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£64.95Adam Zero, Suite from (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bliss, Arthur - Childs, Robert
Selected as the Section 2 test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025Following his ballet Checkmate, Bliss composed another score for the, by then, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Miracle in the Gorbals, which was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, to a scenario by Michael Benthall. Premired in 1944, the ballet made a considerable impact and was a box-office success. It was followed in turn by a further collaboration with Helpmann and Benthall, Adam Zero. This would serve Helpmann, in the eponymous role, as a vehicle in two respects: demonstrating his gifts as a dancer-actor and as a choreographer. First performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 8 April 1946, Adam Zero was conducted by Constant Lambert, the work's dedicatee. Bliss considered it 'his most varied and exciting ballet score'. Benthall provided a synopsis for the programme:There is a philosophy that life moves in an endless series of timeless cycles. As Nature passes through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so man is born, makes a success in his own particular sphere, loses his position to a younger generation, sees his world crumble before his eyes and only finds peace in death. This age-old story is told in terms of a Company creating a ballet and calling on the resources of the theatre to do so. Lighting, stage mechanism, dance conventions, musical forms and costumes and scenery of all periods are used to symbolize the world of 'Adam Zero'.Apart from Adam, as the Principal Dancer, other main roles included the Stage Director (representing Omnipotence), and Adam's Fates (Designer, Wardrobe Mistress, and Dresser). 'The Woman in this allegory', wrote Bliss, 'under the symbol of the Choreographer, was both the creator and destroyer of Adam: his first love, his wife, his mistress, and finally the figure of beneficent Death.' When the curtain rose, the 'audience saw the Covent Garden stage right back to the wall, completely empty except for the protagonists, 'the Company poised, still and expectant, as they await the birth of... Adam Zero.'Unfortunately, soon after the premire, Helpmann injured himself and had to withdraw from the remaining performances. Despite generally positive reviews, the ballet did not capture the imagination of audiences and, to Bliss's considerable disappointment, was not revived. Seventy years would elapse before its first major return to the stage, in 2016, performed by the ballet company of Stadttheater Bremerhaven with choreography by Sergei Vanaev.Bliss extracted a concert suite from the ballet, conducting its first performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 28 October 1948. For his own suite, arranged for brass band in 2023, Dr Robert Childs chose three dances linked to the seasons, book-ending them with the ebullient 'Fanfare Overture' and 'Fanfare Coda'. After Adam has grown to manhood, his Fates clothe him in a costume synonymous with confident youth, appropriate for the virile, ardent 'Dance of Spring'. In the 'Approach of Autumn', Adam, now wearing a sombre costume, has grown older: his Fates have streaked grey in his hair and put lines on his face. But they had earlier raised Adam to the zenith of his power, and the 'Dance of Summer' depicts him in the prime of life, in music of sweeping grandeur. The 'Fanfare Coda' signals that the next cycle of life is about to begin.Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£19.95Red Priest (Brass Band - Study Score) - Wilby, Philip
Concerto After VivaldiDuring his lifetime, Antonio Vivaldi was known as 'il Prete Rosso', the Red Priest, thanks to his youthful ordination and his flaming red hair. The son of a violinist at San Marco in Venice, Vivaldi's musical pedigree was impeccable and an excellent start to his career was coupled with astounding energy and productivity. His vast output of concerti grossi, using soloists in groups, inspired this composition and performers may choose appropriate stage positions for the various groupings of cornets and trombones, spaced around the performance area. The score quotes freely from some of Vivaldi's most popular compositions, including 'Winter' from The Four Seasons, the motet Nisi Dominus, the famous Gloria and the fugue from the Concerto grosso in D minor found in L'Estro Armonico.However, it is the musical spirit of Vivaldi, a close contemporary of both Handel and Casanova, that inspired this music, which should be played with a mixture of accuracy and abandoned virtuosity. The musical images in this piece have clear associations in the composer's mind with individual Venetian locations, ranging from bustling street scenes to vaulted interiors, and describing the famous journey down the Grand Canal, past the Doge's Palace, to the Ospedale della Pieta where Vivaldi worked for so many years.Duration: 14.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95
Red Priest (Brass Band - Score only) - Wilby, Philip
