Results
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£30.00The St Louis Blues - Sandy Coffin, W C Handy
Two-Step MarchCommissioned by John Wallace, this arrangement of The St Louis Blues has been crafted by Sandy Coffin through close listening of the available recordings of the Harlem Hellfighters Band. Sandy had been heavily involved with the Historic Brass Society symposium 2017 held in New York and assisted John with his research on this fascinating band and the style of music it generated.Eye-witness accounts refer to the 369th band 'dancing' rather than 'marching'. Above all, in modern performance, finding a 'dancing beat' is crucial to a successful performance of this Ragtime march in order to do justice to the great pioneering work of James Reese Europe.Note the flutter-tonguing and use of muting, the counter-melody in soprano cornet, and the wilder and yet wilder nature of each repetition of the Chorus.Look and Listen:Background to the Harlem HellfightersThe US Army 369th Regiment, made up largely of African-Americans from New York, became known as the Harlem Hellfighters because of the heroic reputation which accrued to them during the actions they engaged in during the First World War in Europe.James Reese Europe was one of the most active African-American composer/musical directors in the pre-war American music scene. The legendary Harlem Hellfighters Band, which he assembled in 1917 from African-American and Puerto Rican musicians, came at an important transitional point in musical history. A new form of music called jazz was emerging from Ragtime and the performing style of Europe's band was immersed in the flow of this new direction.Europe's Harlem Hellfighters influenced and inspired everyone who heard them, including the welcoming crowd when they disembarked in France, bowled over by their swinging rendition of La Marseillaise. Reese Europe became a war hero, commanding a machine-gun unit as well as the band.On return from War in 1919 the band led a ticker-tape parade along Fifth Avenue in New York and soon made about 30 shellac recordings. These recordings display some of the fingerprints of their performing style: ragging, improvising, muting, wailing, smearing (their word for glissando) - and from the evidence of their recordings they took the printed page as a blueprint for individuality.In May 1919 during the Hellfighters' triumphant coast-to-coast tour after their return, James Reese Europe was tragically murdered, bringing to premature close, at the age of 39, the work of a great musical innovator.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00The Wind Beneath My Wings
A beautiful Baritone duet setting of this legendary ballad.Tim Paton writes:My band colleague, friend and baritone player, Eileen Ludlow, asked me on several occasions to arrange this well loved song as a baritone duet for her and Clare. So asa birthday present for Eileen, this is my contribution to an ever growing number of pieces featuring the long neglected baritone player!
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00There and Back - Martyn Brabbins
An original composition for brass band by Martyn Brabbins.This work was created by Brabbins early in his career and combines his creativity and passion for the sounds of brass bands . It is one of two compositions from that era (the other being Here and There) which have now been given a new lease of life and made available to the general public through The Music Company (UK) Ltd.A fast-paced and lyrical piece lasting just over 2 minutes. It's a piece which can work well across a concert programme - giving flourish as an opener and equally effective if placed between longer content.Available here for brass band and also available orchestral wind, brass & percussion.**Brass Band version for purchase/orchestral wind, brass and percussion version for hire only.Listen InFind out more about Martyn Brabbins, listen in to the fascinating podcast presented as part of the British Bandsman's On The Record series:Apple podcasts:apple.co/3ufSsfXSpotify:spoti.fi/3duqoj5Podbean:bit.ly/3k3B75h
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00Three Pieces from Czechoslovakia - Leos Janacek
This is the music of Leos Janacek (1854-1928) - exciting, powerful, emotive, impassioned, unpredictable, and many other definitions all rolled into one! Janacek was little known in Britain until the 1960's, when the conductor Charles Macherras introduced his unique music and opera to the western audience. His orchestral Sinfonietta was an instant hit. Janacek has since been one of the featured composers in the 'Proms'.The three pieces which I have arranged for brass band are INTRODUCTION, ORGAN SOLO and INTRADA from Janacek's Glagolitic Mass. They work equally well together or on their own, as they each have their own identity. They can be purchased together or separately.1. INTRODUCTIONA great 'starter' for the first or second half of a concert. 2. ORGAN SOLOThis is a 'must' if you want to impress your audience - every section of the band is incredibly busy, (although they can be assured that they do have time to breath)! 3. INTRADAThis piece, (and no.1 "Introduction"), both contain that 'fanfare' like quality which Janacek is famous for in his Sinfonietta.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£25.00
