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£154.99The Divine Right - Philip Harper
At the time of composing this piece, the Arab Spring was sweeping through the Middle East. It seemed that almost every week a new countrys people had risen up against the regimes and dictatorships which had prevailed for generations, leaving manynations at a defining crossroads in their history. There were so many possible ways ahead: so many hopes, yet so many uncertainties.My music is a depiction of these revolutionary times, and several musical themes are in turn presented, discussed, considered, fought over, altered, rejected or accepted. Most nations have had, or probably will have, their own Arab Spring, including my own, the United Kingdom. Events of 17th Century Britain provide the context for this piece, particularly those following the execution of the tyrant King Charles I on30 January 1649. The regicide was in part due to Charless steadfast belief in the Divine Right of Kings, and led to a tumultuous interregnum, where England stood at its own defining crossroads.The music begins turbulently, before King Charles appears and is led to the gallows outside Banqueting House in central London where he is brutally decapitated. From the assembled crowd rose, according to one observer, a moan as I never heard before and desire I may never hear again.The music descends to emptiness. The musical argument which follows is not strictly programmatic, but a number of musical themes are all thrown into the melting pot, representing ideas such as: religion; military force; reasoned Parliamentary debate; and the chattering,irrepressible voice of the people. Additionally, there are some quotations from the music of royalist composer Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656), who was often in tune with the feeling of the times. This defining episode in Englands history was brought to a close with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and as the exiled King Charles II rode back into London the diarist John Evelyn wrote: Never was so joyful a day seen in this nation. I stood in the Strand and beheld it, and blessed God.At the end of the piece the bells ring out, and the musical appearance of the King has transformed from turbulent to triumphant. Philip Harper, 2013
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£104.99A Fanfare of Bells - Hermann Pallhuber
A Fanfare of Bells is festival music composed for a particular occasion: in 2012 the young 3BA Brass Band from Germany took part in the champion section of the Flemish Open Brass Band Championship in Mechelen, Belgium, for the first time: a festival of premieres. A Fanfare of Bells, accordingly, is music that creates festival atmosphere. Big melodies designed to touch the heart are cut through with brilliant fanfares. The piece contains lyrical and melodic passages that bring the skills and general musicianship of the 3BA Brass Band to the fore, along with various technical passages that spotlight the excellence of the individual musicians. Peels of bells at thestart and end of the work ring in a new atmosphere for brass band music in Germany and Austria. A Fanfare of Bells is, however, also a tribute to the wonderful sound of brass instruments, that blend together to create the most subtle sonorities: bells as a symbol of the beauty of the instruments--both sonically and visually: let the bells ring...
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£84.95Force of Nature (Euphonium Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Graham, Peter
Concerto for EuphoniumIn his writings, Ernest Hemingway defined the American hero for a generation.He created a new type of fictional character - a "man's man" - a hard drinking pugilist who enjoyed bullfights, big game hunting, deep-sea fishing and other "macho" pursuits. In many respects Hemingway was the living embodiment of his creation, though his somewhat idealised life ended in suicide on July 2nd 1961 and the chapter on this Force of Nature came to a close. The concerto reflects upon moments in this extraordinary life.Matador - the traditions of the Spanish bullfight fascinated Hemingway. He wrote frequently on the subject, going beyond the superficial and exploring at a deeper level the nature of fear and courage. This flamenco-inspired music equally contrasts moments of uncertainty and resolve.Wayfarer (Reflections on Poor Wayfaring Stranger) - the tensions of Hemingway's early life in the midwest suburb of Oak Park (a town he reputedly described as "narrow-minded") fuelled his wanderlust. At the age of 18 he arrived at the Italian Front, serving as an ambulance driver. Within days he was seriously wounded and the horrors of war put paid to adolescent illusions of immortality.Pilar - Hemingway's beloved boat Pilar could cut through the waves off the coast of Cuba at sixteen knots full-out. The music conjures up the thrill of the chase as the great fish hoves into view.Duration: 14.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£12.00Of Men and Mountains (Brass Band - Study Score) - Gregson, Edward
Of Men and Mountains was commissioned by the Netherlands Brass Band Championships for their 10th Anniversary Contest, held in Drachten in December 1990.The title of the work and its genesis came about as a result of a train journey the composer took in July 1989 across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver. The awe-inspiring journey through the Rocky Mountains, with its high peaks and shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds, with its canyons and ferocious rapids, made the composer understand a little more about the majesty of nature and the fragility of humanity. The eternal struggle between man and nature was personified in the building of this incredible railway, hence the title (after Blake).The work is dedicated to the memory of Eric Ball, who died shortly before the writing of the work was commenced.Of Men and Mountains is in one continuous movement and lasts about 17 mins. Its form is difficult to describe because of its motivic and accumulative nature, but it is essentially a symphonic tone poem in search of a theme, which eventually comes in its final and complete state in the majestic ending after an ever-increasing paced scherzo.Duration: 17.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£69.99The Green Hills of Tyrol (Euphonium Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
