Results
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£55.00Purcell Variations (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Purcell Variations, composed in 1995, the year of the tercentenary of the death of the great English composer, was a watershed work in that it was Downie's first extended composition to be published independently of The Salvation Army and intended for wider use.For his theme, Downie has chosen what has come down to us as the hymn tune Westminster Abbey, which is in fact an adaptation made in 1842 by Ernest Hawkins, who was a Canon of Westminster Abbey where Purcell himself had been organist. Purcell's original is actually the closing section of an anthem, O God, Thou art my God, where it provides the final paean of praise, sung to repeated 'Hallelujahs'. Purcell's tune, particularly the opening triadic gesture, is used as a source of thematic and harmonic material - a quarry for ideas if you like: "I was obsessed with the intervals of thirds in Purcell's tune, rather like Brahms in his Third Symphony", the composer says.There are five variations, preceded by an extended introduction and theme. In the first variation, Purcell's lilting dance pulse has been transformed into a bright, playful sequence, in which each phrase of the melody is given its own transformation. In the second, Purcell's opening gambit is extended into a graceful, flowing waltz, featuring solo and first horn at the top of the register. The composer offers a range of metronome speeds in this movement, in which he is emulating the wistful elegance of Erik Satie's famous Gymnopedie. We enter the world of big band jazz in variation three, where Purcell's tune strides along with added syncopation and bluesy major/minor thirds to the fore. After the breathless energy and blazing brass of the big band, Downie moves into his 'home territory' for a beautifully worked lyrical variation. There is an enhanced urgency about the final variation, which opens with an extended reprise of the work's introduction. Purcell's second and third phrases provide the preparation for the exuberant return, in customary triumph of Purcell's 'Hallelujah'.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£37.95Benvenuto Cellini (Brass Band - Score only)
Berliozs opera Benvenuto Cellini was first produced in Paris in 1838 but was withdrawn as a failure, and it was not until the production in Dresden in 1888 that it was finally acclaimed by the Germans as a triumph. Adapted from certain episodes recorded in the memoirs of Benvenuto Cellini, Tuscan sculptor and goldsmith, the story, laid in Rome during the mid-sixteenth century, is not strictly historical. The short opening Allegro, marked deciso con impeto, is conceived in the most brilliant Berlioz manner, utilising full instrumentation. In the Larghetto we meet at once the first of the opera themes " the Cardinals aria (from the last act) introduced in the bass, quasi pizzicato. A second melody leads to a resumption of the Allegro, the contrasting second subject in the tenor horns being an adaptation of Teresas aria (Act I). Towards the end the Cardinal theme is re-introduced by trombones, fortissimo against an energetic cornet and euphonium passage (senza stringendo " without hurry, says the score). After a unison passage storming skywards, there is a sudden, dramatic three-bar silent pause broken by Eb basses alone, again stating the Cardinal theme. A simple molto crescendo on the dominant, begun piano, leads to the long, resounding chord.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£82.95Benvenuto Cellini (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Berliozs opera Benvenuto Cellini was first produced in Paris in 1838 but was withdrawn as a failure, and it was not until the production in Dresden in 1888 that it was finally acclaimed by the Germans as a triumph. Adapted from certain episodes recorded in the memoirs of Benvenuto Cellini, Tuscan sculptor and goldsmith, the story, laid in Rome during the mid-sixteenth century, is not strictly historical. The short opening Allegro, marked deciso con impeto, is conceived in the most brilliant Berlioz manner, utilising full instrumentation. In the Larghetto we meet at once the first of the opera themes " the Cardinals aria (from the last act) introduced in the bass, quasi pizzicato. A second melody leads to a resumption of the Allegro, the contrasting second subject in the tenor horns being an adaptation of Teresas aria (Act I). Towards the end the Cardinal theme is re-introduced by trombones, fortissimo against an energetic cornet and euphonium passage (senza stringendo " without hurry, says the score). After a unison passage storming skywards, there is a sudden, dramatic three-bar silent pause broken by Eb basses alone, again stating the Cardinal theme. A simple molto crescendo on the dominant, begun piano, leads to the long, resounding chord.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£74.95Red Priest (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Concerto After VivaldiDuring his lifetime, Antonio Vivaldi was known as 'il Prete Rosso', the Red Priest, thanks to his youthful ordination and his flaming red hair. The son of a violinist at San Marco in Venice, Vivaldi's musical pedigree was impeccable and an excellent start to his career was coupled with astounding energy and productivity. His vast output of concerti grossi, using soloists in groups, inspired this composition and performers may choose appropriate stage positions for the various groupings of cornets and trombones, spaced around the performance area. The score quotes freely from some of Vivaldi's most popular compositions, including 'Winter' from The Four Seasons, the motet Nisi Dominus, the famous Gloria and the fugue from the Concerto grosso in D minor found in L'Estro Armonico.However, it is the musical spirit of Vivaldi, a close contemporary of both Handel and Casanova, that inspired this music, which should be played with a mixture of accuracy and abandoned virtuosity. The musical images in this piece have clear associations in the composer's mind with individual Venetian locations, ranging from bustling street scenes to vaulted interiors, and describing the famous journey down the Grand Canal, past the Doge's Palace, to the Ospedale della Pieta where Vivaldi worked for so many years.Duration: 14.