Results
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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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£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
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£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
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£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
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£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
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£40.00
Blaenwern - Matthew Hall
BlaenwernThe hymn tune Blaenwern (Love Divine) arranged for Brass Band by Matthew Hall for the Cymanfa Ganu (Singing Festival) at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Ebbw Vale, 2010.Score and Parts.Blaenwern
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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The Hippopotamus Song - Flanders & Swann - Len Jenkins
The Flanders and Swann masterpiece 'Mud, Mud-glorious Mud!' arranged to feature a tuba soloist (Eb or Bb) OR as a duet between 2x Eb or 2x Bb tubas OR one of each! True flexibility-and such fun! This piece is absolutely perfect for Entertainment Contests..
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You'd be so nice to come home to - Cole Porter - Len Jenkins
This sideways glance at the Cole Porter masterpiece written for the 1943 film 'Something to shout about', is arranged to feature the flugel and tenor horns, and comprises an up-tempo romp through several variations upon the main theme. Everyone in the Band is kept busy throughout, and a strong rhythmic pulse keeps the music very definitely alive!
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Eye Level - Jack Trombey - Len Jenkins
Eye Level was originally produced for the De Wolfe Music Library and selected by Thames Television for the theme tune to their Netherlands based detective series Van der Valk. Based on a German/Dutch nursery rhyme, which in turn takes its melody line from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro, Dutch composer Jan Stoeckart adapted it under the name Jack Trombey, and Simon Park arranged it for his own orchestra. In 1973 his single was top of the UK charts for 4 weeks and in the top 40 for 22 weeks. It gained the award of a platinum disc. Fully entitled 'Eye Level (Theme from the TV series Van der Valk)', the tune has also been used in various TV adverts for clients such as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in the 70's and Oranjeboom lager in the 1980's. This new arrangement is straightforward and within the capabilities of most 4th section and village brass bands. The tune is instantly recognisable and ideally suited to fetes, concerts and programmes of light entertainment.
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Blake's 7 - theme - Dudley Simpson - Len Jenkins
Blake's 7 was a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC and broadcast between 1978 and 1981. It was popular from its first broadcast, watched by approximately 10 million people in the UK and shown in 25 other countries. Although many aspects of space opera were present, its budget was inadequate for its interstellar narrative. It still remains well regarded for its strong characterisation, ambiguous morality and pessimistic tone - but has also been described as "classically awful". It has cult status. After over 30 years of silence, the theme music has now been arranged for full Brass Band and is a strident 'opener', or 'closer' for any concert.