test-piece for the 3rd Section Regional contests of the National Brass Band Championships 2012The music begins with a depiction of the exciting Opening Ceremony where noisy fanfares and sudden swells add to the cosmopolitan flag-waving clamour. Without a break the music leads to The Chariot Race, a fast compound-time gallop withthundering hooves in the basses and percussion, and a heroic melody introduced by the tenor horns. Chariot racing was the main equestrian event in the Ancient Greek Games, which were founded in memory of King Oenomaus. In the Greek legend he suffereddefeat in a chariot race to his son-in-law and Zeus' grandson, Pelops, but much of the music is bitter-sweet to symbolise the fact that Pelops had to cheat to win drawing parallels with some of the issues still facing modern-day athletics. A slow, mystical passage follows, describing The Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The statue of Zeus, who was honoured throughout the Ancient Games' history, was housed inside the temple and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Themusic depicts this period of the dawn of one of mankind's most ancient civilisations and there is a series of solo passages above a drone. The next section is called The Olympic Flame and a broad and lyrical anthem-like melody develops slowly in the euphoniums, which gradually ascends until the horns can take it over before passing upwards again to the cornets (Higher). The musicbursts into bright life at the lighting of the flame and the regular rhythmic pattern which has been established goes through an accelerando (Faster). The final section is called The Olympic Truce and aims to capture the cooperative spirit of the ancient practice of ending wars for the duration of the games. The anthem-like melody makes an affirmatory return (Stronger) and the work ends asit began with a blaze of colour and a real sense of optimism and global celebration. "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (Faster, Higher, Stonger)NOTES ON PERFORMANCEPercussion requirements: 1 to 3 players (3 Timpani, Snare Drum, Tenor Drum, Cymbals, Glockenspiel, Triangle)
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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