Results
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£30.00Humming Chorus - Giacomo Puccini arr. Phillip Littlemore
In Puccini's opera, Madam Butterfly, the Coro a bocca chiusa (Humming Chorus) is performed by an off-stage chorus which hums a wordless, melancholy tune, whilst Butterfly, her maid Suzuki, and her child begin the long wait for husband Pinkerton to return after many years away. As night falls, Suzuki and the child are soon asleep, but Butterfly keeps her vigil. This arrangement features four flugel horns, each of which plays into the bell of a bass whilst the bass player moves the valves - creating a unique humming sound.Puccini actually wrote five versions of the opera, Madam Butterfly. After a disastrous premiere in early 1904, Puccini withdrew the opera and substantially rewrote it creating a very successful second version. However, he continued to tinker with the orchestration, not being satisfied until the fifth, and now standard, version dating from 1907.Duration: c.2'40"Difficulty: suitable for all grades
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£40.00Semiramide - Gioacchino Rossini arr. Phillip Littlemore
The Rossini Overture is practically a genre unto itself, for few other composers have had so many operatic overtures find a second home in the concert hall. Semiramide is one of Rossini's lengthier overtures, clocking in at approximately twelve minutes, although in this transcription it has been reduced to a more manageable eight minutes. Characteristically, Rossini uses several themes from the opera as the basis for his instrumental prelude. This overture became extremely popular in Rossini's day and its most distinctive feature is the rich andantino passage, introduced by the four horns that dominates the slow introduction after an opening flourish. It proved to be the last opera Rossini wrote in his native Italy. After a brief sojourn in London, he moved to Paris the following year and settled permanently in the French capital.Duration: 8 minutesDifficulty: 2nd Section and above
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£35.00Symphonic Dance No.3 - Sergei Rachmaninov arr. Phillip Littlemore
Completed in 1940, the set of Symphonic Dances was Sergei Rachmaninov's last composition. The work is fully representative of the composer's late style with its curious, shifting harmonies, the almost Prokofiev-like outer movements and the focus on individual instrumental tone colours throughout. Rachmaninov composed the Symphonic Dances four years after his Third Symphony, mostly at the Honeyman Estate, 'Orchard Point', in Centerport, New York, overlooking Long Island Sound. The three-movement work's original name was Fantastic Dances, with movement titles of 'Noon', 'Twilight' and 'Midnight'. When the composer wrote to the conductor Eugene Ormandy in late August, he said that the piece was finished and needed only to be orchestrated, but the manuscript for the full score actually bears completion dates of September and October 1940. It was premiered by Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, to whom it is dedicated, on 3rd January, 1941.This arrangement is of the last dance and is a kind of struggle between the Dies Irae theme, representing Death, and a quotation from Rachmaninov's own Vespers (also known as the All-night Vigil, 1915), representing Resurrection. The Resurrection theme proves victorious in the end as the composer actually wrote the word 'Hallelujah' at the relevant place the score (one bar after Fig. 16 in this arrangement). Duration: 3'45"Diffiuclty: 2nd Section and above
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£25.00One Fine Day - cornet solo
One Fine Day is the most famous arias from the opera Madam Butterfly. It comes at the beginning of Act II, which is set three years after the action of Act I. Pinkerton, Butterfly's husband, is a US Naval Officer and he had to return to the sea shortly after their wedding. In the aria, she sings about the day he will return, seeing the ship appear on the horizon, then seeing it enter the harbour. When he arrives, they will be reunited for ever.This cornet solo is an ideal slow encore piece which needs a sweet sound and good breath control.Duration: c.3'00"Difficulty: Suitable for all grades
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£25.00One Fine Day - vocal solo
One Fine Day is the most famous aria from the opera Madam Butterfly. It comes at the beginning of Act II, which is set three years after the action of Act I. Pinkerton, Butterfly's husband, a US Naval Officer has returned to the sea after their wedding. In this aria, she sings about the day he will return, seeing the ship appear on the horizon, then seeing it enter the harbour. When he arrives, they will be reunited for ever.Duration: c.3'00"Grade: Suitable for all
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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Laughter In The Rain - Sedaka & Cody - Len Jenkins
In America, this was Neil Sedaka's comeback single. Whilst he had 11 Top-40 hits from 1960-1963, he could not score a hit after the British Invasion of the 60's. His fortunes were such in America that this song was at first released only in England, where it went to No. 15. However, whilst recording with 10cc in London, Sedaka reconnected with his friend Elton John who offered to put out a Sedaka single in America under his own record label, Rocket Records. Since "Laughter In The Rain" was already a hit in the UK, that was the choice, and anything with Elton John's name on it was sure to get some spins. So, later in 1974, "Laughter" was released on Rocket Records with liner notes and endorsements by Elton, and the song took off, becoming his second million-seller 12 years after his first, which was "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do."
