Results
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£34.95Aristotle's Air - Christopher Bond
The Ancient Greeks believed that there were four elements that everything was made up of: earth, water, air and fire. This theory was suggested around 450 BC, and was later supported and added to by Aristotle. The idea that these four elements - earth, water, air and fire - made up all matter was the cornerstone of philosophy, science, and medicine for two thousand years. Air was considered a 'pure' element, but in fact the air that's all around us is made up of a variety of gasses. Of course, in music, air has a different meaning; a beautiful song-like melody or tune and Aristotle's Air is just that. The work was commissioned by and written for The Cory Band as part of their winning 2015 Brass in Concert programme 'The Four Elements of the Universe', being premiered at the contest at The Sage, Gateshead, on 15th November 2015. The work was awarded the Cyril Beere Memorial Trophy for the Best New Composition or Arrangement.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Behold the Power of God - Christopher Bond
Behold the Power of God (2010) was written for and premiered by the Cornwall Youth Brass Band in dedication to their Musical Advisor at the time; the late Cornish composer Goff Richards who later described the work as 'a remarkable piece of writing'. The work's title, while implying a religious meaning, actually references Goff's name, with his full name Godfrey translating as 'God-peace' and Richards meaning 'Power'. Two energetic outer sections fall either side of a more lyrical middle section featuring the solo cornet. The perfect opening item at any concert.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£49.95Bestowal of a Century - Christopher Bond
Bestowal of a Century (2014) was commissioned by Lowenna Taylor, and funded through her Harry Mortimer Trust award which she was presented with at the 2013 British Open Championship following the completion of her studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff. The 15-minute work received its world premiere at the Cornwall Youth Brass Band Christmas concert in 2014 with solosit, Lowenna, working alongside the band under the baton of Les Neish. The 'Bestowal' refers to the presentation of the Royal Trophy by the then Prince of Wales to the famous West of England Bandsman's Festival in Bugle in 1913. Over the years it has been won by some of the greatest names in brass banding, including Black Dyke and Munn & Feltons - although more recently it has become a wonderful open festival that includes sections for local bands as well as visitors from all over the banding globe. 2014 marked the one-hundredth anniversary of the presentation of the trophy, which is the only brass band trophy to have the official seal of royal patronage. The work, in three distinct sections, opens in a mysterious way, building progressively with interjections from the horn. The composer notes its as though one can imagine different part of the trophy being put together, piece by piece, until the trophy is complete and a climax is reached. Following this, a playful theme is presented which is developed throughout the first section and interacting between soloist and band. The second movement, in complete contrast, is a lyrical melody; heart-wrenching throughout, and sits well both as part of the concerto and also as a stand-alone solo item. The third movement is light-hearted and virtuosic, demonstrating the technical capabilities of the instrument with fast and virtuosic playing, and a cadenza towards the end of the work.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£79.95Corineus - Christopher Bond
Corineus, in medieval British legend, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the eponymous founder of Cornwall. The first of the legendary rulers of Cornwall, he is described as a character of strength and power. It is on the medieval ruler that this new work, Corineus, is based, presented in three contrasting sections. The work opens with heraldic fanfares and a sense of jubilance before presenting musical material which changes and develops organically, portraying the journey taken by Corineus, Brutus, and the Trojans from modern-day mainland Europe to Britain. The central section of the work is slower, creating a feeling of longing. Brutus' son, Locrinus, had agreed to marry Corineus' daughter, Gwendolen, but instead fell in love with a German princess. In writing this part of the work, the composer portrays the longing of Gwendolen for her husband, knowing he is in love with somebody else. After Corineus died, Locrinus divorced Gwendolen, who responded by raising an army in Cornwall and making war against her ex-husband. Locrinus was killed in battle, and legend suggests that Gwendolen threw Locrinus' lover into the River Severn. This dramatic battle provides the inspiration for the final part of the work. In writing this work, the composer hopes to flare the imagination of young brass players around the country, in an engaging new take on a firm fixture in British folklore.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Descent, The - Christopher Bond
The Descent takes its inspiration from Victorian author Jules Verne; specifically, his work Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Professor Arronax finds himself a prisoner of the mysterious Captain Nemo, on a remarkable submarine called the Nautilus. Nemo is one of Verne's most memorable characters. He's a man who has turned his back on the world, and his name - Nemo - means 'No Man.' He has vowed never to set foot on dry land ever again. Verne gives his hero's brilliance and benevolence a dark underside - the man's obsessive hate for Empires and Imperialism. Captain Nemo is a genius, an engineer, an artist, an athlete, sometimes a pacifist, sometimes a righter of wrongs, sometimes an out and out villain, and he invented the Nautilus. The Descent is based on the idea of a descent to the depths of the ocean in the Nautilus with Captain Nemo, with the cornet soloist expressing both the anguish and reflective sides of the character. On one hand, a troubled and agitated figure, juxtaposed with the reflective memories of his homeland, children, mother and father. The work was written for and commissioned by Flowers Band as part of their programme of music at Brass in Concert 2019.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Elixir of Youth - Christopher Bond
