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£35.00strange geometry
Descriptionstrange geometrywas commissioned by Morgan Griffiths and the Hammonds Saltaire Band for their performance at the Brass in Concert Championships of 2015.As a bit of a space/sci-fi geek, as well as a musician, two events during the summer of 2015 had a particular effect on me. The first was the tragic early death in a plane crash of the famous film composer James Horner. Horner's music, particularly in films like 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan', 'Avatar', 'Apollo 13' and even his debut in Roger Corman's 1980 budget film 'Battle Beyond the Stars', defined for a generation the sound of sci-fi at the cinema. Along with John Williams he created the vocabulary for those who wish to express other-worldly wonder in music and his inventive talent will be much missed in an industry where originality has become something of a dirty word in recent years.The second event was the epic flyby of Pluto by the NASA New Horizons spacecraft. There are many reasons to find this mission inspiring - for example, the scientists and engineers behind it created a craft that has travelled at 37,000 mph for nine years and three billion miles to arrive within seventy-two seconds of the predicted time for the flyby. That they achieved this with such accuracy is an outstanding tribute to humanity's ingenuity and insatiable curiosity. However, the most exciting aspect of the mission was the clear, high resolution pictures of this unthinkably remote and inhospitable world beamed back to mission control. The best previous image of Pluto was an indistinct fuzzy blob - suddenly we could see mountains made of ice, glaciers of methane and carbon monoxide and nitrogen fog - features previously unimagined on a world thought to be a slightly dull ball of cold rock. The BBC's venerable astronomy programme 'The Sky at Night' waxed lyrical about these newly discovered features, referring to "the surprising discoveries of mountains and strange geometry on the surface of this cold distant world".I like to think that Horner would have been as inspired as I have been by this real-life science story, and this piece uses some of the vocabulary of the sci-fi movie soundtrack in a tribute to the memory of a great musician and to the inspirational geeks at NASA who have boldly taken us where no-one has gone before.Note: This work comes with a B4 portrait score. Listen to a preview and follow the music below!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£120.00
Macbeth - Peter Meechan
Commissioned by the Scottish Brass Band Association for the 2007 Scottish Open Championship, Macbeth takes itsa inspiration from the Shakespeare play of the same name. Character portraits (Of the three witches as well as Macbeth himself), abstractions (The lament), and scenes (Macbethas final battle with Macduff) make up the nine sections of the piece.i: WitchesThe prophecies of the three witches are an integral part of the play, and in this opening section, these mysterious characters are represented by three different sections of music that introduces the listener to the musical material of the piece.ii: DaggerMacbethas aIs this a dagger I see before theea speech, where an imaginary dagger leads him to contemplate the pending murder, builds in intensity before the bell tolls at itsa conclusion - a sign from Lady Macbeth that Duncan is now alone.iii: General MacbethA character portrait of Macbeth - a fearless General who has led his armies to defeat foes from all over Europe. His ambition and flair that make him such a great General are also the characteristics that lead to his eventual downfall.iv: Contemplations of Lady MacbethAlone and mad, Lady Macbeth ponders all that has gone, before taking her own life.v: LamentAlthough the play tells of Macbeth not feeling the pain of his wifeas death, this lament ponders not only her death, but the tale as a whole.vi: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrowIt is in this final soliloquy that we see the ultimate tragedy of Macbeth - the realisation that his life is ultimately worthless.vii: A spell still castThis acts as an prologue to section eight, restating the original awitchesa music, before heading into Macbethas final battle.viii: Final BattleMacbethas final battle, where he locks swords with Macduff.ix: Not of woman bornMacbethas realisation that the witches have misled him comes all too late, as Macduff beheads Macbeth, fulfilling the last prophecy.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£30.00Jubilee Gigue - Debbie Wiseman
This piece was commissioned to be performed on the Georgian barge as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant. Inspired by the "Gigue" (sometimes referred to as "Country Dance") in Handel's original Water Music, the piece has a rollicking, upbeat feel and is now newly arranged for brass band. The story that inspired the piece is of a pirate ship attacking the flotilla. The pirates are then confronted by the courageous defenders of the flotilla who are, of course triumphant in the end. The piece concludes with a final defiant statement of the heroic theme, and the pirates are gone forever.
