Results
-
£50.00Dragon Dances
DescriptionDragon Dances was commissioned by Owen Farr, who is also the work's dedicatee, gave the first performance with the Cornwall Youth Band conducted by Richard Evans on 5 April 2010 and has recorded it on his solo CD "A New Dawn" accompanied by the Cory Band conducted by Philip Harper.Being a Welsh composer, writing music for a Welsh soloist, I was naturally keen to reflect this in the music, and I drew inspiration from two particularly Welsh concepts - "hiraeth" and "hwyl". "Hiraeth" is a word that has no direct translation into English, but an approximation would be 'yearning for home'. Like the other celtic nations, Wales has a widespread diaspora of people who left to seek new lives out in the empire and "hiraeth" is a way of summing up the homesickness felt by these exiles, some of whom return each year for a special ceremony at the Royal National Eisteddfod. "Hwyl" is an even more complicated word, variously meaning ecstatic joy, fervour, equable temperament and even the characteristic sing-song oration style of the great Welsh Methodist preachers.I have attempted to make the music reflect both of these, with the melancholy first part of the work inspired by the hymns and solo songs for which Wales is famous, and the second part having a much more dance-like, joyful quality.Performance Notes:2 solo cornets, 2nd and 3rd cornets require cup mutes. 2 solo cornets require harmon mutes with tubes removed (marked 'TR' in the score).1st horn and 1st baritone require straight mutes, preferably fibre. 1st trombone requires a straight mute, 2nd and bass require cup mutes.Percussion instruments required are vibraphone, glockenspiel, timpani, snare drum, suspended cymbal and tam tamWatch/Listen to the score below:
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£132.00
Myte - Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Commissioned by Radoy Brass for their 20 years anniversary.This version was first performed by Manger Skulemusikklag in 2005.The Work is devided into Five Scenes:1. Sverdet (The Sword) 3:452. Advarsel - fra en vis mann (Warning - from a Wise Man) 2:303. Dragen (The Dragon) 3:004. Advarsel II - fra syngende fugler (Warning II - from singing birds) 1:355. Gull - forbannelsen (Gold - The Curse) 2:50Total durata 13:30This work is based on five scenes from the tale about "Sigurd Favnesbane" (Sigurd the dragonslayer). Moods and atmospheres in the piece represent my way of retelling the old myth.1. The SwordThe dwarf blacksmith Regin is hammering and sharpening the edges of the magical sword Gram. After three attempts the sword is finally sharp enough to kill a dragon. 2. Warning - from a Wise manRichard Wagners opera Sigfried is based on the same story. In the opera the hero get warned by a wise man. He tells the secret of how to survive an attack of the dragon by hiding in a hole in the pathway and then kill the dragon with the sword as the dragon passes on its way to the river to drink water.3. DragonThe Dragon (Favne) guards a fantastic treasure, but he is also the brother of the blacksmith Regin. Favne get killed and his blood flows slowly while he laments (trombone/bass trombone).4. Warning II - from singing birdsWhile frying the heart, Sigurd burns his thumb and put it into his mouth to cool it down. Then he swallow a drop of fresh magic dragon blood which transfers the ability to understand the birdlanguage. The birds sing warnings to Sigurd telling him that Regin will betray him and later kill him. Sigurd then kills Regin instead.5. Gold - the CurseSigurd takes the gold treasure and escapes on the horseback of Grane. But his robbery of the gold lead him into trouble: The gold is banned and a curse will hit everyone whotakes it...Myth is a programmatic work where the story is quite clearly illustrated throughout the piece:In the first movement you can hear the blacksmith working with hammer on ambolt while the heat is intense from the glows. The dwarf has got his own theme i lower brass (bar 4-5). The hero Sigurd has his own identifying chord (2 bars before F). The chord is also a symbol of the sword.In the second movement the warning from the wise man is expressed in the lyric bass line.The airblow in instruments illustrate the dragon Favne on his way out of his cave, and later the blood flows slowly. The dragon takes his last deep breath after a painful duet in trombones. The birds sing their motifs (lightly, but not cheerful though), until Sigurd cuts the head off Regin and it hits the ground.The last movement describes the atmosphere andstate of mind as the curse infects the obsessed thief.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£44.95
TRAILBLAZERS (Brass Band Set) - Andrew Mackereth
This overture draws its inspiration from the story of the first Household Troops Band. It tells the story of the 1887 band, the subsequent lull of nearly a hundred years and the re-awakening of the Troops phenomenon in 1985. It was originally written in 1995 and featured prominently by the band on its North American tour of 2002. Given the history of the Household Troops Band, it is fitting that this composition is preoccupied with marching. It begins with a marching song played by a solitary muted cornet, symbolic not only of the call to bandsmen to join the evangelical effort but also a muso-dramatic device to indicate the steady increase in members and technical ability! The music quickly develops into stirring versions of 'A robe of white' and 'Storm the forts of darkness' with two early day Salvation Army tunes crucially adding to the narrative; 'Marching on in the light of God' and 'Soldiers of our God, arise!' The second section is a reflective setting of the Herbert Booth song, 'The penitent's plea'. This song serves to represent the many people who were 'saved' during those early day campaigns. The expressive music transports the listener through a period of uncertainty and angst until finally reaching the song, 'There is a message, a simple message, and it's a message for us all'. The final section deals first with the emergence from the annals of history with the muted cornet figure again before, symbolically, the present day band bursts forth with an emphatic statement of 'Would you be free from your burden of sin? There's power in the blood'. The stirring climax represents a fitting tribute to those gallant pioneering musicians and their equally impressive and dedicated contemporaries.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£35.00
