Results
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£30.00Roots - Lucy Pankhurst
Commissioned by Katrina Marzella in 2008, this modern 'duet' for Baritone and Euphonium soloists with brass band accompaniment has been inspired by 'nature and environment' as its primary muse. The music takes the listener through 7 stages of environmental atmosphere, in its combination of sounds and effects. It is a very uplifting work and with the back-story in mind (see programme notes below), it makes for an incredibly effective concert feature.Programme notes from the composer, Lucy Pankhurst:There are 7 main sections in the piece :RainGerminationGrowthTransionSunshineRainstormRestThe work begins with Rain, symbolised by the rainstick and 'rain sounds' in the brass , which allows the themes to germinate. The 'roots' of the music themselves, are firmly established in the tonic (root Eb) and 5ths in the low brass, from which the solo lines eventually grow, using triads and 5ths.During Growth, the solo baritone and euphonium begin with separate melodies which begin to twist around each other (much like tree roots), interlocking to produce harmonies and counterpoint, complimenting one another and firmly keeping the music in Eb major. Muted cornets and trombones continue to play overlapping semiquavers, reflecting the raindrops as they fall from the trees and leaves.A brief interlude, featuring brass sextet drives the music back to its Germination stage - here, named Transion, as it grows once more, evolving into something new. The Sunshine section is a dance. Moving rapidly through different keys, the warm sunlight catches on the dewy foliage, creating dazzling moments of clarity and beauty.However, the change in conditions also lead to brief moments of uncertainty, as the various creatures tentatively reappear from their shelter to bask as the earth is warmed. Birdsong can be heard in the solo lines as the entire band join in the celebrations.The jollity does not last long, however, as a Rainstorm, more violent than the last , ensues - stopping the dance in its tracks. The tam-tam and bass drum signify thunder, crashing into the music abruptly. However, the music still survives and re-emerges from the storm, delicately but securely establishing itself into a new key (C major), before softly concluding with the two soloists in rhythmic unison as the rain subsides and the world is at Rest.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00Wicked - Lucy Pankhurst
A fascinating and upbeat composition from Lucy Pankhurst, offering great creativity with sound combinations and some funky rhythms!Originally written for and dedicated to The Wingates Band, the opening of this wild piece features the euphonium with some challenging playing effects - all the better for grabbing the attention of the audience. It's not long before the strong rhythms get those toes tapping, and other players join in with their own 'wicked' contributions.It's fast-paced, incredibly rhythmic and demands the listeners' attention right from the outset. Take a look at the performance below to fully appreciate the captivating nature of the piece.Look and Listen (courtesy of Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan):
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£94.95Of Men and Mountains - Edward Gregson
Of Men and Mountains was commissioned by the Netherlands Brass Band Championships for their tenth anniversary contest in Drachten in December 1990. In July the previous year, Edward Gregson and his wife took the Trans Canadian Railway from Toronto to Vancouver. The journey through the Rocky Mountains was the starting point for Of Men and Mountains. Gregson writes that: 'its high peaks and shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds, its canyons and ferocious rapids made me understand a little more about the majesty of nature and the fragility of humanity. The eternal struggle between man and nature was personified in the building of this incredible railway... hence my title (after Blake).' The work is dedicated to the memory of Eric Ball, who died shortly before the writing of the work was commenced. Of Men and Mountains is in one continuous movement with a duration of approximately 17 minutes. Its form is difficult to describe because of its motivic and accumulative nature, but it is essentially a symphonic tone poem in search of a theme, which eventually comes in its final and complete state in the majestic ending after an ever-increasing paced scherzo. Of Men and Mountains has been selected as the test pieces for the 2023 National Brass Championships of Great Britain at the Albert Hall.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£69.99Sunset Serenade - Thomas Doss
Sunset Serenade is a tribute by the composer to a music colleague, whose life was unexpectedly cut short. In spite of the sad circumstances of its creation, the music reflects overwhelmingly happy memories and thoughts of gratitude for timespent together and shared experiences. The overall peaceful nature of this composition symbolises a reconciliation with, and acceptance of, the transient nature of man.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£134.99Mirage - Jan de Haan
The composition Mirage takes inspiration from the legendary ghost ship "The Flying Dutchman", a story deeply rooted in maritime folklore. Cursed to wander the oceans forever, the ship often looms like a mirage on the horizon - a mysterious apparition in which reality and illusion blend intangibly.In Mirage the music tries to bring this mystical appearance to life. The piece begins with an atmosphere of mystery and wonder, creating the illusion of a mirage. The listener is taken to the vast sea, where the boundaries between the real and the unreal blur and the ghostly silhouette of the ship gradually becomes visible. Suddenly the tone changes. Powerful rhythms and stormy harmonies follow, expressing the ship's battle against the raging forces of nature. After this intense section, in which the musicians are pushed to their limits, the tranquility of the sea returns. The recurring mirages inspired the composer to create a lyrical middle section, in which various soloists tell their stories within this legend. In the final part, the sails are hoisted again, and the three-master continues its endless journey.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£183.20Folklore - Kjetil Djønne
