Results
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£34.95Island Whirl (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Island Whirl was commissioned by Margaret Milligan who wanted a brand new piece of music composed as a present for Ian, her husband for his 70th birthday. Ian Milligan is a keen and dedicated musician and he is the musical director of Callendar Brass, based in Callendar near Stirling in Scotland.Margaret contacted me about the possibility of composing a short lively piece which had a Scottish theme that would be ideal for Callendar Brass Band and any other ensemble to get their teeth into. This piece takes its inspiration from the traditional Scottish folk song 'An Eriskay Love Lilt' which is a particular favourite of both Margaret and Ian.With thunderous Celtic drums the piece opens in a whirlwind of sound with fanfare brass and an off-stage soloist that can perform using either the cornet or trumpet. After the exciting opening, the brass and drums die away to allow the off-stage soloist to air the traditional tune 'An Eriskay Love Lilt'.The beautiful haunting melody, keeping its originality throughout undergoes a series of changes in the accompanying harmonic material before dying away to allow the Celtic drums to return. The percussion whip the band into a frenzy as the piece gets faster and faster. Just prior to the final notes the band diminuendo to allow one last closing statement from the Eriskay Love Lilt lead by the off-stage soloist before the ensemble charge to a dramatic close.When performing this piece I would recommend the off-stage soloist taking a position somewhere in the audience, so they can almost feel part of the performance. In addition, with the two tom-tom parts that represent the Celtic drums, bands should make the most of showcasing them by getting the two drummers out to the front of the band to perform. The ideal stage position would be with the players set up in stereo with one player in front of the soprano cornet and the other in front of the solo trombone.With the various choreographed movements from both the off-stage soloist and the percussionists. This piece is a great addition to any concert repertoire and is an ideal showcase for bands who want to try something a little different.I wish Ian at 70 years young, all the very best with his music making in the many years to come and I hope this piece, composed especially for him and Callender Brass brings them many years of musical enjoyment.Paul Lovatt-Cooper
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£33.64Vivace from Piano Sonata No.2 (Brass Band) Prokofiev arr. Yasuaki Fukuhara
Bristling with energy and vitality, this is a terrific arrangement of the fourth and final movement from Piano Sonata No. 2, which is Sergei Prokofiev's celebrated piano solo piece composed in 1912. The arranger writes: 'Whilst I have endeavoured to maintain the characteristics and flavours of the original piece, I altered and added dynamics and musical notations in a few cases where they seemed to fit the medium of the brass band and to reflect a general performance manner of this piece on a piano. I also added percussion parts which provide additional colour. After careful consideration, I decided to keep to the original key in order to maintain the brightness and clarity of the original work.' PDF download includes score and full set of parts. To view a rolling score video please visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3GUHQI3u7E Sheet music available from: UK - www.brassband.co.uk USA - www.solidbrassmusic.com Difficulty Level: 1st Section + Instrumentation: Soprano Cornet Eb Solo Cornet Bb Repiano Cornet Bb 2nd Cornet Bb 3rd Cornet Bb Flugel Horn Bb Solo Horn Eb 1st Horn Eb 2nd Horn Eb 1st Baritone Bb 2nd Baritone Bb 1st Trombone Bb 2nd Trombone Bb Bass Trombone Euphonium Bb Bass Eb Bass Bb Timpani Percussion 1-2
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£15.00Symphony in Two Movements (Study Score Only)
Selected as the Championship Section test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2025This work was jointly commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB) and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales (NYBBW), the latter with funding from T Cerdd (Music Centre Wales), to celebrate their 60th and 30th anniversaries respectively. The first performances were given at Cadogan Hall, London, in April 2012, by the NYBBGB, conducted by Bramwell Tovey; and at the Great Hall, Aberystwyth University, in July 2012, by the NYBBW, conducted by Nicholas Childs.When I was approached about a joint commission to write a new work to celebrate the anniversaries of these two outstanding youth bands I was delighted to accept, and decided to respond by writing a work apposite for the magnitude of these special occasions, namely a 'symphony for brass'.Through a long journey of writing music for brass band, which commenced with Connotations (1977), and