Results
-
£80.00St. Magnus - Kenneth Downie
Dedicated to Alastair Massey, an inspirational music teacher. Commissioned by the Scottish Brass Band Association for the 2004 European Brass Band Championships in Glasgow. This music is a set of variations on the tune known as St Magnus, which is attributed to Jeremiah Clarke. Most people will associate it with Thomas Kelly's hymn which begins: "The Head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now". The tune is very simple, consisting of just two, four-bar phrases. Neither is there much in the way of rhythmic variety, every note being a crotchet with the exception of two quavers, and the last note in each phrase. Within such a simple structure, however, lies considerable strength. THEME The listener is given the opportunity of hearing it twice, in full, at the beginning, starting with one player but soon taken up by the full ensemble. It returns in the middle of the music and is stated again near the end. This has been done quite deliberately in the hope that there will be an appreciation of what material is being developed, by the listener as well as by those with access to the score, who are able to see the visual connections. VARIATION 1 This takes the rhythm of the last part of the theme and also uses the shape of the opening as a recurring figure. The mood is whimsical and skittish, with short, teasing rhythmic figures tossed around the band, and quick interplay with percussion, at a fast tempo. An energetic flourish finishes this variation before the Andante espress. VARIATION 2 This commences with chords related to the opening of Variation 1. The cantabile on solo comets establishes a new, lyrical mood and there is scope for expressive playing in a series of short solo passages. The theme works its way unobtrusively into the texture before a reprise of the solo cornet melody and some more lyrical interchanges between Eb bass, euphonium, flugel horn and comets. The variation ends serenely with clear references to the last phrase of the theme. VARIATION 3 The first idea to dominate is clearly linked to the shape of the theme's first phrase. There is a frenetic feel to much of this variation, with considerable energy and instability created by extensive use of cross-rhythms. A thinning-out of the score marks a clear change to development of the start of the second phrase of the theme. This proves to be short-lived however, and the opening material returns leading to a restatement of the theme, "Maestoso," after which a euphonium cadenza links to Variation 4. VARIATION 4 Here we have some solos for euphonium, cornet, trombone and Eb bass set against a background of horns and baritones presenting a pensive statement of the theme's opening. VARIATION 5 This commences Allegro, with lively work for cornet and euphonium spreading to the whole band before attention focuses on the beginning of the second phrase of the theme which is initially presented in diminution, then in regular rhythm, then in inversion. An increase in tempo coupled with a decrease in volume, requires dexterity and control, with several metrical challenges thrown in for good measure. The same fragment of phrase becomes an ostinato which generates a frenzied climax, punctuated by short, dramatic silence, before the opening figure returns and the music gradually winds down. The tubular bells herald the final return of the theme, in augmentation, marking the start of the Finale. FINALE This features the running semiquavers of the previous variation sounding in counterpoint. A fast, furious coda speeds the work to a conclusion while references to the opening of the theme are still trying to break into the texture of the music. Kenneth Downie
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£122.10Den store dagen - Benny Borg - Bjørn Morten Kjærnes
This beautiful song contains a huge contrast between the hopeful and the disappointing. A mother has her birthday and is waiting her children to celebrate it. Each verse starts optimistically, but the short chorus is characterized by the disappointment, that everyone calls, and cannot come. This has been tried recreated musically, mostly in the last two choruses, as it dawns on her that she will not receive a visit. It's a beautiful tune, but with a serious message that it's easy to take someone for granted.One of the elements Hjorring Brass Band (DK) came up with after rehearsal, was that they really liked the change between the ballad parts with even eights and the swing parts. This also gives the piece a sense of "parlando" character, which tells a story, and is therefore important to focus. It is not quite simple, as the melody also in those parts with even eights has some triplet rhythms. Therefore, this is a topic you can work on very consciously.If you have heard the Wind Band version, you can notice that both keys and modulation are different in the Brass Band arrangement to sound better for this instrumentation.Regarding instrumentation, Flugelhorn, Solo Horn and Euphonium have important roles, in addition to Solo Cornet.It is also possible to use a vocal soloist, but then you have to soften the melody voices, especially, where small variations in the melody have been made for the wind instruments.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£54.95Sonata - Derek Bourgeois
This work, composed in 1998, was commissioned by the American trombonist Don Lucas as a work for trombone and piano and first performed by him in Birmingham on 19th May 2000. Subsequently, I arranged the music for both solo trombone and brass band and solo trombone and wind band so that it now exists in three formats. The first movement, in B flat major, is brisk and energetic, and is cast in sonata form. The second subject is gentler and more lyrical. The second movement, a scherzo in C major, is the most complex of the four. Basically the structure is a rond. For a long time the music remains in the opening 5/8 time until a new theme introduces more broken rhythms in a more jazzy idiom. After a return of the opening theme the following episode is more tonally ambiguous. Finally, the main theme returns to round off the movement. The third movement, a lyrical adagio, is really one long extended melodic flow. The harmonies are lush and the textures simple and direct. The tonal center is A minor, but the music meanders through so many keys, that this key centre is heavily disguised. The finale is a fiery affair. G minor is really its home key, but throughout the movement the music moves about a lot and the second subject is first heard in A flat minor. The movement's underlying sonata structure is masked not only by its loose tonality but also by its frequently changing time signatures. Like the first movement the second subject is more lyrical in nature and for a while it seems that the music will end peacefully, but a final flurry heralds a triple forte unison on the home note of the first movement - B flat. Derek Bourgeois