"Folklore" is a work for brass band and percussion loosely based on the story of the Norwegian woman accused of witchcraft, Anne Pedersdotter. She was sentenced to be burned at the stake in Bergen in the spring of 1590 and has since been frequently highlighted as Norway's most famous and talked-about witch.The work begins with the movement "Lyderhorn," depicting the mountain outside Bergen where witches gathered to plan magical actions against the city. Here, we hear the quietness of nature and the wind blowing through the trees before a new theme appears, which will come to life in the next movement. In the distance, the witches have started their ceremony.In the next movement, "Walpurgis Night," the witches perform their rituals to afflict the city with fire, disease, and natural disasters. The ceremony becomes more and more chaotic, violent, and compelling until the darkness of the night envelops us, concluding the section.The third movement describes the women's inner struggle against the harassment they faced when the people of Bergen suspected them of being witches. Rumors often turned into formal accusations from the legal system, and many were sentenced to death after undergoing trial. "From life to death through the fire."The fourth and final movement, "The Pyre," depicts the actual death sentence. You can hear the pyre being ignited and the flames growing and intensifying. It all culminates in a chorale as a memorial to the lives that were taken.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£54.95Sonata - Derek Bourgeois
This work, composed in 1998, was commissioned by the American trombonist Don Lucas as a work for trombone and piano and first performed by him in Birmingham on 19th May 2000. Subsequently, I arranged the music for both solo trombone and brass band and solo trombone and wind band so that it now exists in three formats. The first movement, in B flat major, is brisk and energetic, and is cast in sonata form. The second subject is gentler and more lyrical. The second movement, a scherzo in C major, is the most complex of the four. Basically the structure is a rond. For a long time the music remains in the opening 5/8 time until a new theme introduces more broken rhythms in a more jazzy idiom. After a return of the opening theme the following episode is more tonally ambiguous. Finally, the main theme returns to round off the movement. The third movement, a lyrical adagio, is really one long extended melodic flow. The harmonies are lush and the textures simple and direct. The tonal center is A minor, but the music meanders through so many keys, that this key centre is heavily disguised. The finale is a fiery affair. G minor is really its home key, but throughout the movement the music moves about a lot and the second subject is first heard in A flat minor. The movement's underlying sonata structure is masked not only by its loose tonality but also by its frequently changing time signatures. Like the first movement the second subject is more lyrical in nature and for a while it seems that the music will end peacefully, but a final flurry heralds a triple forte unison on the home note of the first movement - B flat. Derek Bourgeois
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£154.99Spiriti - Thomas Doss
A Bach chorale stands at the centre of this work (Fur deinen Thron tret ich hiermit).Anton Bruckner was one of Johann Sebastian Bach's great admirers. His work is full of the spirit of that musical genius. For Thomas Doss, it was Bruckner's spirit that always seemed to be with him while working on Spiriti. Bruckner's spirit is captured in this composition by a quote from the chorale of his Fifth Symphony at the end of the piece.The introduction, written in the style of a funeral march, already displays the first fragments of the chorale. Like splinters they are strewn throughout the first Allegro, combining and recombining in turbulent, powerful tuttipassages. As the music becomes more rambunctious, the Bach-like fragments begin to swirl around each other, only to be scattered once more.The middle-section is of a more pensive nature. The Religioso character gives the audience time to reflect. The music is meditative and the quarter-note (or crotchet) elements mimic a soul that is yearning and crying out.The third part of the piece finally leads, by way of minimalist elements and the fragments mentioned earlier, to a magnificent presentation of the Bach chorale. As the church bells ring out, one can almost hear the great masters presiding at the organ.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£102.99Gemini Concerto - Philip Sparke
Gemini Concerto was commissioned by and written for Ryukoku University (Japan), Andre Henry and Shoichiro Hokazono. Set in three movements, the concerto aims to explore the close relationship, as solo instruments, between the cornet and euphonium, exploiting the many common factors between the two as well as the subtly different characteristics they possess in terms of both lyrical and rhythmic playing. The first movement is a bustling toccata and the second movement is lyrical and improvisatory in nature. A fantastic piece and a great addition to the repertoire!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£76.99Tango for Joe - Philip Sparke
Gemini Concerto was commissioned by and written for Ryukoku University (Japan), Andre Henry and Shoichiro Hokazono. Set in three movements, the concerto aims to explore the close relationship, as solo instruments, between the cornet and euphonium, exploiting the many common factors between the two as well as the subtly different characteristics they possess in terms of both lyrical and rhythmic playing. The first movement is a bustling toccata and the second movement is lyrical and improvisatory in nature. A fantastic piece and a great addition to the repertoire!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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