Results
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£30.00Homage to Bach - Chris Houlding
Inspired by the master of counterpoint, Homage to Bach was written by Chris as an exercise in simplicity itself, designed to not only test the musicians playing skills and sense of style, but to encourage them to develop their "ensemble radar" through carefully listening, fine tuning, subtle dynamics and variation in articulation. The brass band has a long tradition of using chorales and hymns as a training exercise. As an alternative to existing hymn tunes, I have composed this simple chorale melody in three verses with a short introduction and links to specifically develop a quality 'tutti' band sound. Certain parts are doubled allowing performances by incomplete bands while presenting full outfits with an intonation and stylistic challenge. The printed phrasing is to be adhered to at all times regarding breaths, thus producing a seamless counterpoint. Simple yet satisfying for a quieter and atmospheric concert interlude.
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£30.00I Saw Three Ships - Traditional
This is a traditional English carol rumoured to have originated in Derbyshire. The earliest printed version is from the 17th century and the familiar version was later published in William Sandys' collection of 'Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern' in 1833. There are numerous theories as to the meaning of the carol's words; after all, Bethlehem, the place of Jesus' birth is not a coastal location. It has been suggested that the ships are actually camels (ships of the desert) used by the Magi for their visit to the baby Jesus. My arrangement takes advantage of the traditional 'jig' style of this carol to add a little 'Celtic' flavour.
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£30.00Meanwhile - Jock McKenzie
Just imagine being free of stress, anxiety, time pressures, workload & the general 'busy-ness' of everyday life... For the lucky few that may find themselves in this position, the clock keeps ticking for the rest of us. "Meanwhile" seeks to represent the relentless challenges of the 'everyday'. It is a full-on, driving swing number, very much in the style of a big band chart. In my orchestration of this piece I have deliberately treated the brass dectet somewhat similarly to that of a big band / jazz orchestra. The two 'rows' of four trumpets and four trombones are employed in the typical way, with the horn representing a unison / octave saxophone section. The tuba busily walks around the harmonic foundation of the piece. This piece was conceived out of the chaos of an overcrowded school music department. In one room I was rehearsing a brass ensemble whilst the other side of a (very) thin wall was a saxophone group attempting to make themselves heard over our dulcet tones. The brass ensemble would stop regularly to receive pearls of wisdom from yours truly, MEANWHILE the saxes could be heard in these gaps, plodding through their material. This seemed to go on interminably. In this piece the independent horn line represents the work weary saxes; occasionally breaking through the textures of the other brass lines. J.M.
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£30.00No Other Option - Jock McKenzie
I seem to have taught a number of students in recent years who have either embarked on medical careers or are studying to do so. Whether it be our beleaguered NHS in general or the working conditions of Junior Doctors in particular, sentiments naturally run high. I was asked & inspired to write a piece for some of these 'medical musicians' to perform in situations of protest or industrial action; situations in which they felt there was "No OtherOption" than to make their feelings known through their chosen path of protest. There is a deliberate irony in the fact that this piece is written in the style of an upbeat and good-humoured folk reel.
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£30.00O Tannenbaum - Traditional German Carol
O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional 15th century folk song it became associated with the fir tree, traditionally used as a Christmas tree in German tradition. By the early 20th century it was being sung as a Christmas carol. The modern lyrics were written in 1824 by Ernst Anschutz, sourcing his material from an old 16th century Silesian folk song by Melchior Frank. My arrangement presents the traditional material in a full-on, big band swing style.
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£30.00Quarks & Things - Jock McKenzie
In the world of physics, a 'quark' is one of the smallest known particles of matter. They were present at the Big Bang and theory suggests that within 5 minutes of this most momentous of events they were already teaming up with other particles to form the building blocks of our very existence. Musically I had a very small idea, nothing more than a one bar motif including the often-used triplet figure which I endeavoured to make into something more substantial; much as quarks do themselves. The finished product is wrapped up in a street swing feel in an attempt to evoke the funkier edge of the New Orleans style brass bands.
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£30.00See Ya Later - Jock McKenzie
This is my attempt to write an encore type piece in a South African 'township' style - inspired by some of the great South African musicians such as Abdulla Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela and Dudu Pukwana. So much of their music really wore a smile - J.M.
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£40.00Tientos y Danzas - Gareth Wood
Tientos y Danzas is a suite in four movements and was written especially for Superbrass. It is not literally descriptive, but conjures up a breezy, festive atmosphere. The title Tientos stems from the fact that a lot of the brass writing is reminiscent of virtuosic Renaissance keyboard finger-work (a "Tiento" is the Spanish equivalent of a toccata). Only later did we discover that the word is also the name of a style of flamenco dancing, which links nicely with Danzas (dances). The first movement is an extended fanfare, with military rhythms on the tenor drums and dramatic trumpet and horn calls. Next comes a witty waltz featuring the French horn. The music builds in complexity; the main horn theme returns before a playful coda. The following Andante makes effective use of the mutes, both in the haunting opening "pyramid" chords, and in the elaborate, recurrent trumpet duets; the two trumpets have the last word. After a couple of false starts, the finale sets off at a cracking pace, with dislocated accents creating an irregular rhythmic pulse. There are opportunities for every instrument to shine (metaphorically) and the music gets even faster for a thrilling conclusion.
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£30.00Tis the Season to be Jolly - Traditional
This carol has its origins in 16th Wales. The melody, which dates from the 16th century, comes from the winter carol of that time "Nos Galan" (New Years' Eve). The lyrics were written by the Scottish composer Thomas Oliphant in 1862. This truly celtic carol is sung throughout the Christmas, Yuletide and New Year season. My arrangement steps away from any celtic 'feel' and instead presents the material in a full-on swing style.
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£24.99Parted - Euphonium Solo Francesco Paolo Tosti arr. Joseph Knight
Francesco Paolo Tosti was an Italian composer of songs. Tosti was a staple in fashionable drawing rooms and salons, and in 1880, he was made singing master to the Royal Family. Parted is a song which is ideally suited to the Euphonium. It has been set in the traditional style. The arrangement is suitable for bands of all levels and the solo part is lyrical rather than requiring a high level of technical work. It shows off the timbre of the the Euphonium to it's sonorous heights.
Estimated dispatch 5-9 working days