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£30.00
strange 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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£63.78
Avifauna (Brass Band) Joshua Tyler Jameson
This highly descriptive work was commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of America and will be a terrific concert or entertainment contest item. The music paints the picture of the lives of a variety of different birds. The composer writes: 'When I began thinking about this project I was sitting in my office in the early morning, the sun having just risen. There was a gentle breeze and the only thing that I could hear (aside from my hungry whining cats) was the gentle song of the birds outside my open window. As much of my work is programmatic, almost like symphonic poems, this immediately gave me the image of a majestic sunrise with all types of birds fluttering about, almost as if out of an episode of Planet Earth. When I was commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of America, I knew the project had to be something the ensemble could grab onto. Something they could see. Something they could relate to. There being so many types of birds in North America, I selected a handful to help tell my story... The scene where I came up with this idea seemed to be the perfect starting point. Sunrise, tiny chirps of Morning Birds floating around the twilight of dawn, swiftly moving towards the majesty of the sun cresting the horizon. A new day, the beginning of a story. As the sun rises higher in the sky, animal activity stirs, becoming lively and wild. The flowers have opened up to drink in the sun's rays, leaving them open to nectar-seeking Hummingbirds. Whizzing by at lightning speed, the hummingbirds journey from flower to flower, drinking their fill until the sun begins to set back over the horizon. When daylight fades, the enigmatic Owl floats silently through the sky. The wonder of these creatures comes not just from their beauty, but also from their mystery and their ferocity. We see images in pop culture of majestic white owls and marvel in their beauty... but to a mouse roaming the forest floor in the dark of the night, the terror of suddenly being dropped upon by a silent predator is anything but peaceful. In the dead of night, soft rolling clouds thicken as a storm begins to brew. With the ensuing rain also emerges the grotesque scavenging Vulture; marching along from carcass to carcass, tearing into the rotting leftovers of another predator's kill, gorging themselves until over-full. However, from this nightmare fuel of a bird, a new day awaits... As the dawn of another day approaches, you begin to hear the same morning birds you heard the previous day. When the light finally breaks the horizon, the soaring majesty of the Eagle drives us to the end of our story; an exciting journey told through the eyes of the winged creatures that paint the skies of North America. This is Avifauna.' To view a follow-the-score video please visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2bhBpx9KvM Sheet music available from: UK - www.brassband.co.uk USA - www.solidbrassmusic.com Difficulty Level: 2nd 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 Percussion 1-4
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£94.95
An Age of Kings (Mezzo-Soprano Solo with Brass Band and optional choir - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
The origins of this work date back to 1988, when I was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company to write the music for The Plantagenets trilogy, directed by Adrian Noble in Stratford-upon-Avon. These plays take us from the death of Henry V to the death of Richard III. Later, in 1991, I wrote the music for Henry IV parts 1 and 2, again in Stratford. All of these plays are concerned with the struggle for the throne, and they portray one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the British monarchy.Much of the music used in these productions was adapted into two large symphonic suites for wind band - The Sword and the Crown (1991) and The Kings Go Forth (1996). An Age of Kings is a new version for brass band incorporating music from both the symphonic suites for wind band. It was specially composed for a recording made by the Black Dyke Band, conducted by Nicholas Childs, in 2004.An Age of Kings is music on a large-scale canvas, scored for augmented brass band, with the addition of harp, piano, mezzo-soprano solo, male chorus, as well as two off-stage trumpets. The music is also organized on a large-scale structure, in three movements, which play without a break - "Church and State", "At the Welsh Court", and "Battle Music and Hymn of Thanksgiving".The first movement, "Church and State", opens with a brief fanfare for two antiphonal trumpets (off-stage), but this only acts as a preface to a Requiem aeternam (the death of Henry V) before changing mood to the English army on the march to France; this subsides into a French victory march, but with the English army music returning in counterpoint. A brief reminder of the Requiem music leads to the triumphal music for Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, father of Edward IV and Richard III (the opening fanfare transformed). However, the mood changes dramatically once again, with the horrors of war being portrayed in the darkly-drawn Dies Irae and Dance of Death, leading to the final section of the first movement, a funeral march for Henry VI.The second movement, "At the Welsh Court", takes music from the Welsh Court in Henry IV part 1 with a simple Welsh folk tune sung by mezzo-soprano to the inevitable accompaniment of a harp. This love song is interrupted by distant fanfares, forewarning of battles to come. However, the folk song returns with variation in the musical fabric. The movement ends as it began with off-stage horn and gentle percussion.The final movement, "Battle Music and Hymn of Thanksgiving", starts with two sets of antiphonally placed timpani, drums and tam-tam, portraying the 'war machine' and savagery of battle. Trumpet fanfares and horn calls herald an heroic battle theme which, by the end of the movement, transforms itself into a triumphant hymn for Henry IV's defeat of the rebellious forces.