Results
-
£35.00Ascend the Brightest Heaven...
DescriptionThe band's uniform badges feature a significant local landmark, a transmission tower officially known as The Arqiva Tower but known more colloquially to locals as 'Emley Moor mast'. The current elegantly tapered concrete sculpture, the tallest freestanding structure in the UK at 1084 feet, is the third mast on this site and was built between 1969 and 1971 after the catastrophic collapse of the previous structure.On 19 March 1969 a combination of extreme icing and strong winds caused the tubular mast to collapse across Jagger Lane and the chapel opposite - fortunately, despite the fact that the organist was in the chapel practising, nobody was injured. Several million people lost their BBC2 and ITV signals, until the Independent Television Authority managed to set up a temporary transmitter nearby!Just over two years later the new mast was operational, and despite initial opposition from some locals who feared another, potentially worse, collapse, Emley Moor Mast is now a popular local landmark and a grade II listed building. In 2015 the mast was illuminated with coloured lights at night to mark the 'Grand Depart' of the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire.You can listen and follow the score in the video below:
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£35.00Ariel
DescriptionAll hail, great master! Grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure, be 't to fly, To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride On the curled cloud. To thy strong bidding, task Ariel and all his quality. - William Shakespeare: The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2Ariel was written for the Hammonds Band to open their programme at the 2019 Brass in Concert Championships at The Sage Concert Hall in Gateshead, where it received its premiere. The title is taken from the character in Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest'. Ariel is an immensely powerful "air spirit" or demon bound to serve Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, after being released by Prospero from imprisonment in a tree. In the play Ariel's magical abilities are used to help Prospero revenge himself on his enemies and reclaim his dukedom, whereupon Ariel finally regains his freedom.You can hear an audio preview and follow the score below: Performance notes:The cornets and horns are split into two "choirs" to be placed left and right of the band. It may be possible for the choirs to play their opening flourish offstage, and the optional repeated sections in the opening are to accommodate stage movement if required. Trombones form a third "choir" which should ideally stand centrally between basses and percussion, and the euphoniums and baritones should sit in front of the basses. The work requires four percussionists, although if four are not available the 2nd part may be omitted.Percussion 1: Kit - bass drum, snare, 3 x toms, hi-hat, suspended cymbal - and 3 x temple blocksPercussion 2: Tam tam and orchestral bass drum.Percussion 3: Glockenspiel and timpaniPercussion 4: Tubular bellsSoprano, solo cornets and 3rd cornets require cup mutes. Solo trombone requires a cup mute, second trombone requires a metal straight mute.
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
-
£35.00A Suffolk Prelude - Andrew Duncan
Written for the Ipswich & Norwich Co-Op Band, A Suffolk Prelude is based around five traditional tunes from Suffolk:'Nutting Time','Blackberry Fold','Cupid's Garden','A Seaman's Life''The Bold Richard'The piece begins on the percussion and timpani alone leading through a crescendo into the first statement of the fanfare which is derived from a motif from the tune 'Nutting Time'. This leads into a playing of the 'Nutting Time' tune which is then developed as the tune is passed around the band.'Nutting Time' is a jolly lighthearted tune about a 'fair maid' who meets a handsome young farmer called 'Johnny' when out gathering nuts in the wood. After a pause on the tubular bells the slow tune 'Blackberry Fold' is presented as a solo for Flugel Horn, then as a full band version.'Blackberry Fold' is a touching song about a Suffolk squire who gets married well below his station to a beautiful milkmaid, simply because he loves her! They live happily ever after.The next tune to be heard is the juanty 'Cupid's Garden' played firstly as a solo on the Euphonium, and again this is about the subject of love. This song is sung from a sailors prospective and he tells how he met a lovely maiden and has promised to marry her when he returns from duty at sea.The trombones then play the noble tune 'A Seaman's Life'. This tune seems to serve as a warning to young girls about the fickle nature and the total unsuitability of marrying a sailor! 'Oh a seaman's life is a merry merry life, they'll rob young girls of their heart's delight, they will leave them behind for to sail one morn, but they never know when they'll return'. Despite this it is a fine tune!The last tune featured is 'The Bold Richard' which is played by all the bass instruments in the band. This is a song telling how the Royal Navy friggate 'The Bold Richard' went to battle against a French friggate destroying her and taking her crew as prisoners.Suffolk Prelude goes on to feature a slow version of the tune 'A Seaman's Life' played alongside a fast version of the tune 'Cupid's Garden'. The opening fanfare then returns leading into a final coda section.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