continued with Dances and Arias (1984), Of Men and Mountains (1991), The Trumpets of the Angels (2000) and Rococo Variations (2008), I arrived at what I regard as the most important work of the cycle to date, combining as it does serious musical intent with considerable technical demands. It is perhaps my most abstract work for brass band, avoiding any programmatic content.The symphony lasts for some 19 minutes and is structured in two linked movements. The form is based on that used by Beethoven in his final piano sonata (Op.111), which is in two movements only: a compact sonata-form allegro, followed by a more expansive theme and four variations. Prokofiev also adopted this model in his 2nd Symphony of 1925.The opening Toccata of this Symphony is highly dramatic but compact, whilst still retaining the 'traditional' structural elements of exposition, development and recapitulation; indeed, it also has the 'traditional' element of a contrasting second subject - a gentle, lyrical modal melody first heard on solo cornets.In contrast, the longer and more substantial second movement Variations is built around a theme and four variations. The slowly unfolding chorale-like theme accumulates both added note harmony and increasing instrumentation, whilst the four variations which follow are by turn mercurial (fast, starting with all the instruments muted), march-like (menacing, with short rhythmic articulations underpinning an extended atonal melody), serene (a series of 'romances' for solo instruments alongside echoes of the chorale) with an emerging theme eventually bursting into a climax of passionate intent; whilst the final variation is a dynamic scherzo (concertante-like in its series of rapid-fire solos, duets, trios and quartets) with the music gradually incorporating elements of the main ideas from the first movement, thus acting as a recapitulation for the whole work. It reaches its peroration with a return to the very opening of the symphony, now in the 'home' tonality of F, and thus creating a truly symphonic dimension to the music.Most of the melodic material of the symphony is derived from the opening eleven-note 'row', which contains various intervallic sets, and although the work is not serially conceived it does use some typical quasi-serial procedures, such as canons, inversions, and retrogrades. The symphony uses somewhat limited percussion, in line with a 'classical' approach to the sound world of the brass band, alongside a use of multi-divisi instrumentation, whereby each player has an individual part rather than the traditional doubling within certain sections of the band.- Edward GregsonDuration: 19.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£67.28Armistice at Flanders Fields (Brass Band) Dwayne Bloomfield
This poignant and powerful work for brass band by Dwayne Bloomfield describes the day peace was announced to end World War I. The piece was written in 2023 to be played by bands around the world to mark Armistice Day. The composer writes: 'Unless you were there, it's impossible to imagine what it must have been like the day peace was announced ending World War I. The feelings soldiers experienced, who after years of fighting and suffering, to know it was over and they would return home to see family and loved ones again. This piece tries to tell their story. The work begins by approaching the front, distant artillery and battle sounds heard while the carnage and loss of lives was already known to the world. The band builds as we enter the thick of battle, the death and destruction, the conditions faced and the loss of hope of ever surviving. The next section, in 7/8 time, reflects the two sides fighting - both sides attacking and defending with mostly little result, but for the loss of more lives. Two euphoniums then depict the news and hope of peace talks. However, fighting did continue right up to the very end and on the last day there would be another 2,738 casualties. The Canadians were still battling to capture the town of Mons that morning. A song is sung in reflection of the estimated 5.5 million allied soldiers who lost their lives during World War I, then a clock ticks down the final minutes. The last three known casualties are depicted with French soldier Augustin Trebuchon, killed at 10:45am by a single shot as he rushed down the trenches to spread the news of coming peace; Canadian George Lawrence Price killed by a sniper round at 10:58am at the battle of Mons, and lastly a machine gun burst that killed American Henry Gunther, who is believed to have fallen on the 11th hour. Bells then toll ringing around the world announcing the end of the war. After years of war, it must have been jubilation for the families at home knowing their loved ones would be returning to them. The band builds with a hymn for peace as a final tribute to those who fought, before the piece resides with one of the most dreaded sounds at that time, the knock on the door from a telegram delivery