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£36.00Edward Gregson: The World Rejoicing
DescriptionComposer's NoteIn 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 harmonization 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 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.The World Rejoicing is dedicated 'in loving memory of my brother', Bramwell Logan Gregson, who sadly passed away in the Autumn of 2018.Edward Gregson
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£25.00Ring'd with the Azure World
DescriptionRing'd with the Azure World was commissioned by the Harmonia Brass quintet for their final recital at the University of Huddersfield in 2016.He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls.- The Eagle by Alfred, Lord TennysonThe music was inspired by Tennyson's poem reproduced above; it seeks simply to reflect the spirit of the poem. It opens in sparse, lonely mood as the eagle surveys the world beneath. The work quickens in three bursts using metrical modulation to disguise the actual moment of acceleration, reflecting the lazy energy stored in the circling raptor before concluding dramatically in a fall 'like a thunderbolt'. Tennyson's poem, although brief, has inspired much analysis and writing, and is notable for being written in the (then somewhat unfashionable) iambic tetrameter, indicating a foursquare emphasis reflected in the main theme of the music. This is heard first in an octatonic version and later in a purely tonal (if somewhat modal) version. The instrumentation reflects that of Harmonia Brass, a quintet composed of brass band instruments (two B flat cornets, an E flat tenor horn, tenor trombone and E flat tuba). However the music is also available for the more conventional brass quintet of two trumpets, french horn, trombone and tuba.To listen to an audio export preview and follow the music, click play on the video below!Performance Notes1st cornet/trumpet requires a cup mute, ideally with an adjustable cup (the marking "tight" denotes that the cup should be adjusted closer to the bell), and a harmon mute with the tube removed (denoted by "TR" in the score). 2nd cornet/trumpet requires a fibre straight mute and a harmon mute with the tube removed. Tenor horn require a fibre straight mute and a practice mute (any sort) - in the orchestral brass version the french horn requires a stop mute. Trombone requires a cup mute (only). Tuba requires a fibre straight mute and a practice mute (of any sort).Metronome marks should be closely observed - starting either too fast or too slow will have a disproportionate effect on the tempi later in the piece due to the metrically controlled tempo changes.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£32.00Confluence (Score only) - William HImes
Confluence was commissioned by the River City Brass Band for a series of concerts entitles Always a River, dedicated to the musical heritage of the American states linked by the Ohio River: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois (the state where William Himes resides). The title relates to the fact that the Ohio River is created by the confluence of two rivers - the Allegheny and the Monongahela - at Pittsburgh, the home of the River City Brass Band conducted at the time of writing by Robert Bernat.
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£42.00Confluence (Parts only) - William HImes
Confluence was commissioned by the River City Brass Band for a series of concerts entitles Always a River, dedicated to the musical heritage of the American states linked by the Ohio River: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois (the state where William Himes resides). The title relates to the fact that the Ohio River is created by the confluence of two rivers - the Allegheny and the Monongahela - at Pittsburgh, the home of the River City Brass Band conducted at the time of writing by Robert Bernat.
