Results
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£29.95Prayer to St Michael - Jonathan Bates
DURATION: 4'00". DIFFICULTY: Moderate. 'Prayer to Saint Michael' is a solo for Euphonium, composed for the Wantage Band and inspired by the life of a young Johann Sebastian Bach, who following the death of both parents by the age of only 10 moved to live with his older brother - Johann Christoph Bach - who was the church organist at St Michael's Church in Ohrdruf. It was in this church where Bach spent many hours studying and performing, being instructed by Johann Christoff on the clavichord. Within 6 years, the young Bach had been enrolled in the prestigious St Michael's School in Luneberg. . "St. Michael the Archangel, illustrious leader of the heavenly army, . defend us in the battle against principalities and powers, . against the rulers of the world of darkness and the spirit of wickedness in high places. Come to the rescue of mankind, . whom God has made in His own image and likeness, . and purchased from Satan's tyranny at so great a price. The Holy Church venerates you as her patron and guardian. The Lord has entrusted to you the task of leading the souls of the redeemed to heavenly blessedness. Entreat the Lord of peace to cast Satan down under our feet, . so as to keep him from further holding man captive and doing harm to the Church. Carry our prayers up to God's throne, . that the mercy of the Lord may quickly come and lay hold of the beast, . the serpent of old, Satan . and his demons, casting him in chains into the abyss, . so that he can no longer seduce the nations. Amen.". .
In stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 days
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£10.00The Once and Future King
DescriptionThe Once and Future King is a suite of three movements; each movement was inspired by an Arthurian legend. The first movement, 'Tintagel', concerns the famous Cornish promontory said to be the birthplace of King Arthur. In Arthur's time, Tintagel was part of the court of King Mark of Cornwall and the music imagines a visit by the King of the Britons to his Cornish neighbour and the place of his birth, reflecting the ceremony and drama of such an occasion; the music is strongly antiphonal, contrasting the more strident fanfares of the cornets and trombones with the warmth of the saxhorns and tubas.The second movement, 'Lyonesse', takes its inspiration from the mythical land which once joined Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly. One legend claims that after the disastrous battle of Camlan where Arthur and Mordred were both killed, the remnants of Arthur's army were pursued across Lyonesse to Scilly, whereupon Merlin cast a spell to sink Lyonesse behind them and drown the pursuers. Some say the bells of the 140 churches inundated that day can still be heard ringing. All the material in this movement derives from two short motifs heard in counterpoint at the very beginning, which are intentionally dissonant and bitonal in character.The final movement, 'Badon Hill', takes its title from the legendary site of Arthur's last battle with the Saxons and is a lively toccata based on the medieval secular song L'Homme Armee ('The Armed Man'). The music uses a number of medieval devices including "hocketing" (passing melody from one voice to another). The actual site of Badon Hill is unknown but it has been associated with Badbury Rings in Dorset and a lot of evidence now points towards the town of Bath. Arthur's victory at Badon Hill was the last great victory for Celtic Britain over the Saxon invaders, but in the end only set the conquest back by a few decades. Arthur himself was dead by then, betrayed and defeated by his nephew Mordred, but it is said that Arthur only sleeps and will return in a time of dire need - hence the legend that Arthur's dying words were: Bury me in Britain, for I am the Once and Future King.Performance NotesWhere space and practicality permits the opening movement should be played with cornets and trombones standing behind the band facing the audience; they should retake their seats for the second and third movements.PercussionConcert Bass Drum (ideally NOT Kit/Pedal Bass Drum), Suspended Cymbal, pair of Clash Cymbals, Glockenspiel, Snare Drum, Tambourine, 2 x Timpani (Eb-G, Bb-D), 2 x Tom-toms, Triangle, Tam-Tam* (only if available), Tubular Bells *(only if available).MutesBaritones, all cornets and trombones will require metal straight mutes; all trombones and cornets will require cup mutes.*The Once and Future King was set as the test-piece for the 3rd section of the Swiss National Championships in 2007. The score was then slightly revised in July 2008, the main alteration being the exclusion of the tubular bells part for the Regional Championships of Great Britain in 2009. Some parts which were optional (or cued on other instruments) at the request of the Swiss Brass Band Association were restored to their original octaves and instruments. In 2015 the tubular bells part was restored in the optional Percussion 3 part; all parts in Percussion 3 are optional, although some are cued in the percussion 1 & 2 parts (and the cues should be played if only two players are available).Listen to a preview and follow along with the score below!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£25.95Hymn for Africa - Peter Meechan
Part of the Brass Band Aid SeriesBrass Band Aid is a Charitable Organisation formed by members of Stanhope Silver Band, based in the North of England. From an original aim to raise awareness of the Make Poverty History campaign in their local area, a brass band CD recording was planned. The initiative took on a whole new dimension when the collection of local bands performing on CD were then joined by, what is now known as, The Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band, made up of many of the top brass musicians in the country.Following the success of this initial project the Celebrity Band has come together again to record a new CD - "Into Africa". This is a compilation of pieces especially written for the recording by some of the most esteemed brass band writers of today. 'Hymn for Africa' is one such piece, generously contributed by Peter Meechan in support of the ongoing work of the charity."Hymn for Africa is inspired by the the release of Nelson Mandela in the early 1990's and the effect it had upon not only South Africa, but all over the continent of Africa, as well as the World as a whole. The fact that one man can achieve this with peace and great dignity will always be an inspiration, not only to me, but many, many millions of humans around the globe.sense of dignity and peace the composer . A simple 8 bar melody, first heard on an unaccompanied flugel horn at the beginning, is the basis of the composition. A drone is then added, before a chorale, and finally a rousing climax when the percussion and full band enter. The piece ends at it began, with a peaceful, unaccompanied, flugel solo." (Peter Meechan).All sets sold raise money for Brass Band Aid - a charity The Music Company has continued to actively support since 25.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£40.50
March to the Scaffold - Berlioz, H.