Victoriana - Alun N Prest
A great opener of a concert piece with lots of interest all around the band.Originally commissioned for the opening of the Saltburn Bandstand in 1996, we are delighted that the music, with all its grandeur and pomp & circumstance that such a ceremony would demand is now available to enjoy by all bands.Lots of traditional sounds and chordal structures, mixed with some lovely motifs go together to make for a perfect concert programme item.Also ideal for massed band concerts as the scoring lends itself well to being performed by multiple players to create an impressive end result.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£35.00
Welsh Echoes - Andrew Duncan
Commissioned by The Charles Church Camberley Band in 2007 as a gift to mark the 90th Birthday of their previous conductor, Gerallt Hughes. The piece has been well received, having been performed by Grimethorpe Colliery Band and by Brighouse & Rastrick Band on Listen To The Band.The striking Welsh folk tunes, Sospan Fach, David of the White Rock and Watching the Wheat are all woven into this delightful composition. There is a feature for the solo cornet in David of the White Rock, and some nice touches with a saucepan and wooden spoon in the Percussion to make Sospan Fach true to its name (Little Saucepan!).The contrasting styles this composition offers with the incorporation of the melodies make this piece an ideal concert work and has already proven popular with audiences of all nationalities!
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£20.00
Xmas Ditty - Tim Paton
Seasonal 'fun' for the band, (and the audience of course).Robert Childs commented:It begins with yet another rendition of Jingle Bells, "Wait a minute though, is someone out of tune somewhere? Who is that who some of the band are shouting at? Why am I thinking of Les Dawson? ... Back to the music - it's Good King Wenceslas, how did Rule Britannia get in there? ... and I'm sure that was the end of God Save the Queen".After an unadulterated version of O Come, all ye faithful, the final section features Jingle Bells and Good King Wenceslas claiming the last spot together.The piece ends with the well known 'AMEN' cadence - but there's still a little surprise on the last chord! "..is subtitled 'seasonal fun for band and audience', and it certainly is just that!"
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£40.00Activate - Matthew Hall
ActivateTop to bottom in less than 2 minutes! Originally composed for Tredegar Town Band under the direction of Ian Porthouse, Activate is a fantastic way to start any programme in a concert or on the contest stage.The original conception of Activate occurred when Tredegar had 18 minutes of a 20 minute contest programme and couldn't find a piece to start the performance to fit in the time slot.With funky bass lines, percussion and melody lines as well as some devilish rhythmical elements in the inner parts, Activate is a sure fire way of getting the audience's feet tapping.The trombone solo in the middle section of the piece can be substituted on to any other Bb instrument should the need occur, and the piece can also be started with a drum kit rhythm rather than straight into the first bar.Activate
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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Blake's 7 - theme - Dudley Simpson - Len Jenkins
Blake's 7 was a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC and broadcast between 1978 and 1981. It was popular from its first broadcast, watched by approximately 10 million people in the UK and shown in 25 other countries. Although many aspects of space opera were present, its budget was inadequate for its interstellar narrative. It still remains well regarded for its strong characterisation, ambiguous morality and pessimistic tone - but has also been described as "classically awful". It has cult status. After over 30 years of silence, the theme music has now been arranged for full Brass Band and is a strident 'opener', or 'closer' for any concert.
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Galloping Home (The theme from TV's Black Beauty) - Dennis King - Len Jenkins
"The Adventures of Black Beauty" was a British children's television drama series produced by London Weekend Television and shown by ITV in the United Kingdom between 1972 and 1974. The theme tune, "Galloping Home", written by Denis King and performed by the London String Chorale, was released as a single and peaked at number 31 in the UK charts in the week of 2 February 1974. It was later used at the climax of the first series of Absolutely Fabulous, with Edina Monsoon dreaming of running through a field as Black Beauty does in the series' title sequence. The piece has been arranged for both Full Brass Band and Brass Ensemble, in this case a Quintet with optional percussion. Both arrangements are well within the capabilities of most bands.
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