-
£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
-
£30.00Janacek's 'Taras Bulba' - Janacek
Comments from Tim Paton, the arranger of Janacek's 'Taras Bulba': "I will never forget the day in 1967 when I was introduced to the music of Leos Janacek, a Czech composer born in 1854, who died in 1928. Janacek was little known in Britain until the 1960's, when the conductor Charles Macherras introduced his unique music. I heard a recording of Macherras conducting the Pro Arte Orchestra in a performance of Janacek's "Sinfonietta".It was in 1969 that I first heard Janacek's Symphonic Rhapsody, "Taras Bulba".Janacek's music is exciting, powerful, emotive, impassioned and unpredictable.I have taken the first and third movements of this piece, and adapted them for Brass Band, which was at times extremely difficult, but rewarding. It sometimes took up to an hour to be satisfied that a mere several bars had been reproduced to convey the composer's intentions.The Death of AndriThe Cossaks, under the leadership of Taras Bulba, are fighting against the Poles in the 17th century. Taras's son Andri seeks to rescue his love, a Polish princess, from a city which is being besieged by the Cossaks. Having found her, he throws in his lot with the Poles, but is finally captured by his father, who executes him as a traitor before riding off again to battle.Prophesy and Death of Taras BulbaTaras himself is finally captured and condemned to be nailed to a tree and burned alive. As the flames creep around him, Taras has the satisfaction of seeing histroops escape, and as he dies, sees a vision of his country freed at last.This is incredibly descriptive music. The mood is constantly changing, creating feelings of love and anger, celebration and melancholy, despair and triumph.This Brass Band EditionThe duration of the original symphonic rhapsody, three movements, is approximately 23 minutes. I chose the first and third movements, so the Brass Band edition is approximately 14 minutes. The main reason is twofold: Being realistic about the demands this music would place on the stamina of the brass player; Keeping the piece less than 15 minutes, so that, if desired, it could be used on the contest platform.Two unique qualities of Janacek's music had to be taken into account when preparing this brass band version. His compositional technique was individual, at times not sticking to traditional expectations, in both form and orchestration. I imagined what the genius himself would have said looking at my work, and how to tackle a particular section to emulate his original intentions. This was particularly the case when dealing with high woodwind and violin parts, the use of tremolo in string parts, and the orchestral harp.Percussion: Janacek included timpani, side drum, cymbals, triangle and tubular bells. For reasons stated previously, I have also included xylophone and glockenspiel. I have also added the gong in a couple of places to enhance the dramatic effect of the music.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
-
£127.95Music of the Angels (Symphonic Brass Ensemble - Score and Parts)
In 1998 Gregson was commissioned by conductor Martyn Brabbins to write a short concert opener with choir to mark his debut as Music Director of the Huddersfield Choral Society. Entitled ...and the seven trumpets... this ten minute flourish is founded on a verse from Chapter 8 of the Revelation To John (The Apocalypse), the last book in the Bible: 'and I saw the seven Angels which stood before God: and to them were given seven trumpets'. The performance employed the full power of the Huddersfield Town Hall organ and the brass section of the BBC Philharmonic, including seven trumpets and four horns placed strategically around hall.The following year, when Gregson received a commission from the Cheshire-based Foden's Brass Band (conducted at that time by Nicholas Childs) for a work to mark its centenary in 2000, he turned to the first portion of ...and the seven trumpets... as the basis for an ambitious celebratory work entitled The Trumpets of the Angels. "The opportunity to create an extended work which would break out of the brass band mould was an important milestone for me," the composer says. In 2015 he was asked by Nicholas Childs to create a new performing edition without organ for the Black Dyke Band. This received its first performance in April 2016 at the European Brass Band Festival in Lille. In 2018, Gregson revisited the music for a third time, returning the opening fanfares to orchestral brass and transforming substantial portions of the 'Black Dyke' version to create Music of the Angels, a dramatic canvas for symphonic brass and percussion.An array of bells and gongs offer an unmistakable key to the source of Gregson's inspiration. Inscribed In tribute to Olivier Messiaen, the work's principal material and its sound world, but crucially not the underlying musical processes, are influenced by Messiaen's masterpiece for wind and percussion, Et exspecto ressurectionem mortuorum (1964). Music of the Angels begins with braying of horns suggestive of the start of an ancient ritual. Six 'angel' trumpeters, set behind the ensemble, answer in sequence, with the evocative sound of tam-tams creating the Messiaen-like aura. Once the horns have reached the performing space, four of the trumpeters deliver highly contrasting fanfare cadenzas. At the climax of this episode, the individual fanfares are presented together, as if, perhaps, to