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£19.95Bandkraft 3
The third of three superb sets of new music and arrangements for brass ensembles.March Commodore - Ifor James: A striking piece well suited for performance in concert or on the march.The Aristocrat - Roy Newsome: A not too difficult trombone solo, providing animated, musical fun for band and audience alike, and which gives the trombonist ample opportunity to play the fool.Waltz of the Clouds - Alfred Ashpole: A Viennese style waltz by a composer with unparalleled experience of writing for bands.Pink Panther - Mancini, arr. John Golland: The original Mancini Pink Panther translated for brass band. Watch out for his sneaky rhythms, which need proper dance band treatment.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£34.95Puffing Devil, The - Christopher Bond
The Puffing Devil (2013) was commissioned by Camborne Trevithick Day Committee on the occasion of Camborne's 30th Trevithick Day celebration. The premiere performance of the work, written for brass band and children's choir, saw a massed performance by six brass bands and children from nine local schools. With the intention of being an educational work as well as a musical work, The Puffing Devil reflects the story of Richard Trevithick both in the lyrics and the musical material.A mysterious opening sees running semiquavers in the euphoniums as the flugel horn introduces the work with a solo, before the entry of the horns playing rhythmic quavers. The addition of the voices at the outset is for effect - working with the instruments to create the sound of a steam engine gathering pace simply to the words 'Trevithick'. Once a steady tempo is reached, themes are introduced and sung by the choir, where the vocal writing is a very simple singular-melody; easy for any primary school aged children to learn. An ending of grandeur in a majestic nature is presented, to create a big finish to a feel-good educational work.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£22.00
Lullaby (Score & Parts) - Philip Doe
Lullaby is a beautiful euphonium duet with band accompaniment. The solo and contrapuntal writing, combined with a rich accompaniment from the band, offers peace and serenity.Brass Band Grade 3: Youth and 4th SectionDuration: 4 minutes
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£94.95Of Men and Mountains - Edward Gregson
Of Men and Mountains was commissioned by the Netherlands Brass Band Championships for their tenth anniversary contest in Drachten in December 1990. In July the previous year, Edward Gregson and his wife took the Trans Canadian Railway from Toronto to Vancouver. The journey through the Rocky Mountains was the starting point for Of Men and Mountains. Gregson writes that: 'its high peaks and shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds, its canyons and ferocious rapids made me 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 my 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 with a duration of approximately 17 minutes. 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. Of Men and Mountains has been selected as the test pieces for the 2023 National Brass Championships of Great Britain at the Albert Hall.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£124.95Hyperlink - Peter Graham
Hyperlink was commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (funded by Arts Council England and the Department for Education) for its 70th Anniversary Year. Since the anniversary coincided with other significant celebrations in 2022 (including the Royal Albert Hall/Ralph Vaughan Williams 150th and the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II) it was requested that these also be recognised in some way.
Where better to begin this challenging brief but with a computer search for the NYBBGB founder Dr Denis Wright (coincidently born in Kensington, home of the RAH). The subsequent rabbit warren of hyperlinks led me to structure the work through a series of "associations":
Movement I - The Voice of Jupiter.
Alongside the discovery that Denis Wright had been a church organist was the realisation that while the RAH has hosted thousands of musical events the fabric of the building actually incorporates a musical instrument, the famous Henry Wills organ (aka The Voice of Jupiter).Organ and J S Bach are synonymous (e.g. Toccata in D min) and so both become fundamental to the content of the movement. An opening 7 note quote from the Toccata leads to a mammoth sound cluster, as if every note on the huge RAH organ is sustained. The material which follows is based upon the notes BACH (in German notation). The notes are manipulated in various ways in a 12 tone matrix; reversed, inverted and so on. Other techniques employed in the movement are ones of which Bach was master, including ground bass and fugue.
Movement II - Remember Me.
The lives of Salvationist composer Ray Steadman-Allen (born 1922) and Ralph Vaughan Williams are remembered here, with "RSA" in musical notation and fragments of RVWs famous Tuba Concerto providing the source material.While writing the movement my father passed away and to close his funeral service the family chose the uplifting Robert Lowry hymn They'll sing a welcome home. It seemed fitting to conclude the movement with a reflective setting of the chorus, the repeated phrase "Welcome, welcome home" eventually disappearing into the ether.
Movement III - Vivat.
The finale takes the form of a short fantasy upon Hubert Parry's marvellous coronation anthem I Was Glad, truly a celebratory note with which to conclude.The first performance of Hyperlink was given by the NYBBGB conducted by Martyn Brabbins at the Royal College of Music, London on August 6th 2022.
Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£34.95Behold the Power of God - Christopher Bond
Behold the Power of God (2010) was written for and premiered by the Cornwall Youth Brass Band in dedication to their Musical Advisor at the time; the late Cornish composer Goff Richards who later described the work as 'a remarkable piece of writing'. The work's title, while implying a religious meaning, actually references Goff's name, with his full name Godfrey translating as 'God-peace' and Richards meaning 'Power'. Two energetic outer sections fall either side of a more lyrical middle section featuring the solo cornet. The perfect opening item at any concert.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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