The Green Hills of Tyrol was commissioned by Jrena and Beat Knusel for their son, Swiss euphonium player Joel Knusel, to celebrate his 20th birthday in 2019. The request was for a piece suitable for use in a solo competition, possibly using a Scottish or Irish melody, and composer Philip Sparke suggested an old-fashioned air varie might be a suitable idea. The piece follows the well-established formula of a theme followed by four variations. The history of the original melody is fascinating and, although it is now well-known as a bagpipe tune, its background is Austrian or Italian, rather than Scottish. The tune appears as a chorus of Swiss soldiers in Rossini's 1829 opera William Tell but was possibly an existing Tyrolean folk tune. In 1854, during the Crimean War, Pipe Major John MacLeod of the 93rd Highlanders heard a band of the Sardinian contingent playing selections from the opera in camp before the Siege of Sebastopol. He was struck by the melody and arranged it for his pipers, calling it The Green Hills of Tyrol, referring to Tell's visit to that corner of Austria in the opera. It has since become universally popular among pipe bands who usually refer to it as A Scottish Soldier, following the addition of new lyrics in a 1961 hit by Andy Stewart.Duration: 5.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£112.50The World Rejoicing (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
The World Rejoicing was commissioned by the National Brass Band Associations of Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the British Open, as the test piece for their competitions in 2020/21. Although the work was completed in 2019, the pandemic of 2020 meant that these competitions were postponed until 2021/22. The premiere took place in September 2021 at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, UK.In searching for a common link between the brass band traditions of the various European countries that commissioned this work, I considered the fact that hymns have always played an important role in the relationship that brass bands have with their particular communities; and thus I turned to a well- known Lutheran chorale, Nun danket alle Gott (Now thank we all our God), written around 1636 by Martin Rinkart, with the melody attributed to Johann Cruger. A number of composers have incorporated this chorale into their music, most famously J.S. Bach in his Cantatas no. 79 and 192, and Mendelssohn in the Lobsegang movement of his 2nd Symphony (the harmonisation of which is usually used when this hymn is sung).It seemed fitting therefore for me to return to a compositional form I have used many times before (Variations) and to write a work based on this hymn. I have used it in a similar way to that which I employed in my Variations on Laudate Dominum of 1976 - that is, rather than writing a set of variations using elaborations of the complete tune, I have taken various phrases from the chorale and used them within the context of other musical material, applying an overall symphonic process of continuous variation and development. The structure, or sub-divisions of the work, which is through composed and plays without a break, is as follows:Prelude, Capriccio, La Danza 1, Processional, La Danza 2, Arias and Duets, Fuga Burlesca, Chorale, and Postlude.The work, which is around 16 minutes in length, is also partly autobiographical - in the manner say of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben - in that I have incorporated into the score brief quotations from many of my other major works for brass band. In that respect, The World Rejoicing sums up a particular facet of my life as a composer, and reflects the admiration I have always had for what is surely one of the great amateur music-making traditions in the world.Duration: 16.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.99The Baltic Way (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - De Haan, Jan
In 1989, the demonstration named the Baltic Way also known as the Baltic Chain-- was held in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by its citizens in a call for independence from the Soviet Union. On 23rd August 1989, some two million participants formed a human chain, hand-in-hand all the way from the Estonian capital of Tallinn its Latvian counterpart, Riga, through to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius - six hundred kilometres long. It became the longest human chain ever created and turned out to be the final push needed for much sought-after independence. This historic event became the source of inspiration for this composition. The introduction of thefirst movement, 'Struggle for Independence', is based on a nocturne for piano by the renowned Lithuanian composer and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas iurlionis (1875-1911), thematic material from which has been incorporated throughout the whole composition. The melancholic beginning is followed by a powerful theme which reflects the resolve of the Baltic people. The sudden aggressive, dissonant chords and a dominant and--in rhythmic terms--contrary bass drum announce that the resistance is not going smoothly. Just for a moment, we hear the anthem of the Soviet Union in the lower brass, but this is relentlessly pushed to the background by the rest of the band playing the Lithuanian national anthem, 'Tautika giesm ' (Lithuania, our homeland). The second movement, 'Decades of Suffering', echoes life under the Soviet Union's thumb. In the pursuit of independence, a peaceful protest is planned in which a human chain is formed across the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This 'Chain of Freedom' is depicted in the final movement of the work. Duration: 10.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£124.95The 39th Parallel (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Graham, Peter
