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£89.95Songs of Ascent - Jonathan Bates
DURATION: 14 minutes. DIFFICULTY: Championship. 'Songs of Ascent' was composed for the Royal Northern College of Music Brass Band, as part of their programme for the 2019 RNCM Festival of Brass. In my view, the festival itself is the leading showcase for original contemporary music for the medium (in a concert setting) in the world and therefore an ideal place to explore new ideas and sounds, which was a notion fundamental to the construction of this work. The piece is subtitled 'Out of the Depths, I cry to you, O Lord'; the opening line of Psalm 130 (which forms part of a set of 15 psalsm, 120-134 known as the Songs of Ascent") which forms the main inspiration for much of the musical material. Following an extended opening for four individual tuba lines, there are a number of solos for members of the band off stage, with bleak and deep accompaniment lines, reflecting the words of Psalm 130. Amongst these 'songs of ascents', the most common and strong themes are repentance and redemption; with the central core of this work emerging 'from the depths' to reveal one of very few calming and reflective passages of the work utilising the tune of 'Guide Me O Thy Great Redeemer' in a new setting, featuring the Solo Horn and Bass Trombone, before returning to the ethereal and dark timbres that form much of the music up to this point. In terms of compositional technique, this work is solely based on a set of 4 9-note scales in their various unique transpositions (below). Each of these scales provide a set of 2 whole tone scales, 6 minor triads, 6 major triads and is built on 9 augmented triads. Whilst most of the music in this work is based melodically on the set of notes (heard right at the outset in the motif in the tuba line), the central section delves into the harmonic capabilities of these 'modes', using a number of the 7 'keys' which can be derived from the minor & major chords derived in each scale. All 4 scales are used independantly to each other, with whole sections of the work focussing on each mode. 'Songs of Ascent' was selected as the set work for the Championship Section at the Butlin's Mineworker's Championships in 2020.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£34.95War Dance of the Red Cossacks - Jonathan Bates
DURATION: 2 minutes. DIFFICULTY: 1st+. 2018 marked the centenary of the Red Cossack's declaring independence from the Russian state following the revolutions of 1917. The music combines more contemporary musical elements with that of the melodies, rhythms and modes traditionally used in early soviet music. This piece was composed for Jaren Hornmusikkforening as part of their programme for the 2018 SIDDIS Championships held in Stavanger, Norway. .
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£34.95Beneath The Stars - Jonathan Bates
DURATION: 5'00". DIFFICULTY: 3rd+. 'Beneath The Stars' was composed for Mark Wilkinson and the Foden's Band for the 2023 Brass in Concert Championships held at The Glasshouse, Gateshead. The theme for the programme celebrated 30 years of Aladdin's premiere on screens in the United Kingdom and in this section of the story, Aladdin and Jasmine take a magic carpet ride beneath the starry skies as their love for one another grows stronger, during which Aladdin reveals his true self to Jasmine as being Prince Ali Ababwa and not the poor commoner that he dresses as to escape the stresses of royal life. .
