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£59.99Prelude on an Irish Folk Tune - Philip Sparke
The Irish folk tune, which appears towards the end of the piece, is Slane, a hymn tune version of the much older folk melody The Banks of the Bann. In Prelude on an Irish Folk Tune, fragments of the folk tune hint at what is to come later in the piece, but another folk-like tune is predominant. This later acts as a descant to Slane when it finally appears. Add a little Sparke sparkle to any concert with this lovely interlude.
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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£69.99Have Mercy, Lord - Johann Sebastian Bach - Philip Sparke
Have Mercy, Lord from J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion is one of the most beautiful arias from the baroque period. In Philip Sparke's arrangement, it is envisaged that the soloists stand together as a group stage right, while the other musicians stand behind to form the tutti group. This piece is easily playable for both the soloists and the band, and will create a beautiful moment of reflection whether performed on the concert stage or in a church.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99In the Bleak Mid-Winter - Gustav Holst - Philip Sparke
Christina Rossetti wrote the words to this famous Christmas carol in 1872 in response to a request from the magazine Scribner's Monthly for a Christmas poem. They were set to music by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) for inclusion in the first edition (1906) of The English Hymnal, edited by his life-long friend, Ralph Vaughan Williams. Philip Sparke has carefully arranged the beautiful melody into this delightful version for brass band. A must for any Christmas concert.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99MacArthur Park - Philip Sparke
Over a period of four decades Jimmy Webb (b. 1946) has written hits for a number of singers including Glen Campbell, Art Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Linda Ronstadt. His songs are often epic in character and include By the Time I Get to Phoenix; Up, Up and Away; Didn't We; Wichita Lineman and Galveston. MacArthur Park (1968) was unlike anything that had gone before it. Running at over 7 minutes, it is 2 or 3 times the length of most pop songs and has an extended orchestral interlude. Richard Harris' seminal recording topped the music charts in Europe, while peaking at number two on the U.S. charts. Philip Sparke has made this excellentarrangement for brass band, which is sure to become a regular feature on your concert programme.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Marchissimo - Philip Sparke
Marchissimo will make a fantastic opening piece for any concert. It does however come with a twist! It can be played simply as written, but is really designed to be 'staged' with players coming on the concert platform one by one as they begin to play. The piece actually consists of three marches in one, each of which highlights a section of the band. The piece culminates in a final climax where all three march themes are played simultaneously.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£59.99Madrigalum - Philip Sparke
The idea behind this work was to create an opening piece, something to start a concert in an unusual way. The title is a portmanteau word derived from madrigal. The work indeed begins in Renaissance mood however gradually tries to shake of its modal start and, by contrasting different instrumental families,the work changes into modern clothes.Why not add a little Renaissance splendor to any concert with this unique new work?
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£99.99Sparkling Brass - Philip Sparke
Sparkling Brass was commissioned by Osaka Concert Brass, one of Japan's top brass bands, and premiered by them on 27th December 2018 during a concert which celebrated their 10th Anniversary. The work opens in lively mood with fanfare-style figures from the lower band which are answered by the cornets. This interplay intensifies until the mood calms suddenly to introduce a chorale which leads to a duet-cadenza for cornet and euphonium. The rhythmic mood of the opening soon returns and leads to the main theme of the work, a modal caccia which features various section of the band. A short bridge passage leads to a change of key and a new cantabile theme which isintroduced by euphoniums and baritone. This is taken up by the full band after another change of key and leads back to the caccia theme. A transformed version of the opening fanfare returns to close the work.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£159.99Omaggio - Philip Sparke
Omaggio was commissioned by Steven Mead in celebration of his 60th birthday and in memory of his father, Rex. He gave the premiere of the brass band version in Rome in March 2022, accompanied by the Italian Brass Band conducted by Filippo Cangiamilla. The concert band premiere took place on 6th July that year as part of the 2022 Spanish International Tuba Euphonium Conference, accompanied by the Banda municipal de musica de Malaga. The concerto is set in 3 continuous movements, which are united by a recurring syncopated interval of a fifth. The first movement, FANTASIA, opens with this motive accompanying an extended monologue for the soloist. This is followed by a lengthy bridge passage by the band (piano), which is eventually joined by the soloist, who guides the music back to the opening soliloquy, leading to an energetic central section. This develops until the opening material again returns to introduce the second movement, BALLAD, which revolves around an expressive melody for the soloist, interspersed by accompanied cadenzas. The third movement, THE KING TRIUMPHANT, pays homage to Steven's late father, Rex, and its title alludes both to Rex's name ('Rex' being Latin for 'king') as well as his love of Eric Ball's Salvationist masterpiece, The Kingdom Triumphant. The finale is an energetic tour-de-force featuring an acrobatic 6/8 melody, which is interrupted twice by the magnificent hymn tune, Helmsley, which Ball uses so effectively in The Kingdom Triumphant. A galloping coda brings the work to a close.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£69.99Sarabande and Polka - Sir Malcolm Arnold - Philip Sparke
In 1956 Sir Kenneth MacMillan created a one-act ballet for the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, London. He selected the music from the two sets of English Dances which Sir Malcolm Arnold had written in 1950 and 1951 to great acclaim. The composer wrote two new dances, a Sarabande and a Polka, especially for the ballet, which was premiered at Sadler's Wells Theatre in June 1956. The two new dances have taken on a life of their own in the concert hall and are typical Arnold: the Sarabande contains one of his most memorable melodies and the Polka shows him at his quirky, tongue-in-cheek best.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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