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£45.00Bathgate Hills Trilogy - Andrew Duncan
Composed by Andrew Duncan and written for the West Lothian Schools Band, A Bathgate Hills Trilogy is in three movements, each one dedicated to and representing a different hill.Comments from the composer:Movement 1 - Dechmont LawThe first movement describes the peculiar events which took place in November 1979 when a forestry worker, Bob Taylor, had a close encounter with an alien spacecraft in Dechmont Woods at the bottom of Dechmont Hill. Bob Taylor's account from the time describes a large sphere like object about twenty feet across which pulled him by the legs towards it, caustic smoke then caused him to pass out. He awoke a short time later in the same spot but the spaceship had gone leaving behind marks in the soil. His story caused a great deal of media interest and a great deal of excitement in the local community.Movement 2 - The Knock HillThe Term 'Knock' is Scottish Gaelic for 'hill' and the Knock Hill is the highest peak in the Bathgate Hills being 305 metres above Sea Level. On a clear day the Knock hill has excellent views of the Bass Rock to the East and the distant hills of Arran to the West as well as of the whole of West Lothian and across the Firth of Forth to Fife and beyond to the North.The second movement is a description of a leisurely walk to the summit of this hill and the enjoyment of a pleasant summer's day spent walking and taking in the beautiful panoramic views. However, as is the case with the Scottish Summer, a change in the weather finds a clear blue sky being replaced with dark rain clouds. The changed weather brings a sudden brief but unwelcome cold downpour of rain, drenching anyone out walking! Finally, the clouds pass and the more pleasant summer weather returns.Movement 3 - Cairnpapple HillCairnpapple Hill is a near neighbour of the Knock Hill. It is almost as high but interest in Cairnpapple Hill lies in the outstanding archaeological monument near the summit, an Iron Age burial chamber. The chamber dates back to 25 years BC and was built by a mysterious people known as the Beaker People (so called because they left behind a number of large earthenware beakers). The mysteries of Cairnpapple Hill have always been a source of fascination for me ever since first visiting the hill as a school child.The third movement describes the lives of the Beaker People. The landscape they would have looked out on would have been mostly dense forest which would have contained many perils including dangerous wolves and bears. Life was harsh and short for the Beaker People and they would always have been close to danger and to death. The average life expectancy for the Beaker People was only 31 years of age. The summit of the hill would have been clear of forest and would have afforded the Beaker People some protection as they could see all around the near countryside enabling them to keep a watchful lookout for their enemies - both animal and human!