The journey to the scaffold of a man who has murdered his lover is the image behind the 4th movement from the Symphonie Fantastique (subtitled An Episode in the Life of an Artist). Berlioz' imagination, widely regarded as near insane during his lifetime, operated on the edge of musical possibility : his scoring for the orchestra, and particularly his use of harmony in non-standard ways was regarded as ignorant and primitive by non other than Mendelssohn. These factors are very clearly heard at work in this movement. Berlioz first made his reputation in England where his use of very large orchestral and choral forces gained an enthusiastic audience. The modern revival of interest in his music recommenced in England during the 1960s.
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£174.99The Turing Test (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Dobson, Simon
Alan Turing is considered the father of modern computational science and much, if not all, of our modern computer technology and the connectivity that we now take for granted is born of the work of this one great, but troubled man. His famous test was designed to prove whether artificial intelligence (AI) could successfully imitate human thought. The single movement of The Turing Test is essentially non-programmatic, but it does seek to show something of the emotion and colour of Turing's life in its different sections. The composer employs bi-tonality and complex rhythms to show opposing worlds colliding. At the end of each test, we must decide: has true AI been born? Duration: 19.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95Vissi d'arte - Christopher Bond
Vissi d'arte is a soprano aria from act 2 of the opera Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini. It is sung by Floria Tosca in total anguish, in the form of a prayer to God, asking 'why he rewards her thus?'. Just before the aria is performed (and the reason for its presence) Baron Scarpia, the chief of police, tells Tosca that in order to save her lover Cavaradossi's life, she must sleep with him. Vissi d'arte is Tosca's cry of anguish; she reasons that although she has never done anything wrong, she is still being faced with an impossible choice: either way, she will have to betray Cavaradossi, in the form of sleeping with another man, or not doing everything she could to save his life. This arrangement was made for Rose Hancock and City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) Brass Band for their performance at the 2020 Welsh Open Entertainment Contest.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£174.99The Turing Test - Simon Dobson
Alan Turing is considered the father of modern computational science and much, if not all, of our modern computer technology and the connectivity that we now take for granted is born of the work of this one great, but troubled man. His famous test was designed to prove whether artificial intelligence (AI) could successfully imitate human thought. The single movement of The Turing Test is essentially non-programmatic, but it does seek to show something of the emotion and colour of Turing's life in its different sections. The composer employs bi-tonality and complex rhythms to show opposing worlds colliding. At the end of each test, we must decide: has true AI beenborn?
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£20.00Scarborough Fair
DescriptionScarborough Fair is a traditional English ballad about the Yorkshire town of Scarborough. The song relates the tale of a young man who instructs the listener to tell his former love to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she completes these tasks he will take her back. Often the song is sung as a duet, with the woman then giving her lover a series of equally impossible tasks, promising to give him his seamless shirt once he has finished.As the versions of the ballad known under the title Scarborough Fair are usually limited to the exchange of these impossible tasks, many suggestions concerning the plot have been proposed, including the theory that it is about the Great Plague of the late Middle Ages. The lyrics of "Scarborough Fair" appear to have something in common with an obscure Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight which has been traced at least as far back as 1670 and may well be earlier. In this ballad, an elf threatens to abduct a young woman to be his lover unless she can perform an impossible task.As the song spread, it was adapted, modified, and rewritten to the point that dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century, although only a few are typically sung nowadays. The references to the traditional English fair, "Scarborough Fair" and the refrain "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" date to 19th century versions. A number of older versions refer to locations other than Scarborough Fair, including Wittingham Fair, Cape Ann, "twixt Berwik and Lyne", etc.The earliest notable recording of it was by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, a version which heavily influenced Simon and Garfunkel's later more famous version. Amongst many other recordings, the tune was used by the Stone Roses as the basis of their song "Elizabeth my Dear".
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£30.00Manhattan Spiritual - Tim Paton
I have arranged this incredibly memorable Big Band piece by Billy Maxted as a feature for the Timps and Kit, inspired by the man who made it famous, that spectacular drummer and showman - ERIC DELANEY -who, at the age of 83, is still performing in the UK and further afield. A book by Eddie Sammons about his astonishing career, including contributions from many famous artists and lots of amusing anecdotes, should be available in 27. The City of Lincoln Band inform me that this was one of their most popular items on their visit to Germany.The Timpani and Drum Kit parts will need good players. To get the best effect, a set of three timps is required, although an optional part for two timps is included. The timps and drums are coordinated, so the parts need to be played as written. For those bands with more than two percussionists, there is a third part, which, although optional, would certainly add to the overall effect. Although the Timp & Drum parts are technically demanding, the remainder of the parts are within the capability of most players."I'm sure this item will be a huge success with popular light music audiences everywhere". Robert Childs
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£59.99The New Covenant (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Curnow, James
Throughout The New Covenant the composer seeks to portray through programmatic music the sensitivity, love and understanding of a compassionate Christ and the strength and wisdom of the Son of God who gave Himself to become the new covenant between God and man. This descriptive work creates a word painting by use of fragments from John Newton's beautiful hymn 'How Sweet The Name of Jesus'. An ideal work for any concert but especially for those taking place in Churches or Cathedrals.Duration: 6:15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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