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£34.95
Judd: The Covenanters
In 1638, many members of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland signed a document called the National Covenant. By doing so, they were declaring that they acknowledged only Jesus Christ as the spiritual head of their church, and not any king or queen. This had become necessary because the Stuart kings believed in the Divine Right of Monarchs and saw themselves as head of the church. In the previous year, Charles I had forcibly introduced the Book of Common Prayer, invoking the wrath of the common people who faced the threat of torture, transportation or execution if they did not use the new liturgy and worship at their local church. The net result of this was that many met illegally in the countryside or in barns and large houses. These meetings became known as 'conventides' and many took place in the south-west of the country. Anyone caught attending was at risk of execution by the muskets of the dragoons who were employed in the area for that specific purpose. This music was written to honour the bravery and loyalty of these Christians to their faith, in the face of extreme danger, in the hope that it will inspire us also to be faithful. There are overtones of military threat, secrecy and solidarity. An old pentatonic tune is used, which the composer heard as a boy being sung to the words The Lord's My Shepherd.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£24.95
Beautiful World (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
This beautiful impressionistic work by Kenneth Downie features fragments of the hymn 'All things bright and beautiful', and paints a soft sound image of an idyllic English countryside.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.99
Journey of the Lone Wolf (Score and Parts)
Championship Section Finals Test Piece for National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2016Journey of the Lone Wolf tells the story of the hungarian composer Bla Bartk. It was commissioned by Dr. Nicholas Childs for Black Dyke Band, who gave the first performance on Sunday 26 January 2014 at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester as part of the Royal Northern College of Music Festival of Brass.The composer's programme notes for each movement:1. Capturing the Peasants' SongAfter the upheaval of moving to Budapest the young Bla Bartk meets Zoltn Kodly and the pair embark on summertime adventures throughout the Hungarian countryside to collect and catalogue the astonishing variety (both harmonically and rhythmically) of gypsy and folk music heard in the Balkans. The arrival of WW1 plunges Bartk's beloved Hungary into chaos.2. Night MusicBartk was at times a cold man, aloof and lonely. The odd moments of tenderness he showed are portrayed here in a series of evocative solos. His brief but intense affairs speak of a love he could only long for. Jazz is my night music and here there are hints of what Bartk may have heard in the USA later in his life.3. Flight and FightHaving been forced by the world's evils to leave his homeland of Hungary for America, Bartk, the anti-fascist, felt isolated and angry. In this movement we hear his longing for a simpler time of gypsy folk dances as well as his maturity and depth as a composer finally exploring deeper colours and darker themes.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.99
Cambridgeshire Impressions - Rieks van der Velde
In a four-part composition Rieks van der Velde takes us to the richly varied area surrounding the university city of Cambridge. The Dutch composer was especially inspired by the atmosphere of Cambridgeshire, the county which lies north ofLondon. 1. The Journey. Although on arrival the area looks peaceful and friendly, the ruggedness of its inhabitants and landscape have an unmistakable influence on the music. In the course of the tour, which starts with an Allegromovement, we are shown the vitality, energy and freshness of the Cambridgeshire countryside. Short themes, swift and sudden motifs and rhythmical patterns supported by the drive of percussion instruments give expression to this image. Thefirst part is concluded by two Calmo movements in which the music expresses how the cathedral in the city of Ely comes into sight and is gradually approached. 2. Visit to Ely Cathedral. The famous Norman cathedral church of Ely, whichwas built in 1109, has attracted tourists from all over the world apart from being a place of worship and heritage site. A cornet solo introduces the contemplative mood of the composition at this point. The mystical atmosphere of thecathedral runs through this lyrical part like a continuous thread. 3. The Pub. The thirst caused by this intensive journey makes a visit to the local pub a definite must. These "public houses", which may be open until the earlyhours of the morning, offer all kinds of entertainment. Drinks are served liberally and the atmosphere is lively. 4. The Journey Back. Time has flown: In other words, the moment of departure has come sooner than one would havewished. In a flashback which recaptures elements of the first part of the composition we say goodbye to Cambridgeshire in a fitting manner. Two scintillating final measures bring us abruptly back to the present.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£104.99
High Flyers - Andrew R. Mackereth
From the composer: High Flyers are regarded as people with promise and potential.They are winners. This is music for winners.The title, as well as being a play-on-words, implies the nature of the work. It is a bright, optimistic, and upbeat piece attempting to depict an exhilarating ride on flying carpet. The opening rising chords immediately suggest the gentle elevation of the carpets' ascent towards unknown heights, leading to a hint of a first theme in the horns at Fig. B. The first four notes provide the thematic material for the whole work: C F G A.A perpetual sense of movement is achieved through accented quaver chords punctuating the melodicmaterial of the first main theme. Fig. E sees the music of the opening bars fully realised, with flourishes from the euphonium and baritones representing swirling clouds, shooting stars, or passing birds in flight.The same subject is developed into a lyrical second theme with a new lush harmonic treatment, evocative of gliding over an expanse of sparse countryside.This section ends with a note of serenity but is shattered by the urgent insistence of the percussion rhythms.The third section introduces a new idea with a slightly distorted fanfare in the cornets and trombones. This figure suggests for the first time that there may be trouble ahead. In fact, there is no need to fear and the journey can continue without aggravation. This fanfare returns near the end to signal a final note of triumph.A new rhythmic variant of the cell motif emerges as the third theme now transformed by the addition of a triplet figure. The music steadily gains momentum before moving inexorably towards the climactic return of the music and tonality of the opening bars of the piece.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days