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£12.00Of Men and Mountains (Brass Band Study Score)
Of Men and Mountains was commissioned by the Netherlands Brass Band Championships for their 10th Anniversary Contest, held in Drachten in December 1990.The title of the work and its genesis came about as a result of a train journey the composer took in July 1989 across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver. The awe-inspiring journey through the Rocky Mountains, with its high peaks and shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds, with its canyons and ferocious rapids, made the composer 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 the title (after Blake).The work is dedicated to the memory of Eric Ball, who died shortly before the writing of the work commenced.Of Men and Mountains is in one continuous movement and lasts about 17 mins. 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.Duration: 17.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.95Orion (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Orion was named after the giant huntsman in Greek mythology and is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous and recognisable constellations in the night sky. This piece and its inspiration were composed as a tone poem creating a musical picture of this amazing phenomenon.The opening introduces the constellation. Starting mysteriously with the percussion and basses this section develops a series of rhythmic and harmonic interludes from the upper brass. As this introduction develops, the melodic line lead by the Solo Cornet and Euphonium builds as the accompanying instruments increase in their rhythmic complexity. This section climaxes with a short fanfare motif which will be a prominent theme throughout this piece.The fast rhythmic section that follows serves as a technical test for the players. The thematic device introduced by the Solo Cornets is passed around various soloists and sections within the ensemble. This part of the tone poem gives the opportunity for the ensemble to highlight their technical prowess. The fanfare motif returns to conclude this section and takes the piece into the slow middle movement.Motifs heard earlier are mixed with new ideas in this slow section which give an opportunity for a variety of soloists to demonstrate their musical prowess. After the various solo passages and cadenzas, the mood shifts dramatically to a more ominous section that builds in texture and dynamic. Concluding with our returning fanfare motif the piece then builds in momentum towards our finale section.This finale is a technical showcase which will further test the playing ability and stamina of soloists, small groups and the full ensemble. Using prominent musical themes heard throughout this piece the music builds to a glorious conclusion fitting with wonderful constellation.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£49.99Marcho Brioso (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Marcho Brioso was commissioned by The Brioso Brass, a British-style brass band from Hokkaido, Japan. They gave the first performance in January 2012.The commission was for a bright and breezy march that the band could use as their theme tune, so Marcho Brioso falls into the composer's series of Broadway-style marches, which includes Slipstream, The Bandwagon and Jubiloso. After a short introduction a solo cornet plays the main theme, accompanied by a euphonium counter-melody. A secondary phrase from the horns and baritones leads to a tutti version of the main theme which is followed by the traditional 'bass' strain. A change of key heralds the trio section, which features a cantabile melody on euphonium; this is then taken up by the full band after a short bridge passage and further change of key.This takes us back to the home key which sees a quiet staccato version of the main theme lead to a recapitulation and a short coda which brings the march to a close.Duration: 3:40
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95Song for the Skies
Song for the Skies was commissioned by Tuba virtuoso Les Neish and was given its world premier on the December 9th 2010 with the James Madison University Brass Band in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA.Les asked me to compose a slow melody that highlights the wonderful sonorous sound of the Tuba. I am a big fan of Les and of the instrument and knowing the capabilities of Les as a soloist I wanted to experiment with the range and colour of the instrument in this solo.After a warm introduction from the ensemble the soloist enters almost timeless over the muted cornets. The melody when it is first heard has a somewhat haunting Celtic feel to it. It is intentionally marked as con rubato so that the soloist can really put their own musical stamp on the music. As the haunting melody repeats again this time in a change of key the accompaniment takes more of a role within the piece of music performing counter melodies within this second section.The middle of the piece introduces a new secondary melodic device that serves as an introduction to the original melody played in all its glory by the ensemble. This dies away to leave the second half of the melody in the euphoniums and baritones as the soloist plays a soaring counter melody in the highest register of the instrument.The piece starts to return home with a recapitulation of the introduction followed by the second part of the original melody by the soloist. After a momentary reflective solo from the soloist the introduction is used for a final time before the tuba guides us home to conclude.For the soloist, there are a number of occasions where the opportunity to play in the upper register of the instrument arises. However, I have also given the opportunity for the soloist to play various passages down the octave so it suits the performers playing style and range.Song for the Skies is very simple yet beautiful and I feel it suits the playing of the Eb Tuba perfectly. I hope you enjoy performing it.Paul Lovatt-Cooper
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days