Results
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£30.00Roots - Lucy Pankhurst
Commissioned by Katrina Marzella in 2008, this modern 'duet' for Baritone and Euphonium soloists with brass band accompaniment has been inspired by 'nature and environment' as its primary muse. The music takes the listener through 7 stages of environmental atmosphere, in its combination of sounds and effects. It is a very uplifting work and with the back-story in mind (see programme notes below), it makes for an incredibly effective concert feature.Programme notes from the composer, Lucy Pankhurst:There are 7 main sections in the piece :RainGerminationGrowthTransionSunshineRainstormRestThe work begins with Rain, symbolised by the rainstick and 'rain sounds' in the brass , which allows the themes to germinate. The 'roots' of the music themselves, are firmly established in the tonic (root Eb) and 5ths in the low brass, from which the solo lines eventually grow, using triads and 5ths.During Growth, the solo baritone and euphonium begin with separate melodies which begin to twist around each other (much like tree roots), interlocking to produce harmonies and counterpoint, complimenting one another and firmly keeping the music in Eb major. Muted cornets and trombones continue to play overlapping semiquavers, reflecting the raindrops as they fall from the trees and leaves.A brief interlude, featuring brass sextet drives the music back to its Germination stage - here, named Transion, as it grows once more, evolving into something new. The Sunshine section is a dance. Moving rapidly through different keys, the warm sunlight catches on the dewy foliage, creating dazzling moments of clarity and beauty.However, the change in conditions also lead to brief moments of uncertainty, as the various creatures tentatively reappear from their shelter to bask as the earth is warmed. Birdsong can be heard in the solo lines as the entire band join in the celebrations.The jollity does not last long, however, as a Rainstorm, more violent than the last , ensues - stopping the dance in its tracks. The tam-tam and bass drum signify thunder, crashing into the music abruptly. However, the music still survives and re-emerges from the storm, delicately but securely establishing itself into a new key (C major), before softly concluding with the two soloists in rhythmic unison as the rain subsides and the world is at Rest.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£45.00The Pilgrim - Josiah Walters
Josiah describes his composition'The Pilgrim' as a journey of development and emotion, encompassing three key stages of emotional state: from the opening sounds which are full of anticipation and uncertainty, through to a passage of disillusionment and frustration, then moving on to a concluding stage which reintroduces the positive elements of the opening optimism, yet closing quietly, symbolizing an inner peace and contentment at the end of the musical journey.The composer's emotive approach to the creation of the work embraces a wealth of passion, anguish and enlightenment. Through his use of imaginative melody, themes and harmonic texture, Josiah has represented a collection of powerful emotions. Essentially non-programmatic, the piece opens in a contemplative manner, building with enthusiasm, and first introducing the use of bells and bell effects as a musical metaphor which is used throughout the piece to signify the journey's destination.As the sentiment continues, the music evolves in to an Allegro Furioso section, opening up a strong sense of frustration. At this section's climax, the symbolic use of the bells is reintroduced to create an over-tone of hope and purpose, although this does not last long as they fade into the Misterioso Molto Rubato section.As the melodies and harmonies develop onwards, 'The Pilgrim' evolves into a more reflective phase, reintroducing the sounds and motifs of the more strident opening.This closing section symbolizes the realisation that everything needed was already available to The Pilgrim, but travelling the journey, confronting and overcoming all of the challenges was the only route of discovery - peacefulness prevails, bringing the work to a close with a sense of contentment and enlightenment.'The Pilgrim', highly emotive in its creation, offers a wealth of musical imagery.Even to the uninformed listener, this fascinating, powerful and beautiful work stirs and stimulates a variety of emotional reactions - offering each listener an opportunity to apply the music to their own journey, their own personal pilgrimage.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£40.00Semiramide - Gioacchino Rossini arr. Phillip Littlemore
The Rossini Overture is practically a genre unto itself, for few other composers have had so many operatic overtures find a second home in the concert hall. Semiramide is one of Rossini's lengthier overtures, clocking in at approximately twelve minutes, although in this transcription it has been reduced to a more manageable eight minutes. Characteristically, Rossini uses several themes from the opera as the basis for his instrumental prelude. This overture became extremely popular in Rossini's day and its most distinctive feature is the rich andantino passage, introduced by the four horns that dominates the slow introduction after an opening flourish. It proved to be the last opera Rossini wrote in his native Italy. After a brief sojourn in London, he moved to Paris the following year and settled permanently in the French capital.Duration: 8 minutesDifficulty: 2nd Section and above
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£60.00Suite from 49th Parallel - Ralph Vaughan Williams arr. Phillip Littlemore