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£131.00Magdalena Bay - Gauthier Dupertuis
While admiring many masterpieces at the Louvre Museum in Paris, Gauthier Dupertuis' attention was drawn to a less famous painting: Magdalena Bay, by French painter Francois-Auguste Biard (1799-1882).The work depicts a magnificent snowy landscape on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. However, in the foreground, the presence of the wreckage of a ship, bodies covered in snow and a visibly dying character make us understand that tragic events took place there. Thus, a strong contrast is formed between death and the sublime, between the desolation of the survivors of the shipwreck and the magnificence of the landscape. When we look in more detail at the painting, we notice that footprints have been made in the snow: so, could someone have gone to get help? This little glimmer of hope makes the picture even more touching. In this work, Gauthier Dupertuis tried to describe the different elements of the painting, using contrasting sections and dissonances (in particular, the conflict between the minor and the major) to convey the duality between death and the sublime. The work also attempts to highlight a wide palette of orchestral colors, from the most shimmering lines to the darkest low brass colours. In 2024, Magdalena Bay was awarded the first Prize as well as the band Prize at the 9th European Composition Competition for Brass Band, which was held in Palanga (LT). It was premiered on May 2, 2024 by The Cory Band, conducted by Philip Harper.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£68.99Theme from "Star Trek(R)" - Alexander Courage
Who doesn't know the famous introduction 'To boldly go where no man has gone before' at the beginning of each Star Trek sequel? Many generations grew up with Star Trek - one of the most iconic Sci-Fi series ever written.The original theme is as iconic as the opening line. A great warm up for the next Star Trek series in 2017, arranged by Thomas Doss.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£115.60Czardas - Vittorio Monti
There are composers that have gone done in history by just a single composition. One of those is the Italian violinist and composer Vittorio Monti (1868-1922). Around 1904 he wrote "Czardas", which soon became a favourite among violinists inrestaurant and gipsy orchestras. Monti was also conductor of the Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris and wrote music for ballets and operettas.Csardas is originally a Hungarian folk dance with a slow part (lassu) and a fast part (friska). The virtuoso solo in this arrangement for brass band is written for euphonium and marimba.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£109.99Nordic Moods - Tom Brevik
The composer:1st movement: Reflections by the Fjord.Overlooking one of the mighty fjords of Norway, my mind and thoughts are with an old religious Norwegian folk-tune, with words by the famous parson Peter Dass.The majestic fanfare-likeopening reflects the power of God our Father, the choral itself heard for the first time on flugelhorn. The choral is repeated a few times, separated only by some short variations. The movement ends in thriumph, with fanfares and the choral broughttogether.2nd movement: Reflections in the Old Church.In this movement my associations of a summer day, finding myself alone in an old deserted stone church. From the old walls I hear folk songs, perhaps like the ones sung in the church bypoor fishermen and farmers in days gone by. Suddenly the light from the sun breakes through the small circular window above the altar, and a lovely melody is heard, before the original figures take us to the end of the movement.3rd movement:Festive Reflections.Any festive occasion can be reflected in this movement. from the bonfire at midsummer-night to the children celebrating the return of the sun in the northern part of Norway. from the traditional sleigh-riding at Christmas tothe Celebrations of the National Day on the 17th of May each year.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£32.00Cityscapes (Score only) - Stephen Bulla
The music of Cityscapes intends to parallel the impressions, sights, and sounds of a modern city to what a painter might convey with a landscape portrait. 'Morning Scene - Awakening': the quiet solitude of a sunrise, birdsong, and empty streets can betray the crowded jungle of city life. These are the last moments of sleep before the alarm goes off and the coffee goes on. 'Faces in Motion': The pavements come alive, streets fill with cars, office buildings open, the rush hour is on - and everyone is late! 'Museum Visit': To step into a museum is to visit another world. Looking at what we've been and where we've been, there's always a sense of awe at how much has gone before; and the realisation of how much there is yet to come... 'Nightlife': After hours is not the time to slow down, for the city never really sleeps. Nightclubs open, and the jazz circuit is alive with swinging sounds. This is the soul of the city. Duration: 12:00
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£42.00Cityscapes (Parts only) - Stephen Bulla
The music of Cityscapes intends to parallel the impressions, sights, and sounds of a modern city to what a painter might convey with a landscape portrait. 'Morning Scene - Awakening': the quiet solitude of a sunrise, birdsong, and empty streets can betray the crowded jungle of city life. These are the last moments of sleep before the alarm goes off and the coffee goes on. 'Faces in Motion': The pavements come alive, streets fill with cars, office buildings open, the rush hour is on - and everyone is late! 'Museum Visit': To step into a museum is to visit another world. Looking at what we've been and where we've been, there's always a sense of awe at how much has gone before; and the realisation of how much there is yet to come... 'Nightlife': After hours is not the time to slow down, for the city never really sleeps. Nightclubs open, and the jazz circuit is alive with swinging sounds. This is the soul of the city. Duration: 12:00
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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