- Edward GregsonDuration - 22'00"Optional TTBB available separately.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£84.99
Pacific Dreams (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - De Haan, Jacob
Pacific Dreams describes the experience of Miguel, a travelling composer from Spain who, feeling somewhat alienated from his homeland, is wandering through an area of Sydney known as The Rocks. At a small outdoor market in a typical street of this old colonial neighbourhood, he discovers a print of William DeShazos painting "Pacific Dreams" Portrayed in the painting is the surf of one of the exotic islands in the Pacific. Next, with the impressive Sydney Harbour Bridge looming over the narrow streets of The Rocks, he envisions sultry Pacific beaches. Suddenly a theme he once composed about the lakes in Japan comes to him. Is it the Asian influences present in cosmopolitan Sydney that bring this theme to mind? Or perhaps the waters around Sydney, over which he could sail to Tahiti? He is uncertain. Could this same theme be used to create a new composition about his feelings for the metropolis Sydney? How then to work his Pacific Dreams into the mix? Miguel is certainly no fan of Hawaiian music. Maybe he could use the vocabularies of islands like Hawaii and Tahiti, their beautiful vowel combinations being sung ad libitum by a mixed choir.With these ideas and his newly purchased print of "Pacific Dreams", he boards the Metro at Circular Quay. He has a final glimpse of the harbour and the Sydney Opera House as the train races into the ground. On to the hotel! To work! He must compose! Maestoso : Miguel is impressed as he gazes upon the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And yet, he wants to go away from this city. Away, to an exotic island in the Pacific.Steady Rock : In the Rocks, musicians are playing at a square. Miguel basks in the atmosphere but at the same time he is fantasising about Hawaii and Tahiti. Andante Lamentoso : In his hotel room, Miguel is feeling sad and lonely in this big city. He takes comfort in his "Pacific Dreams". Allegro : Miguel boards the boat that takes him from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. In his mind he is travelling on to Hawaii. Or is it home, where the bolero is playing? He is pulled back to reality by the skyline of Sydney.Duration: 9.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£74.99
Durkle Bandrydge Suite Brass Band (Score & Parts) - Fraser, Bruce
Durkle Bandrydge is the name of the composers imaginary world, but it could very well be anyones invisible dream world with a different name. In this very versatile suite by Bruce Fraser, 8 characters are featured, each with its own peculiarities, making Durkle Bandrydge such a colourful place. Do these characters differ that much from us? That is for you to find out! In the last part, all characters come together in a special way.Durkle Bandrydge exists at the end of your street. It is invisible to humans, but Durkle Bandrygators can watch us with great interest. The music will introduce you to some of the characters who live in this unusual place. The parts: Somnanbulyss, who is a giant troll guarding the entrance to Durkle Bandryde. At least, he is supposed to, but he tends to sleep most of the time. His music is therefore very slow moving and sleepy. Long Gwysteen is a tall, mysterious, and somehow sophisticated character, who walls around with a shell on his back. His music glides along rather gracefully. Squelfitch is a rather unpleasant and smelly character who lives in a bog, which is why his music sounds rather slimy and a bit like trying to walk through quicksand. Perfydlia is a meddling old woman, who gossips about everybody and squeals with sudden delight at the small exciting bits of tittletattle about others in the village. In the music you can hear her sudden little squeals of delight. Maryann Lovely is a beautiful young lady, graceful, gorgeous, absolutely devine, and her music is obviously just the same. Thistledoo Nicely is a lively character who spends and spends and spends with her credit card, buying the latest fashion and never worries about having to pay the bills. Her music reflects her excitement when shopping and het 'happy go lucky' approach to life. Marsyn Edginton is the Lord of the manor, the richest man in town, the 'big cheese', the man with all the power and, of course, the biggest house. He is very grand and his music like he could be a king. Jimmy McScotsmyn is a red haired scotsman wearing tartan cap. He misses his home country terribly and eats lots of shortbread, oatcakes, scotch eggs, porridge and drinks an enormous amount of Scotch Wisky, which helps him to have fond memories of the kind of music he would like to dance to when he was a younger man. His favourite dance is a Jig and this is the music he remembers. Grand March of the Durkle Bandrydgators. We hope that you have enjoyed meeting these characters from Drukle Bandrydge and would invite you to listen to all the villagers now march along in a grand parade - it is a pity that you can not see them, what is a wonderful sight. If you listen carefully, you will hear the melodies which belong to the characters as they march past. Oh what a grand spectacle! 10:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£74.99
