Results
-
£60.00Music from the Royal Fireworks - G. F. Handel arr. Don Blakeson
Handel's Music For The Royal Fireworks was composed in 1749 to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and the end of the War of the Austrian Succession. The site chosen was the fashionable upper part of St. James Park, which was becoming known at that time as Green Park. The Green Park 'Machine', which housed the pyrotechnics was an elaborate affair adorned with "statues and other figures, festoons of flowers, and other lustres".It was announced that there would be some 10,000 rockets and other devices to be let off, all culminating in a grand, burning sun with 'Vivat Rex' at its centre. There were also rumours that the event was to be accompanied by an impressively large band of military music and mention was made of "40 trumpets, 20 french horns, 16 hautboys (oboes), 16 bassoons, 8 pairs of kettle drums, 12 side drums, a proper number of flutes and fifes; with 100 cannon to go off singly at intervals". It is unlikely that Handel had ever conceived such forces and it was merely the promoter's hyberbole, not least because it was unlikely that there were sufficient numbers of extra military musicians available that could read music, as most played from memory. It is also likely that Handel, and his publisher, were conscious that future performances would be hindered by such forces. The autographed score lists the instrumentation as 9 trumpets, 9 french horns, 24 hautboys, 12 bassoons, 3 pairs of kettle drums and up to 4 side drums.The work is in five movements, although Handel's original score did not indicate in which order they should be played. However, in this score they are arranged to be played as follows: Overture, Bouree, La Paix, Minuets I & II and La Rejouissance.Duration: c. 19 minutesDifficulty: Suitable ofr all
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£55.00Perfect Fool, The - Gustav Holst arr. Phillip Littlemore
The music for The Perfect Fool is taken from the comic opera by Gustav Holst, written between 1918 and 1922. The opera received its premiere at Covent Garden, London on 14th May 1923. This arrangement consists of the three dances from the ballet which starts the work: Dance of Spirits of Earth, Dance of Spirits of Water and Dance of Spirits of Fire.Duration: 9'30"Difficulty: 1st Section and above
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£55.00Second Suite in F - Gustav Holst arr. Phillip Littlemore
Gustav Holst's Second Suite in F was composed in 1911, two years after the first suite, yet like his first suite it didn't receive its premiere until many years later, on 30th June 1922, at Royal Albert Hall in London and performed by band of The Military School of Music.The Suite uses English folk songs and folk dance tunes throughout. The opening march movement uses three tunes: a lively Morris Dance called Glorishears, the folk song Swansea Town and finally Cloudy Banks. The first two tunes are repeated to conclude the first movement. The second movement is a setting of I'll Love My Love, a sad story of a young maiden driven into Bedlam by grief over her lover being sent to sea by his parents to prevent their marriage. The Song of the Blacksmith follows with a lively hammer rhythms and the score actually asks for a blacksmith's anvil. The final movement is a fantasia based on the 16th Century English country-dance, The Dargason, with the Elizabethan love-song Greensleeves intertwined. This is a new brass band arrangement that has a lighter texture to that made by Sydney Herbert, restoring it to the original key of F and including sectioned omitted from the 1923 arrangement.Duration: c. 12 minutesDifficulty: 2nd Section and above
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£119.95The Snowman - Howard Blake arr. Phillip Littlemore
Raymond Briggs' charming Christmas story about the adventures of a boy and the snowman that comes to life is a modern children's classic. The tales popularity has been further enhanced by frequent television broadcasts of the award-winning cartoon film The Snowman. This version is for narrator, boy soprano and brass band. Please note a keyboard is essential with both piano and strings/harp sounds.A video of this arrangement can be found here: The Snowman (excerpt)Duration: 26 minutesDifficulty: Challenging, but suitable for all.
