Results
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£69.99South Down Pictures - Philip Sparke
South Down Pictures was commissioned by Millenium Brass 2000, an organisation comprising three brass bands from the county of Sussex, England.The bands (Patcham Silver, Hangleton and Brighton Silver) had got together to organise many events to mark the new millennium and these culminated in a concert in Hove Town Hall on July 9th 2000 when all three bands combined to give the first performance of South Down Pictures. The composer spent much of his childhood amongst the South Downs, a range of hills in Sussex which runs parallel to the sea.Opening with a strong unison passage, interrupted briefly by faster figures based on the interval of a fifth, South Down Picturesdevelops with an often-passionate legato melody. Reaching a climax, this is then followed by the main vivo section of the work, whose main theme is based on the earlier 'fifth' figures. A bridge passage leads to a short chorale figure and a rhythmic climax which dissolves into a plaintive cornet solo over staccato chords. This theme is taken up by the whole band and leads back to a recapitulation of the main theme and earlier material. The cornet tune returns triumphantly in the major key before the opening unison passage reappears to provide a stirring coda.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Salute to a Hero - Philip Sparke
It is a tradition at Marlow High School, Oklahoma, that the band members' parents host a Band Banquet every May, at which the senior members of the band present a gift to the band director as a token of gratitude for his year's work. In 2009, clarinet player Brenna Hensley had the idea to commission a new piece from composer Philip Sparke to present to band director Billy Daniel, which would be played at the Spring Concert later that month. Salute to a Hero was the result.The piece opens with a decorated fanfare played on cornets and trombones and, after a short bridge passage, this reappears, played by the full band. A central lyrical section brings a mood of calm, utilisingdifferent brass colours, before the fanfare returns to close the work.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£87.99Centennial Salute - Philip Sparke
Just based on its title, this piece has to be celebratory and up-beat, which it is! It opens with a stately fanfare, first played on the low brass before the entire band joins in. This gives way to a contrasting lyrical theme which develops until it joins up with the fanfare to complete the opening section. A lively and heavily syncopated vivo follows, cast as a traditional march, complete with a 'bass strain' and trio. After the original march theme returns, a climax leads back to a reprise of the majestic opening, which brings the piece to an appropriately triumphant close.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£67.50
Alice in Wonderland - Danny Elfman - Michael Brown
Lewis Carroll's novel Alice in Wonderland served as the basis for the new Walt Disney film. From Danny Elfman's soundtrack, Michael Brown used the titles Alice Returns, Alice's Theme and Bandersnatched for his enchanting medley that has been adapted for brass band by Klaas van der Woude.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£104.99High Flyers - Andrew R. Mackereth
From the composer: High Flyers are regarded as people with promise and potential.They are winners. This is music for winners.The title, as well as being a play-on-words, implies the nature of the work. It is a bright, optimistic, and upbeat piece attempting to depict an exhilarating ride on flying carpet. The opening rising chords immediately suggest the gentle elevation of the carpets' ascent towards unknown heights, leading to a hint of a first theme in the horns at Fig. B. The first four notes provide the thematic material for the whole work: C F G A.A perpetual sense of movement is achieved through accented quaver chords punctuating the melodicmaterial of the first main theme. Fig. E sees the music of the opening bars fully realised, with flourishes from the euphonium and baritones representing swirling clouds, shooting stars, or passing birds in flight.The same subject is developed into a lyrical second theme with a new lush harmonic treatment, evocative of gliding over an expanse of sparse countryside.This section ends with a note of serenity but is shattered by the urgent insistence of the percussion rhythms.The third section introduces a new idea with a slightly distorted fanfare in the cornets and trombones. This figure suggests for the first time that there may be trouble ahead. In fact, there is no need to fear and the journey can continue without aggravation. This fanfare returns near the end to signal a final note of triumph.A new rhythmic variant of the cell motif emerges as the third theme now transformed by the addition of a triplet figure. The music steadily gains momentum before moving inexorably towards the climactic return of the music and tonality of the opening bars of the piece.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Cavatina for Cornet - Philip Sparke
In this solo work - a commission for an 18th birthday present - the opening mood of a brooding modal blues gives way momentarily to a more optimistic central section.Following an emotional climax and reflective cadenza, the opening material returns, but now tying in with the central section, and the piece fi nally ends in a more positive mood.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£76.99Oregon - Jacob de Haan