reflect the Biblical writer's apocalyptic visions of hail, fire, seas of blood and the cataclysmic destruction of man and beast.This powerful vision of death and destruction gives way to a prayerful lament, re-imagining a sung Kyrie Eleison from the 'Black Dyke' edition, with flugel horn and euphonium obligati. The hushed atmosphere is broken by tenor and side drums, and trumpets five and six, which gallop away like the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In the biblical account their steeds had 'heads like lions with fire and smoke and sulphur issuing from their mouths'.As the reverberation of a dramatic climax dies we hear the entry of the seventh trumpet, from 'on high', blazing forth with a version of the main that extends across the entire compass of the instrument - almost three octaves. Supported by a 'holy trinity' of gongs, an 'epic' final cadenza introduces new material which is further developed in a frenetic final section. This is announced by two sets of timpani, to the left and right. Braying brass (euphoniums and horns) once more adds an air of foreboding. As the music builds towards a magisterial conclusion, the Messiaen-inspired tritones of the principal motif are smoothed out into perfect 5ths and combined with the earlier material in a full-voiced chorale, over which the seventh trumpet blazes in triumph.- Programme note by Paul HindmarshScored for1 Trumpet in E flat (Trumpet 5)6 Trumpets in B flat (Trumpet 4 doubling Flugel Horn)4 Horns in F3 Tenor Trombones1 Bass TromboneEuphonium2 Tubas2 Timpani (Percussion 3 doubles Timpani 2)Percussion (3 players): 3 Tam-tams, 3 Suspended Cymbals, Bass Drum, Tenor Drum, Snare Drum, Tubular Bells.Duration: 16.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£27.00Auld Lang Syne (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
It is a tradition in most English-speaking countries to sing this song at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to usher in the New Year. The words are at least partially written by Robert Burns and the words "Auld Lang Syne" literally mean "old long ago" or "the good old days", providing a moment of reflection before moving forwards into the New Year.The tubular bells, although pitched, sound midnight when they enter at bar 10.This arrangement was prepared for Brass Band of the Western Reserve, musical director Keith M Wilkinson, to perform at First Night, Akron, Ohio, December 31st, 2007. The following choreography is suggested:Commence the performance with all the cornets scattered around the auditorium.At the end of bar 18 invite the audience to sing along with the band.At bar 27 the cornets move to stand in front of the other members of the band to lead to the stirring conclusion. Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£94.95Dances and Arias (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
This work was commissioned by Boosey & Hawkes Band Festivals (with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain) for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, held at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 7th October 1984.Dances and Arias is in one continuous movement, but as the title suggests is a series of alternating fast and slow sections as follows: Dance - Aria I - Dance (scherzo) - Aria II - Dance. The opening dance is energetic and introduces a four-note motif (on trombones) which is the basis for much of the melodic material in the work. Throughout, there is a continuous process of thematic cross-reference and transformation.The first aria unfolds a long melody on solo cornet, eventually continued by all the solo cornets, and dissolving into a shimmering harmonic background (muted cornets, horns and baritones) over which is heard a brief self-quotation on solo tuba. This leads into the second dance, a frenetic scherzo, followed by the second aria, in the style of a lament (solo euphonium, followed by two flugel horns). This builds to a powerful climax which subsides, leaving the percussion to introduce the final toccata-like dance. It transforms material from the opening before a coda brings the music to a triumphant close. The large percussion section is an integral part in the work and uses a wide variety of instruments including timpani, glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylophone, tubular bells, tom-toms, snare drum, bongos and tam-tam.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£27.00Auld Lang Syne (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wilkinson, Keith M.
It is a tradition in most English-speaking countries to sing this song at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to usher in the New Year. The words are at least partially written by Robert Burns and the words "Auld Lang Syne" literally mean "old long ago" or "the good old days", providing a moment of reflection before moving forwards into the New Year.The tubular bells, although pitched, sound midnight when they enter at bar 10.This arrangement was prepared for Brass Band of the Western Reserve, musical director Keith M Wilkinson, to perform at First Night, Akron, Ohio, December 31st, 2007. The following choreography is suggested:Commence the performance with all the cornets scattered around the auditorium.At the end of bar 18 invite the audience to sing along with the band.At bar 27 the cornets move to stand in front of the other members of the band to lead to the stirring conclusion. Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