Concerto After VivaldiDuring his lifetime, Antonio Vivaldi was known as 'il Prete Rosso', the Red Priest, thanks to his youthful ordination and his flaming red hair. The son of a violinist at San Marco in Venice, Vivaldi's musical pedigree was impeccable and an excellent start to his career was coupled with astounding energy and productivity. His vast output of concerti grossi, using soloists in groups, inspired this composition and performers may choose appropriate stage positions for the various groupings of cornets and trombones, spaced around the performance area. The score quotes freely from some of Vivaldi's most popular compositions, including 'Winter' from The Four Seasons, the motet Nisi Dominus, the famous Gloria and the fugue from the Concerto grosso in D minor found in L'Estro Armonico.However, it is the musical spirit of Vivaldi, a close contemporary of both Handel and Casanova, that inspired this music, which should be played with a mixture of accuracy and abandoned virtuosity. The musical images in this piece have clear associations in the composer's mind with individual Venetian locations, ranging from bustling street scenes to vaulted interiors, and describing the famous journey down the Grand Canal, past the Doge's Palace, to the Ospedale della Pieta where Vivaldi worked for so many years.Duration: 14.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£84.95
Red Priest (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wilby, Philip
Concerto After VivaldiDuring his lifetime, Antonio Vivaldi was known as 'il Prete Rosso', the Red Priest, thanks to his youthful ordination and his flaming red hair. The son of a violinist at San Marco in Venice, Vivaldi's musical pedigree was impeccable and an excellent start to his career was coupled with astounding energy and productivity. His vast output of concerti grossi, using soloists in groups, inspired this composition and performers may choose appropriate stage positions for the various groupings of cornets and trombones, spaced around the performance area. The score quotes freely from some of Vivaldi's most popular compositions, including 'Winter' from The Four Seasons, the motet Nisi Dominus, the famous Gloria and the fugue from the Concerto grosso in D minor found in L'Estro Armonico.However, it is the musical spirit of Vivaldi, a close contemporary of both Handel and Casanova, that inspired this music, which should be played with a mixture of accuracy and abandoned virtuosity. The musical images in this piece have clear associations in the composer's mind with individual Venetian locations, ranging from bustling street scenes to vaulted interiors, and describing the famous journey down the Grand Canal, past the Doge's Palace, to the Ospedale della Pieta where Vivaldi worked for so many years.Suitable for Championship Section BandsDuration: 14.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£45.00The Pilgrim - Josiah Walters
Josiah describes his composition'The Pilgrim' as a journey of development and emotion, encompassing three key stages of emotional state: from the opening sounds which are full of anticipation and uncertainty, through to a passage of disillusionment and frustration, then moving on to a concluding stage which reintroduces the positive elements of the opening optimism, yet closing quietly, symbolizing an inner peace and contentment at the end of the musical journey.The composer's emotive approach to the creation of the work embraces a wealth of passion, anguish and enlightenment. Through his use of imaginative melody, themes and harmonic texture, Josiah has represented a collection of powerful emotions. Essentially non-programmatic, the piece opens in a contemplative manner, building with enthusiasm, and first introducing the use of bells and bell effects as a musical metaphor which is used throughout the piece to signify the journey's destination.As the sentiment continues, the music evolves in to an Allegro Furioso section, opening up a strong sense of frustration. At this section's climax, the symbolic use of the bells is reintroduced to create an over-tone of hope and purpose, although this does not last long as they fade into the Misterioso Molto Rubato section.As the melodies and harmonies develop onwards, 'The Pilgrim' evolves into a more reflective phase, reintroducing the sounds and motifs of the more strident opening.This closing section symbolizes the realisation that everything needed was already available to The Pilgrim, but travelling the journey, confronting and overcoming all of the challenges was the only route of discovery - peacefulness prevails, bringing the work to a close with a sense of contentment and enlightenment.'The Pilgrim', highly emotive in its creation, offers a wealth of musical imagery.Even to the uninformed listener, this fascinating, powerful and beautiful work stirs and stimulates a variety of emotional reactions - offering each listener an opportunity to apply the music to their own journey, their own personal pilgrimage.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£44.14Abberline (Euphonium Solo with Brass Band) Karl Whelan
Inspired by the infamous investigation into Jack the Ripper, Abberline follows Detective Inspector Frederick Abberline through the mist-shrouded streets of Victorian London in his desperate pursuit of a killer who remains forever just out of reach. Scored for brass band and solo euphonium, the piece blends atmospheric textures, shifting musical identities, and virtuosic demands to capture a narrative that is as haunting as it is unresolved. The piece opens in a world of shadows - the foggy alleys of Whitechapel - where tension simmers beneath the surface. The euphonium enters cautiously, as if stalking unseen figures, echoing the danger and uncertainty that cloaked the city in fear. This eerie calm is broken suddenly: the Ripper strikes. The moment is brief but brutal, leaving only silence and horror in its wake. From here, the music shifts into an uneasy, angular waltz: the figure of Abberline takes center stage, portrayed by the soloist as he investigates the aftermath. The waltz is melodically off-kilter and harmonically unstable, capturing both the grotesque nature of the crime and