Within The 39th Parallel (South) lies the New Zealand district of Whanganui and at its heart the Whanganui river - Te Awa Tupua.This work is cast in two parts:Part 1, a musical evocation of the course of the river from Mount Tongariro to the sea, is constructed according to golden ratio proportions (the fundamental mathematical principle governing nature). Running in parallel a sequence of metrical modulations finds the tempo of the music increase incrementally over the course of the movement.Part 2, Apakura, ("Lament" in the Maori language) develops a theme previously hinted at in Part 1 but now fully realised. This "Home" theme is an elegy to the late Kevin Jarrett, a towering figure in the New Zealand music scene who for many years lived and worked in the town of Whanganui. The elegy includes references to music which formed a significant part of Kevin Jarrett's musical experiences both as a New Zealand Army Band musician (echoes of the Urbach march Through Bolts and Bars) and through his long association with the National Band of New Zealand (hints of fellow countryman Sir Dean Goffin's classic Rhapsody in Brass). The work concludes with a reprise of the Home theme.The 39th Parallel was commissioned by the Brass Band Association of New Zealand, in memory of the late Kevin Jarrett, with funds primarily provided by WNG Loan Finance & Investment Co; McDonnell Coleman Trust; Brass Whanganui; Riki & Rhys McDonnell; Jonathan Wallace; Graham Hickman; Ian & Denise Levien; and the New Zealand Army Band.- Peter Graham
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£34.95The Mansions of Glory (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bates, Jonathan
"A young, talented and tender-hearted actress was passing along the street of a large city. Seeing a pale, sick girl lying upon a couch just within the half-open door of a beautiful dwelling, she entered, with the thought that by her vivacity and pleasant conversation she might cheer the young invalid. The sick girl was a devoted Christian, and her words, her patience, her submission and heaven-lit countenance so demonstrated the spirit of her religion that the actress was led to give some earnest thought to the claims of Christianity, and was thoroughly converted and became a true follower of Christ. She told her father, the leader of a theatre troupe, of her conversion and of her desire to abandon the stage, stating that she could not live a consistent Christian life and follow the life of an actress. Her father was astonished beyond measure and told his daughter that their living would be lost to them and their business ruined if she persisted in her resolution. Loving her father dearly, she was shaken somewhat in her purpose and partially consented to fill the published engagement to be met in a few days. She was the star of the troupe, and a general favourite. Every preparation was made for the play in which she was to appear. The evening came and the father rejoiced that he had won back his daughter and that their living was not to be lost. The hour arrived; a large audience had assembled. The curtain rose and the young actress stepped forward firmly, amid the applause of the multitude. But an unwonted light beamed from her beautiful face. Through Christ she had conquered and, leaving the audience in tears, she retired from the stage, never to appear upon it again. Through her influence her father was converted, and through their united evangelistic labours many were led to God."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£17.50The Mansions of Glory (Brass Band - Score only) - Bates, Jonathan
"A young, talented and tender-hearted actress was passing along the street of a large city. Seeing a pale, sick girl lying upon a couch just within the half-open door of a beautiful dwelling, she entered, with the thought that by her vivacity and pleasant conversation she might cheer the young invalid. The sick girl was a devoted Christian, and her words, her patience, her submission and heaven-lit countenance so demonstrated the spirit of her religion that the actress was led to give some earnest thought to the claims of Christianity, and was thoroughly converted and became a true follower of Christ. She told her father, the leader of a theatre troupe, of her conversion and of her desire to abandon the stage, stating that she could not live a consistent Christian life and follow the life of an actress. Her father was astonished beyond measure and told his daughter that their living would be lost to them and their business ruined if she persisted in her resolution. Loving her father dearly, she was shaken somewhat in her purpose and partially consented to fill the published engagement to be met in a few days. She was the star of the troupe, and a general favourite. Every preparation was made for the play in which she was to appear. The evening came and the father rejoiced that he had won back his daughter and that their living was not to be lost. The hour arrived; a large audience had assembled. The curtain rose and the young actress stepped forward firmly, amid the applause of the multitude. But an unwonted light beamed from her beautiful face. Through Christ she had conquered and, leaving the audience in tears, she retired from the stage, never to appear upon it again. Through her influence her father was converted, and through their united evangelistic labours many were led to God."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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