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£35.00strange geometry
Descriptionstrange geometrywas commissioned by Morgan Griffiths and the Hammonds Saltaire Band for their performance at the Brass in Concert Championships of 2015.As a bit of a space/sci-fi geek, as well as a musician, two events during the summer of 2015 had a particular effect on me. The first was the tragic early death in a plane crash of the famous film composer James Horner. Horner's music, particularly in films like 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan', 'Avatar', 'Apollo 13' and even his debut in Roger Corman's 1980 budget film 'Battle Beyond the Stars', defined for a generation the sound of sci-fi at the cinema. Along with John Williams he created the vocabulary for those who wish to express other-worldly wonder in music and his inventive talent will be much missed in an industry where originality has become something of a dirty word in recent years.The second event was the epic flyby of Pluto by the NASA New Horizons spacecraft. There are many reasons to find this mission inspiring - for example, the scientists and engineers behind it created a craft that has travelled at 37,000 mph for nine years and three billion miles to arrive within seventy-two seconds of the predicted time for the flyby. That they achieved this with such accuracy is an outstanding tribute to humanity's ingenuity and insatiable curiosity. However, the most exciting aspect of the mission was the clear, high resolution pictures of this unthinkably remote and inhospitable world beamed back to mission control. The best previous image of Pluto was an indistinct fuzzy blob - suddenly we could see mountains made of ice, glaciers of methane and carbon monoxide and nitrogen fog - features previously unimagined on a world thought to be a slightly dull ball of cold rock. The BBC's venerable astronomy programme 'The Sky at Night' waxed lyrical about these newly discovered features, referring to "the surprising discoveries of mountains and strange geometry on the surface of this cold distant world".I like to think that Horner would have been as inspired as I have been by this real-life science story, and this piece uses some of the vocabulary of the sci-fi movie soundtrack in a tribute to the memory of a great musician and to the inspirational geeks at NASA who have boldly taken us where no-one has gone before.Note: This work comes with a B4 portrait score. Listen to a preview and follow the music below!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£70.00
Episodes and Echoes - Peter Meechan
Episodes and Echoes is a concerto in three movements for tuba. The title of the work relates directly to the way the composer approached writing the piece.aAlthough the work is scored with piano and wind band accompaniments, Episodes and Echoes was originally written for tuba and brass band. I had several problems to overcome - the brass band contains 4 tubas, and 2 euphoniums, all of which could obscure the solo line, so I decided to write for the soloist in a manner that meant they were either playing alone, in episodes, or repeating/echoing phrases.aIn addition to this, the composer combined the characteristics of the tuba with other instruments: in the second movement the tuba is similar to a singer performing an aria and a recitative, and third movement a bass guitar.Episodes and Echoes was commissioned by, and dedicated to, Les Neish who premiered the work in 2005, accompanied by the Beaumaris Brass Band, conducted by Gwyn Evans.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£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
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£70.00
Macbeth - Peter Meechan
Commissioned by the Scottish Brass Band Association for the 2007 Scottish Open Championship, Macbeth takes itsa inspiration from the Shakespeare play of the same name. Character portraits (Of the three witches as well as Macbeth himself), abstractions (The lament), and scenes (Macbethas final battle with Macduff) make up the nine sections of the piece.i: WitchesThe prophecies of the three witches are an integral part of the play, and in this opening section, these mysterious characters are represented by three different sections of music that introduces the listener to the musical material of the piece.ii: DaggerMacbethas aIs this a dagger I see before theea speech, where an imaginary dagger leads him to contemplate the pending murder, builds in intensity before the bell tolls at itsa conclusion - a sign from Lady Macbeth that Duncan is now alone.iii: General MacbethA character portrait of Macbeth - a fearless General who has led his armies to defeat foes from all over Europe. His ambition and flair that make him such a great General are also the characteristics that lead