boy or better known then as the Angels of Death. It wasn't just the 2,738 families from the casualties of the last day who would receive such a knock, but many more who expected their loved ones to be returning home would instead find out they were instead killed in the last weeks. So close. Driving around the battlefields today one comes across many intersections in the countryside which have cemetery signposts pointing in every direction. While the last post sounds in ceremonies today, this last bugle call instead depicts the horrors, devastation and death the soldiers faced during the war and right up the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Armistice at Flanders Fields.' To view a video of Dallas Brass Band performing the work please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljfyVz3cMgk Duration: Approx. 15.00 minutes Difficulty Level: 2nd Section + PDF download includes parts and score. Sheet music available from www.brassband.co.uk Instrumentation: Soprano Cornet Eb Solo Cornet Bb Repiano Cornet Bb 2nd Cornet Bb 3rd Cornet Bb Flugel Horn Bb Solo Horn Eb 1st Horn Eb 2nd Horn Eb 1st Baritone Bb 2nd Baritone Bb 1st Trombone Bb 2nd Trombone Bb Bass Trombone Euphonium Bb Bass Eb Bass Bb Percussion 1-3
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£44.95Desire (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
The premise of this piece is the portrayal of the contrasting nature of our desires. The emotions and images depicted within the music reflect the imperfections of humanity - each one of us.The piece opens with the 'desire' theme, the middle section is prayerfully and almost silently with Move, Holy Spirit! Move in my life! (S.A.S.B. 325) quietly referenced in the closing moments of this section. The piece closes with a united proclamation of this powerful chorus, 'Lord, I give you my heart, I give you my soul; I live for you alone' (S.A.S.B. 397).
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£54.95Wall of Sound (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
This piece was commissioned by Dr Nicholas Childs and Philip Biggs for the National Children's Band of Great Britain.As the commission was for a youth band, I wanted to compose a piece of music that alluded to the styles and genres of music that are abundant in the current popular music market. However, the National Children's Band isn't just any old youth band; they are some of the finest young musicians in Great Britain. So the challenge was to compose a piece that included many popular music styles whilst providing enough of a test to keep the music technically interesting to work on and perform.The driving force behind the whole piece is the percussion section and in particular, the drum kit which is constant throughout. From the start the music is rhythmic and repetitive, similar to many dance tracks. The music begins to slowly unfold and build in texture and at bar 24 the syncopated main theme appears. This theme reappears throughout the piece along with various other motifs and solo lines. The music uses the styles, rock, pop, latin, funk and dance within the score and has a real fun factor about it.There are lots of opportunities for soloists to play and it is marked in the score where to stand and soloists can come out to the front of the stage. I really enjoyed working on this piece and I'm sure performers and audience members will enjoy it too.Paul Lovatt-Cooper
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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£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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£35.00Ascension - Lucy Pankhurst
A major work written for the RNCM Brass Festival Competition 2005, and inspired by the nature of Ascension - creating a Musical depiction of the spiritual journey towards enlightenment, sanctuary and ultimate inner peace.As aninitial muse for this work, the 'Tibetan Singing Bowl' is utilised with the Brass Band in order to represent this path to Serenity, together withBaoding Balls(Chinese Health Balls) to mark the point of Final Ascension.Programme notes from the composer, Lucy Pankhurst:Ascension is a Musical depiction of the Spiritual Journey towards enlightenment, sanctuary and ultimate inner peace.As my initial muse for this work, the Singing Bowl is utilised with the Brass Band in order to represent this path to Serenity. "Tibetan" Singing Bowls date back to the 8th Century A.D., originating in the pre-Buddhist shamanic Bon Po culture in the Himalayas and are still used in modern Monasteries. The original purpose of them still remains a mystery, with accounts stating that it is forbidden to disclose the true function of the Bowls, as the "secrets of sound" yield so much Power, that they must be kept hidden.Listening to the tones created by the Singing Bowl effectively silences the internal dialogue of the listener, making it an excellent tool for Meditation, Centering and