Results
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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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£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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£34.95Lady of the Lake - Christopher Bond
A remote Carmarthenshire lake shrouded in Welsh legend has been named as one of the 1,000 must-see sights across the globe by an influential travel bible. Llyn y Fan Fach, 12km southeast of Llandovery in the Brecon Beacons, is the only spot in Wales to make the list, which was put together by Lonely Planet. "This isolated drop of blue, beneath a cirque of raw Welsh hills, is enchanting - and enchanted," Lonely Planet's 1,000 Ultimate Sights tells readers. The story goes that in the 13th Century, a farmer grazing cattle on the nearby slopes spotted the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She was a fairy maiden, who agreed to marry him on one proviso - he must not hit her more than twice. In time, the inevitable happened - three strikes, and the otherworldly wife disappeared back into the lake, taking her magic cows with her. This work, for flugel horn and brass band, is reflective in nature, portraying the dismay of the man in losing his wife for his own selfishness. The work was written for and premiered by Rob Nesbitt & City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) Band, at the 2019 Welsh Open Entertainment Contest in Porthcawl, Wales.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£24.95Lest We Forget - Christopher Bond
Lest We Forget is a phrase added as a final line at the end of the Ode of Remembrance, taken from Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen, first published in The Times newspaper in September 1914. Providing the title for this work for brass band, the piece aims to combine both the acoustic nature of the brass band medium alongside narrated passages and pre-recorded extracts to provide a moving tribute. The words originally spoken by Prime Minister Herbert Asquith in 1914 can be narrated in performance. However, a free audio download, manipulated to sound like a 1914 radio broadcast is available from Prima Vista. Lest We Forget received its premiere at The Sage, Gateshead, on November 17th 2014, performed by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, conducted by Robert Childs. The work opened their winning Brass in Concert programme, and has since been performed by bands all over the world as a fitting tribute to the Great War.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Of Wind & Weeping - Christopher Bond
The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is a key element of the myths associated with the Trojan war.. Its exact nature has been a subject of dispute in both the classical period and modern times. In the lliad, the two heroes have a deep and meaningful friendship. Achilles is tender towards Patroclus, while he is callous and arrogant towards others. Of Wind & Weeping (2015) is a flugel solo, with the soloist representing Greek warrior Achilles and the pain he faces following the death of Patroclus. For a brief moment, Achilles' character shifts from a strong and unbreakable warrior to an emotional and vulnerable character. The solo should be played with expression and feeling, a character who is mourning a loved one with mixed feelings of sadness, shock and vengeance. The work was written in early 2015 for flugel soloist David James and Tongwynlais Temperance Band, with whom he is a member.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Pacific Melody, A - Christopher Bond
A Pacific Melody was written for and commissioned by Lode Violet, and recorded on his joint album 'Rise' with Kevin Van Giel and Brassband Willebroek, released in 2018. A heart-wrenching melody is presented, in its minor form at the start of the work, before returning towards the end of the work in a major setting - a transformation which although subtle in nature, provides a striking close.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Puffing Devil, The - Christopher Bond
The Puffing Devil (2013) was commissioned by Camborne Trevithick Day Committee on the occasion of Camborne's 30th Trevithick Day celebration. The premiere performance of the work, written for brass band and children's choir, saw a massed performance by six brass bands and children from nine local schools. With the intention of being an educational work as well as a musical work, The Puffing Devil reflects the story of Richard Trevithick both in the lyrics and the musical material.A mysterious opening sees running semiquavers in the euphoniums as the flugel horn introduces the work with a solo, before the entry of the horns playing rhythmic quavers. The addition of the voices at the outset is for effect - working with the instruments to create the sound of a steam engine gathering pace simply to the words 'Trevithick'. Once a steady tempo is reached, themes are introduced and sung by the choir, where the vocal writing is a very simple singular-melody; easy for any primary school aged children to learn. An ending of grandeur in a majestic nature is presented, to create a big finish to a feel-good educational work.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£34.95Sprites & Flares - Christopher Bond
Sprites & Flares (2015), refers to the uncertain activities of sprites (upper atmospheric lightening) and solar flares (solar activity from the sun which cannot penetrate the earth's atmosphere) and uses these two ideas as a basis for the kind of musical material heard within the work - dramatic, swirling motifs, often of a virtuosic nature. The work's dramatic opening ensures the first thirty seconds are high in energy and full of impact. Following this, the music dies down and presents an ethereal atmospheric section, perhaps reflecting the calm before the storm. Before long, the music takes a turn for dramatic, fast, virtuosic playing, all reflecting the theme of the work, and indeed remains in this style through to the close, gaining momentum and becoming ever- more triumphant as the work reaches its close. A huge ending is heard, full of excitement and drama, but more importantly grandeur and rich harmonic-chords. The work was commissioned by and written for Leyland Band and its conductor, Thomas Wyss, as the finale to its 2015 Brass in Concert programme, premiered at The Sage, Gateshead, on 15th November 2015.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£105.00
Handel in the Band - Kenneth Downie
Handel in the Band is a virtuoso set of symphonic variations on one of Handel's best known keyboard dances, the Sarabande from his Suite in D minor, HWV 437, based on the Spanish traditional dance La Folia. Kenneth Downie's work was commissioned by Brass Band Treize Etoiles, for performance at the 2013 Swiss National Brass Band Championships, where it was conducted by James Gourlay. The title is a reference to Percy Grainger's popular Handel in the Strand, and is indicative of the witty and theatrical nature of the music, which is more playful than conventional competition pieces and as such offers different challenges to brass bands as well as being thoroughly entertaining for audiences. Kenneth Downie is one of the most respected and experienced brass band composers. His music has been widely performed and published throughout the brass band world since the 1960s. Handel in the Band has been selected as the set work for the Championship Section final of this year's National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, which takes place at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 6th October 2018.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£110.00
The Final Frontier - Geert Jan Kroon
In The Final Frontier, the composer explores different associations with the universe. Inspired by Stephen Hawking's (1942-2018) book Brief Answers to the Big Questions, the piece describes the wonders and dangers of the universe, the big questions about the smallest elements, and the possibility of space travel. The work consists of four movements. The first movement, 'Energy and Space', is the exposition of both main materials. With energy and space, a universe can be created. The second movement, 'The Great Unknown', is a fast section in which the materials are further explored and depicts the dangers of the universe, like supernovae and black holes. The third movement, 'The Big Questions', is a slow movement with different soloists and music of a reflective nature. Imagine how in the tiniest elements, whole dimensions could be rolled up. Also, a Dutch pioneer in cosmology is hidden in the notes. The fourth movement, 'The Final Frontier', is a big build-up to a majestic finale, portraying the excitement of space travel. The Final Frontier was the set test piece of the 3rd section at the Dutch National Brass Band Championships.
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