to his eventual downfall.iv: Contemplations of Lady MacbethAlone and mad, Lady Macbeth ponders all that has gone, before taking her own life.v: LamentAlthough the play tells of Macbeth not feeling the pain of his wifeas death, this lament ponders not only her death, but the tale as a whole.vi: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrowIt is in this final soliloquy that we see the ultimate tragedy of Macbeth - the realisation that his life is ultimately worthless.vii: A spell still castThis acts as an prologue to section eight, restating the original awitchesa music, before heading into Macbethas final battle.viii: Final BattleMacbethas final battle, where he locks swords with Macduff.ix: Not of woman bornMacbethas realisation that the witches have misled him comes all too late, as Macduff beheads Macbeth, fulfilling the last prophecy.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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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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Diamonds - Jerry Lordan - Len Jenkins
In November 1962, ex-Shadows members Jet Harris and Tony Meehan decided to work as a duo and went to No 1 with a Jerry Lordan composition, "Diamonds". Harris, a bass player, took an ordinary Fender guitar and detuned every string a whole tone to enable him to hit notes which were lower than an ordinary guitar. However, it was apparently difficult to work with on stage since once the strings were slackened they would go out of tune very easily. The duo went on to have a second Top 10 hit with "Scarlett O'Hara" which is also available from Wobbleco Music in an arrangement for brass band. Both arrangements seek to capture the characteristic style of 60's rock music and retain the signature drum solos for which they are rightly remembered. But in addition, both pieces also appeal to a younger generation who may not have heard the originals. Our young kit drummer in Woburn Sands 'A' Band commented "...the (drum) part has the slightest shuffle feel to it, which improves the groove of the song, and to replicate the vintage snare-drum sound, I have heard that you can place a towel or a cloth over the head of the drum. I think it would work well...(otherwise) the drum part stays relatively simple and repetitive"...Chance to re-create the sound of the 60's.....Go for it!
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£77.00General Series Brass Band Journal, Numbers 2269 - 2272, August 2026
2269: Intrada - Christians Awake (Stephen Gibson)This intrada heralds the happy morning when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. Fanfares surround the traditional Christmas Day hymn, Christians Awake (C.C. 20), where we are encouraged to 'awake, salute the happy morn'. Written in a processional style, this music was composed as a concert opener to be performed in a large church setting.2270: Jesus loves me (Stanley Kelley)Jesus loves me! (S.A.S.B. 807) is a song many church-goers learn as children. While written for children, its message is for everyone. John 15:9 says, 'As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.'2271: Prelude on 'Deep Harmony' (Geoffrey Nobes)This piece was written for the Blendworth Band of Hampshire. The hymn tune, by Handel Parker, is one of the most beautiful and iconic melodies ever written, with lovely harmony supporting the rise and fall of a simple but perfect melodic line.2272: To the hills (Paul Sharman)The inspiration for this arrangement came during a walking holiday in the Lake District. Looking towards the hills brought to mind the words of Psalm 121 and Ernest Rance's setting of that passage, I Lift Up My Eyes (S.A.S.B. 208), with its lovely tune Ochills. This arrangement was written shortly after the composer's return home.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£55.00Triumph Series Brass Band Journal, Numbers 1379 - 1382, November 2025
1379: March - True to the colours (Noel Jones)This march is a reminder of the symbolism of The Salvation Army flag - blue representing God's purity, red for the blood of Christ and yellow for the fire of the Holy Spirit. I love the dear old Army flag, I'll be true and Yellow star and red and blue are three songs featured where writers have been equally inspired and have made declaration of their allegiance to God by service in The Salvation Army.1380: In all its fullness (Alan Williams)This music was written for the East of England Youth Summer School in 2024, where the delegates explored the theme 'Living life in full colour with Jesus' and as such this work is a joyous and fun-filled celebration of all the good things God has provided.1381: Eternal Spring (Nick Simmons-Smith) This simple hymn tune arrangement is based on the tune Martyrdom which is associated with the words 'As pants the heart for cooling streams'. It is a Scottish tune written around 1800 by Hugh Wilson.1382: March Medley - Emblems of service (Stephen Bulla)This march celebrates the occasion of the Coorparoo Corps' reunion (now Carindale Corps, Australia) in 2022. The music itself features a spirited medley: Joy! joy! joy! there is joy in The Salvation Army, What a friend we have in Jesus and Steadily forward march!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£77.00General Series Brass Band Journal, Numbers 2242 - 2245, April 2024