Durkle Bandrydge Suite - Bruce Fraser
Durkle Bandrydge is the name of the composers imaginary world, but it could very well be anyones invisible dream world with a different name. In this very versatile suite by Bruce Fraser, 8 characters are featured, each with its ownpeculiarities, making Durkle Bandrydge such a colourful place. Do these characters differ that much from us? That is for you to find out! In the last part, all characters come together in a special way.Durkle Bandrydge exists at the end ofyour street. It is invisible to humans, but Durkle Bandrygators can watch us with great interest. The music will introduce you to some of the characters who live in this unusual place. The parts: Somnanbulyss, who is a giant trollguarding the entrance to Durkle Bandryde. At least, he is supposed to, but he tends to sleep most of the time. His music is therefore very slow moving and sleepy. Long Gwysteen is a tall, mysterious, and somehow sophisticated character,who walls around with a shell on his back. His music glides along rather gracefully. Squelfitch is a rather unpleasant and smelly character who lives in a bog, which is why his music sounds rather slimy and a bit like trying to walkthrough quicksand. Perfydlia is a meddling old woman, who gossips about everybody and squeals with sudden delight at the small exciting bits of tittletattle about others in the village. In the music you can hear her sudden little squealsof delight. Maryann Lovely is a beautiful young lady, graceful, gorgeous, absolutely devine, and her music is obviously just the same. Thistledoo Nicely is a lively character who spends and spends and spends with her credit card,buying the latest fashion and never worries about having to pay the bills. Her music reflects her excitement when shopping and het 'happy go lucky' approach to life. Marsyn Edginton is the Lord of the manor, the richest man in town, the'big cheese', the man with all the power and, of course, the biggest house. He is very grand and his music like he could be a king. Jimmy McScotsmyn is a red haired scotsman wearing tartan cap. He misses his home country terribly and eatslots of shortbread, oatcakes, scotch eggs, porridge and drinks an enormous amount of Scotch Wisky, which helps him to have fond memories of the kind of music he would like to dance to when he was a younger man. His favourite dance is a Jig andthis is the music he remembers. Grand March of the Durkle Bandrydgators. We hope that you have enjoyed meeting these characters from Drukle Bandrydge and would invite you to listen to all the villagers now march along in a grand parade -it is a pity that you can not see them, what is a wonderful sight. If you listen carefully, you will hear the melodies which belong to the characters as they march past. Oh what a grand spectacle!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£84.99
Pacific Dreams - Jacob de Haan
Pacific Dreams describes the experience of Miguel, a traveling composer from Spain who, feeling somewhat alienated from his homeland, is wandering through an area of Sydney known as The Rocks. At a small outdoor market in a typical street of this oldcolonial neighbourhood, he discovers a print of William DeShazos painting "Pacific Dreams" Portrayed in the painting is the surf of one of the exotic islands in the Pacific. Next, with the impressive Sydney Harbour Bridge looming over the narrowstreets of The Rocks, he envisions sultry Pacific beaches. Suddenly a theme he once composed about the lakes in Japan comes to him. Is it the Asian influences present in cosmopolitan Sydney that bring this theme to mind? Or perhaps the waters aroundSydney, over which he could sail to Tahiti? He is uncertain. Could this same theme be used to create a new composition about his feelings for the metropolis Sydney? How then to work his Pacific Dreams into the mix? Miguel is certainly no fan ofHawaiian music. Mayby he could use the vocabularies of islands like Hawaii and Tahiti, their beautiful vowel combinations being sung ad libitum by a mixed choir.With these ideas and his newly purchased print of "Pacific Dreams", he boards the Metroat Circular Quay. He has a final glimpse of the harbour and the Sydney Opera House as the train races into the ground. On to the hotel! To work! He must compose!Maestoso : Miguel is impressed as he gazes upon the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And yet, hewants to go away from this city. Away, to an exotic island in the Pacific.Steady Rock : In the Rocks, musicians are playing at a square. Miguel basks in the atmosphere but at the same time he is fantasizing about Hawaii and Tahiti.Andante Lamentoso :In his hotel room, Miguel is feeling sad and lonely in this big city. He takes comfort in his "Pacific Dreams".Allegro : Miguel boards the boat that takes him from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. In his mind he is traveling on to Hawaii. Or is ithome, where the bolero is playing? He is pulled back to reality by the skyline of Sydney.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£70.00