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£30.00Ave Maria - Franz Schubert arr. Phillip Littlemore
Franz Schubert wrote his Ave Maria in 1825. It is the third of three song settings from Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake, itself written in 1810. It's proper title is Ellen's Song, named after the heroine of Scott's poem, Ellen Douglas.It has been suggested that the opening two words of the original song may have led to the idea of it being arranged for the full text of the Roman Catholic Prayer. It is now most often performed in this latter adaptation, thus leading to the misconception that it was originally set with the prayer in mind.Even in Schubert's own brief lifetime, he was only thirty-one when he died, this song was considered a masterpiece. It acquired greater popularity when it was used in the 1940 Walt Disney film Fantasia where its beauty and simplicity offered calm and respite following the tempestuous strains of Mussorgsky's A Night on Bare Mountain .Duration: 3'40"Difficulty: Suitable for all
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£30.00Carol of the Bells - Mykola Leontovych arr. Phillip Littlemore
This popular Christmas piece was composed by Mykola Leontovych around 1916. It is based on a Ukrainian folk chant known as 'Shchedryk', a New Year's carol. However, it was not until after the composer's death in 1921 that it was first introduced to Western audiences, when the Ukrainian National Choir included it on their tour of Europe and the Americas that same year. The film composer John Williams incorporated it into the score for the 1990 film Home Alone and he is credited for bringing it to a wider audience still, although it had been released on Christmas albums by a number of popular artists before that.This transcription for brass band has been adapted from the version created by Robert Prizeman, who arranged it for Libera, the world famous boys choir that he founded. Their unique, enchanting and, some say, heavenly sound delights audiences throughout the world through extensive concerts, recording and TV broadcasts. This brass band transcription introduces this skilled arrangement to a new genre and a whole new audience as well. A video of this arrangement can be found here: Carol of the BellsDuration: 3'00"Difficulty: Suitable for all
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£30.00Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Hugh Martin/Richard Blane arr. Phillip Littlemore
The successful songwriting team of Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane wrote Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas for the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis, where it was introduced by Judy Garland.The original lyrics were too melancholic and Garland asked for something a little bit more upbeat instead. Blane substituted them to the now-familiar lyrics of those Garland sang in the movie, although Frank Sinatra asked for one further change so that the song could be included on his album The Joy Of Christmas. It is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time and has been recorded by over 500 artists.This arrangement, for cornet with band accompaniment, captures the reflective style of the original song, although allows a little bit of magic to close.A video of this arrangement can be found here: Have Yourself A Merry Little ChristmasDuration: 3'20"Difficulty: Suitable for all (band accompaniment)
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£30.00Pure Imagination - Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley arr. Phillip Littlemore
The 1971 film musical Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory starred Gene Wilder in the title role. The music was written by composer/actor Anthony Newley, with lyrics provided by Leslie Bricusse, for which it received an Oscar nomination for Original Song Score.There are several well-known songs from the film, but perhaps the most famous is Pure Imagination, which is sung by Willy Wonka as the five children and their parents enter the Chocolate Room in Wonka's factory. It has been arranged as a trombone solo and has a simple jazz-like accompaniment.Duration: c. 3'00"Difficulty: Suitable for all (band accompaniment)
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£30.00Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies - Pyotr Tchaikovsky arr. Phillip Littlemore
Dance of the he Sugar Plum Fairy needs no introduction as it is one of the most recognisable pieces of music. Tchaikovsky began writing his ballet The Nutcracker in 1891. It received its premiere in St. Petersburg, the following year. The Sugar Plum Fairy is the ruler of the Land of Sweets although she only dances in Act 2 of the work.This arrangement, retitled The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, has the slightest of twists in that it features the four members of the bass section. There is no need for the players to dress as ballet dancers, but it does add to the spectacle!Duration: 3'00"Difficulty: 3rd Section and above
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
-
£25.00O Mio Babbino Caro - vocal solo (Giacomo Puccini arr. Phillip Littlemore
O Mio Babbino Caro (Oh My Dear Papa) is taken from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini. It is sung by Schicchi's daughter, Lauretta. after tensions between Schicchi and his prospective in-laws have reached a breaking point that threaten to separate her from Rinuccio, the boy she loves.The story of Gianni Schicchi concerns a rich old man who dies leaving all his possessions to the local monastery. His outraged relatives agree to Gianni Schicchi impersonating the dead man so that he can dictate a new will. In doing so, Schicchi manages to bequeath himself the dead man's most hotly contested possessions - his mule, his house and his mills. This means that Schicchi can now provide a full dowry to enable his daughter to marry. It is the second opera of Puccini's operatic triptych, which also includes Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica .Duration: c.2'00"Grade: Suitable for all
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days