the detective's mental burden. The scene then returns to the streets - but this time, the musical material is more intricate, fragmented, and tense. The threat has deepened, and again the silence is shattered by violence. A second, slightly altered waltz follows, further reflecting Abberline's obsessive descent into the case. In the final section, the chase begins in earnest. Themes from earlier return in quick succession, intensified and overlapping as time runs out. The ancient Dies Irae chant is woven into the texture, evoking fate and judgment. In a final, erratic surge, the euphonium and band race toward an ending that is breathless and unresolved - a reflection of history's unanswered questions and the ghost that always stayed one step ahead. To view a rolling score video of the work please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i59xYzJRMaI Duration: approx. 7.30 minutes This PDF download includes parts and score. Sheet music available at www.brassband.co.uk (UK) or www.cimarronmusic.com (USA) Instrumentation: Euphonium Soloist Bb Soprano Cornet Eb Solo Cornet 1-2 & 3-4 Bb Repiano Cornet Bb 2nd Cornet Bb 3rd Cornet Bb Flugel Horn Bb Solo Horn Eb 1st Horn Eb 2nd Horn Eb 1st Baritone Bb 2nd Baritone Bb 1st Trombone Bb 2nd Trombone Bb Bass Trombone Euphonium (tutti) Bb Bass Eb Bass Bb Timpani Percussion 1-3
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£69.95Ceremony - Jonathan Bates
DIFFICULTY: 2nd+. DURATION: 10'00". 'Ceremony' was commisioned by Musica da Domat, Switzerland and their Musical Director Gian Stecher in 2019. The concept of the work revolves around a number of religious processions which take place around the mountainous region of Graubunden in the south of the country and in more musical terms, a specific setting of the 'Stabat Mater' (heard in fragments throughout the piece, but only at the finale is it heard in it's entirety) which is traditionally the ceremonies around this area. Through-composed yet in 4 clear sections, 'Ceremony' opens with 3 fanafare trumpets/cornets positioned antiphonally across the back of the stage, each paired with a different pitched tenor drum, and in a different key - inspired by the idea of being able to hear the different ceremonies from all regions of Graubunden echoing up the valley in equal strength. Following this opening fanfare section, the procession around the hills begins with a tongue-in-cheek quasi-march in a far more upbeat and jovial mood. The centrepiece of the work is simply entitled 'Echoes', and once again returns to the idea of music breaking the almost eerie-silence as it reverberates around the vast valleys, before the culmination of the piece returns to material from the opening 'Ceremony' section in a more grandioso and bold style. . .
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£74.00
A New Life (Bra) - Leslie Bricusse & Frank Wildhorn - Paul Saggers
Jekyll & Hyde is a 1990 musical loosely based on the 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Originally conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, it features music by Frank Wildhorn, a book by Leslie Bricusse and lyrics by all of them. After a world premiere run in Houston, Texas, the musical embarked on a national tour of the United States prior to its Broadway debut in 1997. Many international productions in various languages have since been staged including two subsequent North American tours, two tours in the United Kingdom, a concert version, a re-vamped US tour in 2012, a 2013 Broadway revival featuring Constantine Maroulis, and an Australian concert version in 2019. A New Life depicts Jekyll's love interest Lucy, dreaming for a new life without the fear of Hyde, however Hyde enters and finds a love note from Dr Jekyll to Lucy. In a fit of jealousy Hyde stabs her to death not knowing that he himself is Dr Jekyll.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£72.00
Spikke-sage-lime-banke (Fra "Putti Plutti Pott og Julenissens skjegg") - Per Asplin - Haakon Esplo
The popular children's musical Putti Plutti Pott og Julenissens skjegg ( Plutti Plutti Pott and Santa Claus' beard) was composed by Per Asplin in 1969. It tells the story of the little boy Plutti Plutti Pott who travel to Uncle Per, Petter and Caroline with the magical beard of Santa Claus.The musical was released both as a novel, on recorings and an television version was made in 1970. The stage version from 1987 is still very popular in Norway with many sell-out shows before Christmas each years..The funny song "Spikke-Sage-Lime-Banke" which means whittle, saw, glue and knock, may be more known to many listeners as Vi ma finne skjegget ("We Must Find The Beard").
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£149.99Redbad (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - De Haan, Jan
A Musical PortraitRedbad was written for the Championship Section of the Dutch Brass Band Championships, and thus it contains plenty of musical and technical challenges. In this work of seven connected movements we get to know Redbad, who was the King of the Frisians from c. 680 to 719. The composer drew his inspiration from historical information, but also from stories, anecdotes, myths and legends around this figure. The themes within the composition are closely interwoven whereas the music is varied and appealing, from heroic motifs to the melancholy of elegies. Impressive tutti passages alternate with fragments that sound more open and in which various players can take centre stage. To crown it all, the work concludes with a majestic finale.Duration: 17.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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