2242: Fanfare Prelude - Faithful in every way (Simon Gash)Lord, I come before your throne of grace (S.A.S.B. 378) has become a popular song for Sunday worship. These words of great assurance are married to a strong tune which, unlike many contemporary worship songs, suits the brass band idiom well. Although this piece will work without Percussion, the Snare Drum part, which underpins a lot of the piece, will help drive the music forward.2243: The wonders of thy grace (Norman Bearcroft)Herbert Booth's song Within my heart, O Lord, fulfil (S.A.S.B. 211) was the inspiration behind Lieut-Colonel Norman Bearcroft's three-verse setting of the hymn tune Wareham, with the title being taken from the lyrics of verse two.2244: Trombone Solo - I will wait (Andrew Mackereth)Major Leonard Ballantine has an astonishing gift for contemporary song writing. This song is a brilliant example of this, taking the idea of Jesus waiting patiently for us to accept the fullness of his offer of love.This arrangement was made at the request of Andrew Justice, former Principal Trombonist of The International Staff Band. For many years, Andrew has used this song with piano accompaniment. In making this arrangement, the composers aim was to capture the transparency you can create in piano playing.2245: The battle cry! (David Edmonds)Inspired by Lorne Barry's Trinity (F.S. 599), this piece would be well suited as a concert opener but would work in many settings as a contribution to worship. Its main feature is the driving rhythmic pattern in the Bass and Percussion sections. The music needs to be played with confidence and purpose. As the title suggests, it is a strong, inspiring battle cry, corralling the troops. This is a setting of the song by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, O Church, arise (S.A.S.B. 819), which has become popular in recent years, not only within The Salvation Army, but also the wider Christian church.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£55.00Triumph Series Brass Band Journal, Numbers 1355 - 1358, November 2023
1355: March Medley - Pardoned Forever (Keith Manners)This collection of Easter-themed melodies should be played with enthusiasm and vigour. Featuring the songs He lives (S.A.S.B. 229), Chris is alive! Let Christians sing (S.A.S.B. 217) and No more! No more! He remembers sins no more (S.A.S.B. 460), the positive message of Easter Sunday is reflected in this bright march style.1356: Selection - I love the sweetest name (Noel Jones)This devotional selection includes three songs that feature the name of Jesus and derives its title from the following lines of those songs; 'How sweet the name of Jesus sounds' (S.A.S.B. 78), 'O, how I love the Saviour's name! The sweetest name on earth' (S.A.S.B. 94) and 'Sweetest name on mortal tongue' (S.A.S.B. 93).1357: Renewal (Harold Burgmayer)Will J. Brand penned the song Renewal (S.A.S.B. 634), with music by Bramwell Coles, for 'Day of Renewal' meetings conducted by General Albert Orsborn in October 1949. It was published in that form in The Musical Salvationist in 1951. Over time these meaningful words of consecration became wedded to an alternative tune, a lovely melody by Oscar Ahnfelt known as Trust in God (T.B. 903). This setting for band is based on a male-voice arrangement, conceived for a time of renewed consecration, sung by massed bands at the Canadian Staff Band's 50th Anniversary Festival in 2019.1358: Groove Hosanna! (Munashe Chikwezvero)This is a funk setting of three well-known melodies associated with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Today, such celebratory processions, and indeed most large gatherings, usually feature rich forms of music-making. Music provides atmosphere and generates excitement, and it is hoped that a funk inspired arrangement of these songs will inspire listeners to 'move to the groove'. The first two songs, Children of Jerusalem (S.A.S.B. 356) and Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising (S.A.S.B. 362) encourage us to sing 'Loud hosannas to our King!'. The words of the third song, When his salvation bringing, remind us that he "smiled to hear their song".
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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