Origins - Peter Meechan
Origins is in three movements, with each movement having a different subject matter, all linked by the idea of origins: the first movement refers to musical origins; the second to the origins of life; and the final movement to the space exploration - the research of all origins. The first movement is based on a short motif, heard in the first three notes the soloist plays. These three notes cover the interval of a minor third (an interval that often plays a crucial role in my music) on which the whole concerto is built. The soloist and accompaniment interplay freely throughout the opening section, before an ostinato accompaniment appears - over which the soloist sounds a long legato melody. A short cadenza follows and a return to the opening material leads the movement to an end. The second movement, titled Harryas Song, is - as tradition dictates - a slow movement. Happy and reflective in nature, the main melody was written on the evening that my closest friend, Mark Bousie (a fine euphoniumist himself), and his wife Jayne, had their first child - Harry Bousie. It seemed only fitting that this song should be written for Harry in celebration. The final movement brings me back to a lifelong fascination with space, and in this particular movement, the Space Shuttle Discovery. Having completed 39 missions (including flying the Hubble telescope in to orbit), and spent a total of 365 days in space, SS Discovery made its final voyage in 2011 and was taken to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. in April 2012. This final movement, titled Discovery, pays tribute to the great shuttle whose missions inspired millions across the generations. Origins was commissioned by Marco Schneider, Adrian Schneider and the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Beijing, China.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£79.95
Neverland - Christopher Bond
"All children, except one, grow up" wrote J.M. Barrie about Peter Pan in 1911; the first line and an expression of beautiful melancholy and fantasy, coming to represent one of the best-loved children's stories of the twentieth century. 'Peter & Wendy', as the book was first released, has subsequently been transformed into adaptations for film and stage, with subsequent books based on this iconic tale. In writing this new work for brass band, the composer has taken three of the main themes from J. M. Barrie's book, and used these themes to create new musical material, forming a work in three contrasting sections. I. Journey to Neverland The opening of the work, mysterious in its style, reflects the opening chapters of the story - a leafy London street, still in the dead of night - with the music transforming quickly as it builds in texture and momentum - a Journey to Neverland through the night sky; Second Star to the Right and straight on 'til morning. "Then Peter knew that there was not a moment to lose. 'Come,' he cried imperiously, and soared out at once into the night, followed by John and Michael and Wendy. Mr & Mrs Darling and Nana rushed into the nursery too late. The birds were flown." II. The Windows that Closed The central section of the work takes its inspiration from the sense of longing throughout the book, mainly by Peter Pan, the Darling Children & The Lost Boys. Distant memories of life before Neverland, memories of the Lost Boys' mothers, and regret at what the children have missed. Peter says "Long ago, I thought like you that my mother would always keep the window open for me; so I stayed away for moons and moons and moons, and then flew back; but the window was barred, for mother had forgotten all about me, and there was another little boy sleeping in my bed." III. Aboard the Pirate Ship The final section of the work takes its inspiration from the Pirate Ship, and Peter Pan's ultimate battle with its infamous Captain Hook. "In person, he was cadaverous and blackavized, and his hair was dressed in long curls, which at a distance looked like black candles, and gave a singularly threatening expression to his handsome countenance. His eyes were the blue of the forget-me-not, and of a profound melancholy, save when he was plunging his hook into you, at which time two red spots appeared in them and lit them up horribly."
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£29.95
Casper's Lament (for Brass Band) - Jonathan Bates
'Casper's Lament' was composed for the Foden's Band's appearance at the 2021 Brass in Concert Championships held at The Sage, gateshead. The music is inspired by the lesser known side to 'Casper the Friendly Ghost'; a "good ghost" who much to the annoyance of his uncles chooses to help people rather than scare them. Despite the uplifting and joyful narrative to the 'Casper' stories, there is a much more tragic back story of how he come to be. Casper's mother passed away during his birth leaving him to be raised solely by his extremely devoted father until the age of 12 when having begged his father for a sled to play in the snow Casper contracted pneumonia from playing out in the cold for too long and passed away shortly after. Throughout Casper's childhood years, the pair were inseparable. So much so, that after his tragically young death, Casper simply could not leave his father to be alone in the mortal world and as a result he stuck around as the ghost we love come to know and love through the many books, series and films over the years. . .
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days