Results
-
Galloping Home (The theme from TV's Black Beauty) - Dennis King - Len Jenkins
"The Adventures of Black Beauty" was a British children's television drama series produced by London Weekend Television and shown by ITV in the United Kingdom between 1972 and 1974. The theme tune, "Galloping Home", written by Denis King and performed by the London String Chorale, was released as a single and peaked at number 31 in the UK charts in the week of 2 February 1974. It was later used at the climax of the first series of Absolutely Fabulous, with Edina Monsoon dreaming of running through a field as Black Beauty does in the series' title sequence. The piece has been arranged for both Full Brass Band and Brass Ensemble, in this case a Quintet with optional percussion. Both arrangements are well within the capabilities of most bands.
-
Pie Jesu - Faure - Len Jenkins
Gabriel Faure is acknowledged as among the very best of French composers, and his best-known work must be his Requiem, composed between 1877 and 1890. Nevertheless it did not achieve popularity until after 1945. The Requiem includes 'Pie Jesu' as an independent movement, and it is that movement which is arranged here to feature the particular tonal qualities of the soprano cornet. The solo instrument is accompanied by contrasting groups of instruments from within the Band.
-
Off Duty - John Dankworth - Len Jenkins
The late John Dankworth (1927-2010) made a string of recordings in the 1960s that have since come to be regarded as some of the finest British jazz of their time. Amongst these is his composition 'Off Duty' which was recorded in the 1960s when the influence of pop and rock on jazz was at its height and instruments such as the bass guitar were beginning to be incorporated into jazz's vocabulary. At this time and almost subconsciously, a Dankworth 'pop' style also evolved. This was a balanced marriage between jazz and pop which is here demonstrated in 'Off Duty' thanks to the ingenious and original orchestration by John Dankworth, and the faithful arrangement for Brass Band by one of his fans, Len Jenkins. The title is interesting as John loved to play with words. 'Off Duty' could mean relaxing away from work, but could also carry the implication of something not attracting taxation.... a sort of 'duty-free'. About the same time, the Dave Brubeck Quartet produced the seminal 'Take Five'... so could this be John's take on that title, suggesting a short break? Which meaning fits best for you? The piece would best suit the capabilities of a brass band playing at the standard of Third Section or above.
-
Duet For Two Cats - G. Rossini - Len Jenkins
"Duet For Two Cats" is often performed as an encore to vocal recitals and operatic galas. It may be sung by two sopranos, male-female pairs, or even as a tomcat duet and can be accompanied by a piano or a full orchestra. The lyrics are simple; the single word 'Miaow', repeated with various styles of inflexion and attitude throughout the piece. Our arrangement is for a cornet and trombone. The piece is generally ascribed to Rossini, though there is some doubt as to its actual origins and whether it is an authentic work by that composer. It is believed that an English composer, Robert Lucas Pearsall under the pseudonym G. Berthold may have assembled the various elements from Rossini and perhaps other composers into the piece as we now know it. In order to achieve the correct balance between band and soloists, there is a need to mute most of the band instruments. Recognising that not all bands will have the larger mutes which are expensive and sometimes unwieldy, we suggest a form of muting made famous by a jazz trumpeter and which works well on most instruments. It consists of a circle of heat resistant padded table covering or felt, slightly larger than the bell diameter, with an elasticated edge like a 'mop-hat'. With 3 holes in it to let the sound out, the mute is then simply stretched over the bell to achieve the desired effect and folded up when not required.
-
Savoy Christmas Medley - Traditional - Len Jenkins based on an original arrangement by Debroy Somers
The Savoy Christmas Medley is a well-known and often played piece originally arranged from traditional music by Debroy Somers a big-band bandleader in the 1920's. William Henry (Debroy) Somers was an ex-army bandmaster who formed the Savoy Orpheans dance band, resident at the famous Savoy Hotel between 1923 and 1927. Whilst there are several editions of this music for full Brass Band, this latest arrangement has been tailored to suit a brass quintet with optional percussion. In many cases the availability of players around the festive season, or the space to accommodate a full band in some of the venues for Christmas engagements or for fundraising, means that a Quintet can be the preferred option. In order to achieve a good Quintet arrangement, it is necessary to achieve the same quality and diversity of sound as a full band but within a smaller group. A challenging objective which we believe has been achieved in this publication. In common with our developing practice, the arrangement is scored for both Brass Band and Concert Brass instruments.
-
In Dreams - Roy Orbison - Len Jenkins
"In Dreams" is a song composed and sung by rock and roll performer Roy Orbison, and was released as a single on Monument Records in February 1963. Orbison later claimed that the origin for "In Dreams" came to him while he was sleeping, as many of his songs did. When he woke up the next morning, the entire composition was written in 20 minutes. Like many of Orbison's songs, but unlike the majority of rock and roll ballads, in under 3 minutes it goes through seven movements with distinct melodies and chord progressions without repeating itself. It was for that reason that I have always believed it was a suitable piece for brass where one does not have lyrics to distinguish changes between verses to avoid monotony. Graham Cooper
-
£114.99
Sinfonietta No. 5 - Etienne Crausaz
This work continues the explorations made in previous numbers, and is particularly close to the Sinfonietta No. 3 in terms of difficulty and form. It is based on various short motifs presented in the first few minutes of the work, which are developed and treated symphonically. The music alternates between moments of great vitality and exuberance, and sombre or dramatic passages. While it is not programmatic, it remains highly descriptive. Sinfonietta No. 5 was commissioned by the Valais, Bern, Jura, Geneva, Solothurn and Innerschweiz cantonal associations for the 2024 cantonal celebrations to serve as the compulsory work in the 1st Brass Band category.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£84.99
Snow Island - Thierry Deleruyelle
The Swiss canton of Valais is home to a number of wind and brass bands that regularly stand on the podium in Swiss and European competitions. For the general public, the Valais is above all a unique place, between the Rhone Glacier and Lake Geneva, where life is pleasant. The brass players of the five music associations of the villages of Crans-Montana - an internationally renowned "snow island" - were awarded the organisation of the 224 cantonal festival, for which this work was commissioned.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£137.70
3 Movements for Brass Band - Oskar Abel Valand Halvorsen
3 Movements for Brass Band is written with the intent to explore concise, but intention-lled musical forms. Even though each movement is a clearly dened part, there are still many similarities and unifying elements throughout. One of them can be characerized as a focus on musical initiatives that perpetually intensies the interplay between them. Furthermore, nearly all chords and melodic gestures in all the movements are based on the same three-note cell (e.g. Eb-F-Ab) in constant transposing versions. This structure of threes also nds expression in the rhythmical elements (e.g. in the lightly syncopated gures in the opening of the second movement). Lastly, there is also a signal in snare drum and whip, that ends each movement.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£102.60
At the Zoo - Hilde Høyvik Dahl
"At the Zoo" is a light and playful piece for the beginning musicians.Different animals and their characteristics are the theme of each movement, and the melody alternates between the different sections of the band to emphasize this. Trombones play glissandos and the percussionists are featured on percussion instruments, making the piece a fun to perform at any concert!
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days