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£44.95Deus Solus (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Deus Solus (meaning God Alone) was composed for the Melbourne Staff Band's 130th anniversary at the request of Bandmaster Ken Waterworth. It is based on three Christian tunes - the 18th century hymn O God, our help in ages past (S.A.S.B. 47), and the more contemporary songs God and God alone (Phill McHugh) and Chris Bowater's Faithful God (S.A.S.B. 360). The work begins quietly and with a sense of the unknown, with references to O God, our help in ages past, alluding to the formation and early days of the band.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£44.95Powerhouse (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Spirit divine, come as of old. So begins the song by Brindley Boon (S.A.S.B. 311), and that phrase becomes the message of this piece, and an important motif in the music. It appears at the very beginning of the work and recurs at important points during the piece. The theme of the need for spiritual power is further underlined by the use of the hymns Show your power (S.A.S.B. 365), Wonder-working power (S.A.S.B. 451) and the very old chorus Send a new touch of power on my soul, Lord (S.A.S.B. 785).The composer first heard Boon's song Spirit Divine when it was sung by Parkhead Songsters in the Sunday morning meeting at his home Corps of Greenock Citadel. They were visiting for the weekend from Glasgow, and were conducted by Songster Leader Walter Chalmers, himself a beautiful lyric tenor soloist. They sang it in a moving fashion, unaccompanied, and such was the impact that, at the conclusion, many people went to the mercy seat. It made a huge impression on the young composer. It was the first time that Downie discovered the enormous power of music in worship. It also serves as a reminder to us all that young people of a tender age are very capable of grasping deeply significant events happening around them. This music was written for the 2020 UK Territorial Youth Band course.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95La fe es la Victoria (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
La fe es la victoria was written for the USA Southern Staff Band and premiered on its tour of the UK in 2018. It is based on the well-known gospel song Faith is the victory (S.A.S.B. 919) and this salsa-style arrangement is meant to express the believer's joy in knowing that faith in Jesus is the 'glorious victory that overcomes the world'.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£39.95Liberty Trail (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
The Melbourne Staff Band celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015 and this work was commissioned by Staff Bandmaster Ken Waterworth to feature in their programmes throughout the year.The music opens with fiery rhythmic figures, drawing on the band's technical brilliance. As the music progresses there are hints of traditional marches from early years, both in form and the minor key harmony used.The Trio section features The Homeward Trail, a song from the pen of Colonel Arthur Arnott, a Salvation Army officer who spent the majority of his career serving in Australia. The tune is then developed thematically and, following an interlude and key change, receives another treatment filled with fanfare and flourish that leads into the concluding moments of the work.Just prior to the closing bars, the music pays a brief homage to Australian composer Arthur Gullidge with a quote from his classic march Liberty (G.S. 1296), published in 1948, as a final salute to the great music that has come from this country.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95I'd Rather Have Jesus (Cornet Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts)
The poem, I'd rather have Jesus, was written in 1922 by Rhea Miller with the tune written by George Beverly Shea. This arrangement by William Himes was originally written for William Scarlett, trumpet player with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and former member of the Chicago Staff Band of The Salvation Army.Duration: 3.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95Easter Hymn (Trumpet Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Ray Steadman-Allen sketched this short, festive arrangement in the early 1990s. While labelled by RSA as a Trumpet Solo, a Cornet soloist would also be appropriate. The piece should not prove difficult to prepare except in terms of maintaining balance between the soloist and the band. Some of the harmonies are quite unexpected, even curiously dissonant in the late RSA style. However, such sounds should help the listener hear this traditional hymn in a new and vital manner. The piece would serve well as an Intrada on Easter Sunday, or during any celebratory occasion in Eastertide.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days