Elixir of Youth (2013) was written for the 2013 Brass for Heroes charity event where it was premiered on 19th October 2013 at St Paul's Hall in Huddersfield under the baton of Philip Harper. The title of the work reflects the nature of the band that was put together for that premiere performance; an all-star youth band comprising a selection of the country's young brass banding talent, with the term Elixir referring here to the everlasting talent seen in young brass players throughout the United Kingdom's brass bands and bands' and teachers abilities to keep producing such high quality musicians for the banding movement.The work, structured in three sections, is a showcase for band with a heroic opening where fanfare-like gestures in the cornets and trombones juxtapose rapid euphonium and baritone runs, alongside sweeping horns and percussion effects. As the piece progresses, a grove is introduced - just in the tubas at first, accompanied by a hi-hat - before spreading through the band, definitely stuff to tap your toes to! The middle, slower section of the work sees both flugel and cornet solos, with additional inputs from the euphonium and solo horn before a climax and return to the tempo and music of the opening section. A rousing close concludes the work where all of the work's themes are interweaved to create a sense of power, unity and grandeur; an Elixir of Youth.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£29.95Fanfare of a Nation - Christopher Bond
Fanfare of a Nation (2012) was commissioned by the Greater Gwent Youth Brass Ensemble as a short fanfare originally for ten players, and was performed in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II & The Duke of Edinburgh on the occasion of their visit to Wales to mark the Diamond Jubilee last year, under its original title The Royal Diamond Jubilee Fanfare. Since arranged for brass band and performed throughout the UK including by Black Dyke Band in Cardiff, this short work mesmerizes, dazzles and utilizes the fanfare effects so often associated with the brass family. Available to purchase for Brass Band or Brass Ensemble (10 players plus 1 percussion). The brass ensemble version is scored as follows: 4 x Trumpets, 1 x Horn in F, 3 x Tenor Trombones, 1 x Bass Trombone, 1 x Tuba, 1 x Percussion. Trumpet 1 is supplied in both E-flat & B-flat, Horn in F is supplied in E-flat, Tenor Trombone and Tuba parts are supplied in both bass and treble clef.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Fire & the Phoenix, The - Christopher Bond
The Fire & the Phoenix (2015) was commissioned by Brett Baker in early 2015 as the opening track to his solo CD 'Myths & Legends'. Whilst structurally a single-movement work, it is presented so that it can link directly into the next work on the CD, adding to a continuous theme comprising a number of pieces from a number of composers. Opening with huge strident chords in the full band, the representation of the phoenix is instantly reflected; bold, powerful and a bird of great intensity. This makes way for a more mystical section marked 'distant' which reflect the beauty of the Phoenix and it's mythical nature where the trombone soars up into its higher register with a sweeping melody. Soon after, the music takes a sharp turn, becoming dramatic and instantly moving away from the mystical mood created previously. Here, we imagine the Phoenix catching fire, burning intensely with huge flames as it gradually turns into ash. We reach a tonic pedal point in the music, over which chord progressions subtly weave in and out of the texture. Here, we imagine the Phoenix rising from the ashes, with the dynamics gradually increasing to reflect this, slowly taking shape as it is born again. A return to earlier material follows, this time manipulated to reflect the Phoenix in its new form - the same bird; the same animal; but at the same time different. A beautiful chorale-like passage is heard before the music transports us back into a magical land, where delicate rhythmic ideas are juxtaposed against bolder lower chords; both ideas together transporting the listener forward into the next piece.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£59.99Game of Thrones (Main Theme) - Christopher Bond
The dark and dramatic theme from the popular HBO series Game of Thrones is one of the most distinctive and effective themes for TV or film to come along in several years. Arranged in a powerful setting for brass band and suitable for bands of all standards from Section 4 upwards, this is sure to be a hit with your musicians.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Goodbye Old Friend - Christopher Bond
Walt Disney was just twenty-five years old when he created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and the pair gained huge success, but that success was short-lived. In 1928, Disney travelled to New York City in hopes of negotiating a more profitable contract for the Oswald cartoons with his producer, Charles Mintz. Unknown to Disney, Mintz had been working behind his back to counter his own financial problems by stealing many of Disney's animators and staff. Walt Disney was devastated and decided to let Oswald go, and in doing so, lose all the rights to the rabbit he had created and nurtured so dearly. 'Goodbye Old Friend' is a beautiful slow-melody for euphonium and baritone, communicating the profound loss Disney felt in losing his producer, staff, and most of all, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days