Epitaph (for Hillsborough) - Peter Meechan
Epitaph (for Hillsborough) was written on the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough stadium disaster, April 15 1989, in memory of the 96 victims. All of the victims were fans of Liverpool Football Club, the club I have supported since I was a young child.The disaster unfolded in front of the BBC television cameras, and due to the importance of the match (FA Cup semi final), millions, including myself, witnessed it first hand, leaving a lasting impression in the public psyche.Several features of the piece were determined by the tragedy. The length of the piece, 6 and a half minutes, represents the minutes of the game that were played that day (The match was abandoned after 6 minutes), and the final thirty seconds of the work, where the band gently applaud, is a reference to the first match played after the tragedy, a European Cup semi final between AC Milan and Real Madrid.After 6 minutes, the referee blew his whistle and all the players stood still where they were, both sets of fans applauded in memory of the perished, and the fans of AC Milan began singing Youall Never Walk Alone, the anthem of Liverpool Football Club.The work also features 96 strikes of the tubular bells, in memory of each person who lost their life.Epitaph is dedicated to the 96 people who died that day, and to their families whose fight for justice is an inspiration to all.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
-
£70.00
Milestone - Peter Meechan
Milestone is a concerto commissioned by Mark Wilkinson (with funds provided by the Arts Council England) to celebrate 21 years as Principal Cornet with Fodens Band. In three movements, the work is intended to not only demonstrate the soloistas virtuosic skills, but also his ability to communicate to the audience.The first movement, titled Milestone, combines sections of driving rhythms (intended to represent Markas years of continuing hard work), in the accompaniment with long legato phrases from the soloist interspersed with dexterous, virtuosic, passages.The second movement, Song, features a simple chord sequence, over which the soloist asingsa a melody, each time varying and each time becoming more expressive, leading to an emotional climax.The final movement, Twenty One, is a quasi-celebratory dance. Opening with the band clapping, the soloist weaves their way through the various textures in the band. Occasionally making both a musical and metaphorical nod to the industrious nature of the first movement, the chord sequence of the second movement also re-appears, before a brief coda takes us to the conclusion of the work.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
-
£48.00Concerto for Euphonium - Kenneth Downie
An accessible and enjoyable showpiece for soloists of all ages. The concerto's three movements are in a tuneful, melodic style and bravura passages are mixed with others designed to exploit the singing qualities of the instrument. The first movement is a vigorous allegro in which the short, pithy motifs of the opening theme contrast with the broad sweep of the second subject. A short cadenza-like passage yields to a high-spirited episode before a reprise of the opening ends the movement quietly. The second movement opens with a warm, romantic melody which is soon taken up by the soloist. A short animated section gives way to the earlier tutti theme, this time with passionate decoration from the soloist before the music gently unwinds in a tranquil coda. The finale has a bouncy, festive feel. After the first subject runs its course there is a brief journey through a more contrapuntal style, before a spirited presto moves into a compound episode before returning to the opening idea. A jubilant coda brings the work to a conclusion.
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
-
£60.00Concerto for Euphonium (Parts only) - Kenneth Downie
An accessible and enjoyable showpiece for soloists of all ages. The concerto's three movements are in a tuneful, melodic style and bravura passages are mixed with others designed to exploit the singing qualities of the instrument. The first movement is a vigorous allegro in which the short, pithy motifs of the opening theme contrast with the broad sweep of the second subject. A short cadenza-like passage yields to a high-spirited episode before a reprise of the opening ends the movement quietly. The second movement opens with a warm, romantic melody which is soon taken up by the soloist. A short animated section gives way to the earlier tutti theme, this time with passionate decoration from the soloist before the music gently unwinds in a tranquil coda. The finale has a bouncy, festive feel. After the first subject runs its course there is a brief journey through a more contrapuntal style, before a spirited presto moves into a compound episode before returning to the opening idea. A jubilant coda brings the work to a conclusion.