This fantasy tells the story of Oregon, one of Americas north-western states. Traveling by train on the Northern Pacific Railroad, the listener is taken through the fascinating Oregon landscape. Indians, cowboys, golddiggers and hooded wagons will file past on this adventurous journey. The piece has some similarities with a soundtrack of a movie. Various melodies, which could be the main themes of a movie, pass the review.The piece begins in a slow movement, introducing the first theme in minor. Then we hear in the following fast movement the trombones imitate the train, whistling the steam-flute. We hear the characteristic minor theme again, but now in differentvariants(also in major). The rythmic structure of 'western' stile and rock succeed each other. This is leading to the slow movement, where the signals of horns and trumpets introduce a wonderful vocal melody. After this characteristic melody, the fast movement appears shortly again, the trombones whistling the steam-flute again (now in major). We hear also some musical elements, that plays a part in the following Presto. Barchanges, jazzy chords, interesting rhytmic patterns (with bongo) and an original theme are the characteristics of this Presto. After this, the horns announce the last section of the piece. Interesting is the fact that we hear in this Allegro section a variant of the vocal melody in the slow movement. Also the Presto theme returns shortly, followed by the Allargando, which is a grand characteristic end of a soundtrack. The movie of our travelling fantasy has come to an end.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£118.99Sinfonietta no. 1 - Johan de Meij
Sinfonietta No. 1, written for brass band, was commissioned by the Dutch National Championships 2011 in Groningen. It also served as the test piece for the Swiss National Championships 2011 in Montreux, Switzerland. Unlike most of Johan de Meij's compositions, Sinfonietta No. 1 is an abstract, non-programmatic work. It consists of three movements, in which the thematic material of the opening measures - an upward fifth jump - returns in various shapes and forms throughout the piece. The slow middle section features solo passages by cello, English horn and bassoon, all starting with the same fifth jump. The final movement presents an Elgar-like march theme,interspersed with quotes from the second movement, and ending with the opening theme of movement I.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£95.00Tenor Horn Concerto 'Three Gods' (Tenor Horn Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
Edward Gregson's Tenor Horn Concerto (Three Gods) was commissioned by the Belgian tenor horn soloist Tim de Maeseneer for a recording of commissioned works he made in 2024 with his own band, Brass Band Willebroek.The subtitle of 'Three Gods' refers to three mythological Greek Gods: Zeus, Hermes and Apollo. The idea for this came from Gregson's Viola Concerto, which he composed in 2023 and which was similarly subtitled 'Three Goddesses'. Indeed, the first movement of the horn concerto shares some common material with the viola concerto, although the other movements are newly composed.The concerto exploits the noble character of the horn, but the writing is also virtuosic in character as well as lyrical and melodic, demanding an extended playing range of nearly four octaves with a variety of colouration in its sonorities. The unifying motif of the whole concerto is the interval of a rising 5th, heard at the outset. The opening also has some other surprises (both seen and heard).The musical ideas, cast in three separate movements, take their starting point from the characters of the Three Gods in the title:Zeus, ruled as King of the Gods on Mount Olympus, and was the God of Thunder and Lightning and of War. His music is often threatening and violent, but also has a more tender side as portrayed in the lyrical second subject. However, the dominant mood is one of foreboding.Hermes was the great messenger to the Gods who could travel between realms on his winged sandals. Thus, his music is fast, fleet of foot, and mercurial - a dashing scherzo, but with lyrical and expressive moments.Apollo, the God of Music and Dance (and the Sun), symbolises virtue and beauty. This final movement, 'Hymn to Apollo', is mainly slow and hymn-like and cast in a continuous stream of melody passed between soloist and band. Brief fanfares herald a triumphant march, before the music returns to its quiet opening, gradually rising to a triumphant climax with glittering melodic percussion leading the way. The music ends in a blaze of glory!Duration: 17.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£91.99Fanfares, Songs & Dances (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
Fanfares, Songs & Dances was commissioned by Brass Bands England, the Lithuanian Brass Band Association and the Dutch National Brass Band Championships (NBK), and first performed at the 43rd 'NBK' in October 2024.The work is played in three linked movements:FANFARES opens in robust fashion with a sequence of fanfare-like statements, initially featuring the horns, whose modal theme includes a figure that will reappear throughout the work. Euphoniums and then cornets introduce a second theme, which is followed by a third, again initiated by the horns. Baritones then change the mood with a more-lyrical theme, which builds to a climax, eventually leading back to a recall of the initial fanfare theme. This gradually dissolves to introduce the second movement.SONGS continues to relax the fanfare feel with a long introduction to the movement's main theme, first appearing on solo cornet. A change of key introduces a bridge passage which leads to a sonorous chorale, which builds to a triumphal return of the cornet theme. A peaceful coda leads to the final movement of the work.DANCES is a scherzo-like movement based around a series of rhythmic melodies in triple time, which lead to a majestic return of the 2nd movement's chorale theme under cornet figuration. The opening dance theme returns and heralds a joyous coda.Duration: 11.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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