entering trance-like states. In Buddhism, as with many cultures, sound is an important part of Spiritual Practice. There are 9 methods to reach Enlightenment in the Buddhist Doctrine ; the seventh is SOUND.These Bowls are used by Healers in a similar way to help balance the body's residual energies. The Bowls are usually made from seven different sacred metals, intended to correlate directly to the seven sacred "Planets" : GOLD (Sun), SILVER (Moon), MERCURY (Mercury), COPPER (Venus), IRON (Mars), TIN (Jupiter), ANTIMONY (Saturn). Any one Bowl can create up to seven different frequencies (tones) simultaneously. In Healing, the Singing Bowl is played whilst balanced on the palm of the hand, struck three times to stabilise the surrounding energies, before rotating the wooden "beater" around the outer circumference of the Bowl to create the "singing" effect.I have included an optional Vibraphone part (to be played with a Double Bass Bow) with Tubular Bells, to be used only in performances where a Singing Bowl cannot be acquired. However, a traditional Bowl should be used whenever possible, to create this specific and unique sound.Baoding Balls or Chinese Health Balls are also utilised in this work. Their appearance in the Music here, however, is to mark the point of Final Ascension, where the music reaches its ultimate goal. These delicate cloisonne iron Balls are said to stimulate the acupressure points on the hand, thus improving the Chi and Energy Paths (Life Force) throughout the entire body. The delicate "tinkle" produced by these spheres is hypnotic and captivating. For this reason, where no Baoding Balls are obtainable for performance, only delicate metallic percussion should be used in replacement (i.e. Crotales, Antique Cymbals or (liberal) single strikes on a Triangle etc.). Bell Trees, Wind Chimes and Cow Bells should not be used.As in many cultures, the number three is important in Ascension, as it represents not only the purification from the Singing Bowl, but also it is a number of confirmation, reiterated throughout the music in the metallic percussion in addition to the Brass, re-affirming the correct path to Enlightenment.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£39.95When Thunder Calls (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
When Thunder Calls was commissioned by Dr Nicholas Childs and the Black Dyke Band for their performance at the Gala Concert of the Swiss Open Championships in September 2011. When composing this piece, I decided to focus on both the music and the stage presentation. The way the piece has been composed and designed makes it a very effective way of starting a concert or a second half of a concert.At the start of the piece, the percussion enter the stage and take their positions in their usual place behind the band. They begin playing the piece without a conductor. They keep repeating the opening section while the Basses, Horns, Baritones and Euphoniums march onto the stage.This group of musicians take their seats with the Horns, Baritones and Euphoniums sitting where they usually sit in the band but the Basses sit where the solo cornets usually sit, forming an inner semi-circle of lower brass. When seated and when the music gets to the end of bar 4 the piece continues onto section A. All performers keep repeating this next 4-bar phrase until the trombones march onto stage and stand at the front of the stage with the Bass Trombone standing in between the other two trombones.All performers then play from figure B to C with the trombones taking the lead at the front. When the performers get to rehearsal figure C they repeat this section (the same as section A) while the trombones move from the front of the stage and take their positions where the Basses would normally sit (between the horns and the percussion) and remain standing. Meanwhile, the flugel enters the stage and stands at the front of the stage (standing where the trombones did). When in position the flugel soloist picks up into rehearsal figure D.When the flugel soloist finishes playing, just before rehearsal figure F they then move to their normal seat in the band. At figure F the cornets march onto the stage from either side, they turn and stand side by side each other facing outward towards the audience forming two 'fanfare' lines either side of the lower brass. The conductor follows the cornets on stage and on cue they lift their instruments at the same time and perform when the piece gets to figure G.There is no more moving around from this point on other than the solo cornet to move forward with the solo euphonium and perform their duet at letter H. Also the horns are required to stand and play at letter I and then sit just before J.When performed with all the choreography, this piece makes for an exciting addition to any concert repertoire both for the performer and the audience.Suitable for 3rd Section Bands and Above
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days