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
-
£42.00Hymn at Sunrise (Score only) - Ray Steadman-Allen
The idea for this work was prompted by a poem - Hymn Before Sunrise - which describes the majesty of a mountain in darkness, the sounds of a nearby waterfall and so on. Nothing came of the exposure to these pictures except for general thoughts about the dawn of day and a series of movements expressing a personal response to the wonder of creation in an imaginary moment in time. The movement titles, which were added later, are intended to underline a prevailing sense of worship, wonder and exaltation. The music is pure, not pictoral, though listeners may conjure their own images. An actual hymn - Tallis' Cannon - is incorporated. There are five movements: 1. Thanksgiving: A short prelude in two parts. First a brief passage of 'dawn music' before things become more vigorous: fanfare-like music ushers in the trombone section's presentation of the Tallis tune. A broad band version concludes the movement. 2. De Profundis: A slow movement shot through with anxious questionings featuring flugel and trombone. The mood lightens a little in the centre where the soprano cornet is featured and the movement ends serenely. 3. Celebration is characterised by rhythmic drive, this is buoyant with plenty of incident pointed up by the percussion. 4. Invocation: Melodic in nature and sober in mood, the first section is a series of short solos mingled with chorale-like statements. Central to the movement is a chorale-prelude style presentation of the Tallis tune. The third section reintroduces the earlier solo music by the full ensemble. Dissolving, the music enters the last movement without a break. 5. Paean: Marked allegro con spirito there is, quite rightly, a fair amount of fun in the rejoicing. Snatches of Tallis are heard, then comes a gentle passage with a cornet solo leading to fanfare music and recapitulation. Two recitatives are succeeded by a coda which brings the work to a sonorous and exultant conclusion.
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
-
£52.00Hymn at Sunrise (Parts only) - Ray Steadman-Allen
The idea for this work was prompted by a poem - Hymn Before Sunrise - which describes the majesty of a mountain in darkness, the sounds of a nearby waterfall and so on. Nothing came of the exposure to these pictures except for general thoughts about the dawn of day and a series of movements expressing a personal response to the wonder of creation in an imaginary moment in time. The movement titles, which were added later, are intended to underline a prevailing sense of worship, wonder and exaltation. The music is pure, not pictoral, though listeners may conjure their own images. An actual hymn - Tallis' Cannon - is incorporated. There are five movements: 1. Thanksgiving: A short prelude in two parts. First a brief passage of 'dawn music' before things become more vigorous: fanfare-like music ushers in the trombone section's presentation of the Tallis tune. A broad band version concludes the movement. 2. De Profundis: A slow movement shot through with anxious questionings featuring flugel and trombone. The mood lightens a little in the centre where the soprano cornet is featured and the movement ends serenely. 3. Celebration is characterised by rhythmic drive, this is buoyant with plenty of incident pointed up by the percussion. 4. Invocation: Melodic in nature and sober in mood, the first section is a series of short solos mingled with chorale-like statements. Central to the movement is a chorale-prelude style presentation of the Tallis tune. The third section reintroduces the earlier solo music by the full ensemble. Dissolving, the music enters the last movement without a break. 5. Paean: Marked allegro con spirito there is, quite rightly, a fair amount of fun in the rejoicing. Snatches of Tallis are heard, then comes a gentle passage with a cornet solo leading to fanfare music and recapitulation. Two recitatives are succeeded by a coda which brings the work to a sonorous and exultant conclusion.
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
-
£62.00Montage (Score only) - Peter Graham
Each of the movements of the symphony take as their starting point forms originating in music of the 16th and 17th centuries. The first, an intrada, introduces the main thematic material (based on the interval of a minor third) in its embryonic state. As the piece progresses, this material is developed and manipulated in a variety of ways. The interval of the third remains central to the overall scheme of the work, even unifying the three movements on a tonal plane (I: F (minor); II: A flat (major); III: C flat (minor). The internal structure of the intrada is an arch form: ABCBA, roughly modelled on the first movement of Concerto for Orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski, to whose memory the movement is dedicated. A chaconne follows - the basic material now transformed into expansive solo lines underpinned by a recurring sequence of five chords (again, a third apart). The movement's structure combines both ternary form and golden section principles and the chaconne's continuous cycle of chords may be visualised as circles. The final movement, a rondo, bears the dramatic weight of the entire work, as the underlying tonal tensions surface. A musical journey ensues, making diversions through lyrical territories as well as through more spiky, jazz-flavoured ones. The aural (and visual) montage is perhaps most apparent towards the climax of the piece, where three keys and polyrhythms sound simultaneously in the upper brass, xylophone, horns, and timpani. The climax itself combines the lyrical music heard earlier with the rondo theme, now presented by cornets and trombones in canon. The teleological thrust of the movement (if not the entire work) can be symbolized by the flight of an arrow, as it steers a predetermined course towards its target. Duration: 16:00
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
View Music