Vaughan Williams was in his late sixties when an opportunity to write for the cinema materialised. He was approached by his former pupil Muir Mathieson, the director of music for the Ministry of Information, to write the score for the film 49th Parallel .The plot for 49th Parallel is set in the early part of World War II, when a German U-Boat sinks allied shipping in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then tries to evade capture by the Canadian Military by sailing up to Hudson Bay. A handful of crew disembark to look for supplies and no sooner have they reached shore when the U-Boat is spotted by the Canadian Armed Forces and sunk. Leaving the shore party stranded in Canada they have no other option but to head for the neutral United States and, as their ill-fated journey unfolds, they meet a variety of characters whom they alienate due to their reprehensible actions. They These include a pacifist in the Canadian wilds played by Leslie Howard, a Hutterite leader, and a French-Canadian fur trapper, played by Laurence Olivier. The film premiered in the UK in October 1941 and in March 1942 for the US, when it was retitled The Invaders .The brass band suite to 49th Parallel, devised by Paul Hindmarsh and arranged by Phillip Littlemore, takes the Prologue from the cinematic score as its starting point. Stretches of pastoral musical themes depict the Canadian landscape before the atmosphere is broken with a menacing rendition, albeit briefly, of the Lutheran chorale Ein Feste Burg depicting the surfacing of the German U-Boat in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This gives way to the mechanical, jaunty section Control Room Alert with its persistent drive and energy. A brief interlude of The Lake in the Mountains leads into the most recognised piece of music of from the film, the Prelude, which accompanied both the opening and closing credits, and adds a most fitting conclusion to this suite.The suite has been recorded by the Tredegar Town Band, under their musical director Ian Porthouse, on the Albion Records CD Vaughan Williams on Brass
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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Hickory Mice - Len Jenkins - Len Jenkins
Based on the well-known tune of 'Hickory Dickory Dock', which as kids we all knew, the mice get up to their usual adventures. Frenetic activity is followed by staggering exhaustion, or perhaps they got at the booze...Then the party really gets going, with references to various dance themes (and the behaviour of the visually impaired trio), even taking in the baroque and a stately minuet. Exhausted!
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£51.95Fantasy - and Robert Childs
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the 'fantasia' or 'pot-pourri' was a popular genre built on a selection of hit tunes of the day. Hummel wrote three such works, for guitar, cello, and viola; this arrangement is based on a shortened version of the work for viola and orchestra. The original, published as Hummel's Opus 94, dates from about 1820 and includes themes from Mozart's Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, and Rossini's Tancredi.
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£32.00The Beacons (Score only) - Ray Steadman-Allen
For centuries hilltop beacon fires blazed across the land signals of important happenings or warnings of invasion. This music tells no specific story but the titles of the four thematically related sections are a guide to the idea: The Beacons; Far Horizons; The Invaders; Celebration. The first movement has something of the character of the march and the fanfare; spirited and tightly driving, it promises most of the thematic material of the work. The second is largelt tranquil and is thinly scores with solo passages. The third has the most dramatic potential; its energy and conflict subsides to a lament and a tolling bell before a vigorous rounding off. Appropriately, the fourth movement is in a merry-making mood, and the jubilant music concludes with fragment statements of the main themes. The Beacons was first performed by IMI Yorkshire Imperial Band (James Scott) at the 'Concert of the Century', celebrating the Centenary of the British Bandsman, at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on 5 September 1987. Duration: 12:30
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£42.00The Beacons (Parts only) - Ray Steadman-Allen
For centuries hilltop beacon fires blazed across the land signals of important happenings or warnings of invasion. This music tells no specific story but the titles of the four thematically related sections are a guide to the idea: The Beacons; Far Horizons; The Invaders; Celebration. The first movement has something of the character of the march and the fanfare; spirited and tightly driving, it promises most of the thematic material of the work. The second is largelt tranquil and is thinly scores with solo passages. The third has the most dramatic potential; its energy and conflict subsides to a lament and a tolling bell before a vigorous rounding off. Appropriately, the fourth movement is in a merry-making mood, and the jubilant music concludes with fragment statements of the main themes. The Beacons was first performed by IMI Yorkshire Imperial Band (James Scott) at the 'Concert of the Century', celebrating the Centenary of the British Bandsman, at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on 5 September 1987. Duration: 12:30
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£42.00Prisms (Score only) - Peter Graham
Dating from 1986 Prisms (Symphonic Study No. 2 for Brass band) was extensively revised in 1988 to form the preent work. Though not programmatic as such, the work has its roots in traditional brass band music, being strongly melodic and adopting a broad ternary form. The main themes call all be traced to the fourth-based first subject, these offshoots drawing a parallel with light refraction - Prisms. As well as the lyrical sections, much of the music is highly rhythmic, with a busy percussion section, and accesible and enjoyable to all. Duration: 13:00
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£52.00Prisms (Parts only) - Peter Graham
Dating from 1986 Prisms (Symphonic Study No. 2 for Brass band) was extensively revised in 1988 to form the preent work. Though not programmatic as such, the work has its roots in traditional brass band music, being strongly melodic and adopting a broad ternary form. The main themes call all be traced to the fourth-based first subject, these offshoots drawing a parallel with light refraction - Prisms. As well as the lyrical sections, much of the music is highly rhythmic, with a busy percussion section, and accesible and enjoyable to all. Duration: 13:00
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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