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£188.50
Fansa da Matasa - Reid Gilje
"Fansa da Matasa" was written for Norwegian Brass Band Felleskorpset Askoy, today named Ravnanger Brass.The piece is divided into six main parts where the last one includes the hymn "Colne";Part 1 starts slowly, but rhythmically where the intensity grows towards a virtuosic Part 2.Part 2 feature a demaning solo for xylophone (bars 55 to 63). A simplified version of this solo is included in the part.Part 3 starts with some declamatory cadences and continue with several solos before it closed with a larger tutti-part.Part 4 has to be played well firmly and rhythmically. The melody is more of a cantabile style.Part 5 is a beautiful and quiet one with a touch of melancholy. (Small notes in Baritone to played if necessary).Part 6 has to be played with a rhythmic drive and intensity. The hymn "Colne" starts at bar 248 and should be played with a sostenuto-style.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£79.99Variants on an English Hymn Tune - Philip Sparke
This set of variations on the well-known hymn tune Holy, holy, holy! will make a most satisfying addition to the solo repertoire for euphonuim and brass band. It is in the traditional air varie form with an introduction, theme and 3 variations. The original melody (known as Nicaea) was composed by John Bacchus Dykes' especially for Reginald Heber's renowned hymn of praise and became universally popular when it was included in Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861. A beautiful solo that will test the soloists ability to show true emotion.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£119.99Delta Energy - Jan Bosveld
The assignment to write a test piece for the National Brass Band Championships ended up also being a 'test piece' for myself as a composer. Although being quite familiar with the Brass Band phenomenon, as a composer I still have the feeling ofbeing an outsider. Delta Energy turned out to be a non-program composition. The Brass Band as orchestra form is depicted musically in this piece. All the specific characteristics are portrayed in varying settings. Solo passages for Euphonium,Flugelhorn and Cornet alternating with extensive tutti-passages and of course technical highlights form the ingredients for this work written in rhapsodic form. The title "Delta Energy" is derived from a project of the N.V. NederlandseGasunie in Groningen which also contributed in making this composition possible.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£65.40Interlude - Andrew Pearce
As a young man, Andrew Pearce had fond memories of playing Cornet in the local Youth Brass Band, where he first experienced the power and beauty of brass music. After completing 'Maestro' concertino for Philip Cobb, he decided to write a more gentle and lyrical piece for him, which paid homage to his musical roots in the Salvation Army. 'Interlude' is ideal for a proficient solo cornet player in any brass band: tuneful, reflective and elegiac with lots of expression.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£154.99A Road Less Travelled By - Philip Sparke
A Road Less Travelled By was commissioned by Palangos Orkestras for the Championship Section of the 2020 European Brass Band Championships held in Palanga, Lithuania. The title alludes to a poem by American author, Robert Frost, which appeared in his 1916 collection, Mountain Intervals. In common with most of the composer's larger works, the piece is not programmatic, but purely abstract. The choice of title shares Sparke's view of how composers can often develop. There can be no 'destination' in a composer's career, but rather a continuing journey to an unknown place. Set in three movements, which play without a break, A Road Less Travelled By opens with a Moto Perpetuo firmly rooted in classical language, form and syntax. A continuous river of semiquavers, veering from melody to accompaniment and back again, adds drive, energy and motion. The second movement, Nocturne, is in the form of a free fantasia; solos for vibraphone, flugel horn and euphonium set the stage for a central cornet solo, quietly echoed by the full band. A triumphal climax is reached before the movement dissolves into a Scherzo Finale. A brief coda based on earlier material drives the piece to a close.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£127.30Skogtrollet - Hans Peter Nielsen - Øystein Sjøvaag Heimdal
The Wood Troll was composed in 1950 for bassoon solo with orchestra.This arrangement is written for tuba soloist (Eb or Bb) with brass band.It's a funny and challenging piece for an intermediate soloist.To the conductorPlease pay attention to the dynamics when the soloist play. To make shure that the balance between soloist and accompaniment is good, it's preferred toomit some players in the biggest sections of the band.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£40.00Shackleton's Cross - Howard Goodall
Shackleton s Cross was inspired by a painting created in 1957 by the English artist Edward Seago (1910 1974). The title refers to a cross which was erected to the memory of Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led a number of explorations to the Antarctic. Shackleton died in 1922 whilst on a Polar expedition, and the cross can be found on a promontory at the entrance to the bay at Grytviken Whaling Station in South Georgia. The painting is owned by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and was part of an exhibition at Buckingham Palace from October 2011 to April 2012. Originally scored for oboe, trumpet and small orchestra, Daniel Hall s sensitive arrangement fortrumpet or cornet and brass band follows the composer s alternative version for solo trumpet and organ, created for Crispian Steele-Perkins (trumpet) and David Goode (organ).
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
View Music