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£74.99Cornet Concerto No.1 - Jonathan Bates
My 'Cornet Concerto No.1' was composed for Lode Violet and Brass Band Willebroek in 2018 and features 2 movements, entitled 'Dystopia' and 'Utopia'. . The nature of the music in the opening section, 'Dystopia', is very jagged, disjointed and unsettling, as the soloist almost battles against the constant churning of the mechanical accompaniment, trying to persevere with it's own ideas and styles without being dragged into conforming to it's surroundings. The movement is based largely on the 3 note interval heard right at the outset of the piece (C, D & G#, a series of notes that lends itself so well to different modes, scales, harmonies and intervals) and this forms much of the rhythmic and harmonic structure of the opening section.Whilst this movement acts as a virtuoso feature to demonstrate the extended capabilities of both the soloist and instrument, I feel the accompanying ensemble plays an equal role in the narrative of 'dystopia', and features a number of demanding and prominent episodes for soloists within the accompanying band. A short and heavy coda concludes the movement, with a sense of real pain and sorrowfulness as the music fades away into darkness. . 'Utopia' opens in an instantly more hopeful nature, with the soloist introducing the first real 'theme' of the movement, taken up shortly by the accompaniment. Throughout this movement, there are a number of timbral and melodic references back to the darkness of 'dystopia', but transformed into a much more positive outlook and soundworld. There is a moment of quiet reflect (using the initial 3 note cell as a basis) before flying head first into a frenzied wild 'tarantella' like section, full of joy and energy which tests the dexterity and light-natured approach to virtuosity (much unlike the heavier material in the 1st movement) of the soloist. Primarily, the concept of this finale is fun - joy, happiness, and freedom from restraint, so the addition of a quirky 'tongue-in-cheek' habanera section offers a brief moment of respite from the craziness of the tarantella. To conclude the work, there is an extended cadenza for the soloist which is built on several motifs heard throughout the concerto, which leads the band into a dramatic and energetic final few bars.. Jonathan Bates. (2018). .
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£34.95Mirror of the Heart - Jonathan Bates
DIFFICULTY: 4th+. DURATION: 4'30". Recorded on: Violet Volume 1 (Brass Band Willebroek). 'Mirror of the Heart' was composed for Belgian Cornet soloist Lode Violet for performances and recordings with the Wallberg Band (CH) and Brass Band Willebroek (B). The inspiration for the title of the work is taken from a collection of poems by the same name of late American poet Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933); the centre of which are 54 deeply personal poems which - as a result - remained unpublished until after Teasdale's death. This work aims to reflect that particularly personal and reflective feel portrayed within the 'heart' of this collection.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£110.00
Red Lines (Bra) - Stijn Aertgeerts
Red Lines was commissioned by the Swiss Army Brass Band and their conductor Philipp Werlen. The title is a reference to their very distinctive black uniforms with Red vertical lines. Switzerland is a country with a tremendously rich brass band culture and have some of the best bands in the world. The individual level of musicians is also of incredibly high quality. The work begins very bombastically with continuous 8th notes. This immediately sets the drive for the entire first movement where the low brass can also show off huge sounds several times. It culminates in a grand tutti before the music calms down in the second movement where the euphonium can show its solistic qualities and the band can show a big difference in dynamics and sound. The final movement is driven by the drums and timpani that provide a solid boost to keep moving the thematic material forward in the band and through the percussion solo a big build-up to a glorious finale.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£87.00
Stormseye (Bra) - Stijn Aertgeerts
With 'Stormseye', the composer describes the passing of a storm. The calm joyful opening by the cornets reflects the open blue sky. The weather very quickly turns as the music clearly becomes more and more chaotic. The storm gains momentum and the band also becomes more and more tempestuous. The solos in the flugelhorn, cornet and euphonium, among others, reflect a moment of tranquillity, with a growing anxiety about what is to come. The quietness of the eye of the storm before all hell breaks loose again. The music then builds to a grand finale that combines the opening theme with the storm's thematic material. The storm is overcome and the sky clears completely! 'Stormseye' was written as a test piece for the B division of the 'Flemish Open Brass Band Championship' 2024 in Mechelen (B).
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£111.00
Ignition (Bra) - Stijn Aertgeerts
The music begins with a rhythmic and rousing motif that reflects the excitement of take-off. Cornets and trombones take the lead as the power of the rocket engines comes to life.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£87.00
Sparkle (Bra) - Lennert Van Thienen
In 'Sparkle', Lennert Van Laenen describes the glittering of a shooting star that wanders down during a dark night. The work starts with an aural representation of the glittering, which is used as a guide throughout the piece. The quiet middle section symbolises the beauty of the starry sky, after which a new tempo announces the finale.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£77.00
A Festival Choral (Bra) - Nick Van Elsen
This hymn was written for Festival Brass Band. It takes the band's note names (F - Eb - Bb - As) and incorporates them into a melodic theme that floats through the piece. The harmonic colours are also derived from these notes.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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