Results
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£45.00The Sword and the Star
DescriptionThe Sword and the Star was written in 2006 for the Middleton Band at the request of their Musical Director, Carl Whiteoak. The inspiration for the work was the band's badge, which features a medieval archer. The town of Middeton's historical link with the symbol of the Archer came from the English victory at the Battle of Flodden in September 1513, where bowmen from Middleton and Heywood under the command of Sir Richard Assheton played a vital part in crushing the invading Scottish army. Sir Richard captured one of the Scottish commanders and presented the prisoner's sword to the St Leonard's church in Middleton in recognition of the town's contribution. As long time Lords of the Manor, the Assheton family crest was for centuries featured in the coat of arms of Middleton council, and when Middleton became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale the black star from the Assheton crest was used to represent Middleton in the new borough's coat of arms. Hence the title The Sword and the Star, for a piece which attempts to give an impression of the town as it was then and as it is now.The music is in three short sections - a fanfare, a lament and a bright scherzo - and simply aims to contrast the medieval hamlet of Middleton with the bustling urban centre it has now become. The central lament features a Scottish song called "The Flowers of the Forest", written to mourn the loss of so many of Scotland's young men on the field of Flodden; the song returns in a much more positive form at the end of the piece.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£10.00The Once and Future King
DescriptionThe Once and Future King is a suite of three movements; each movement was inspired by an Arthurian legend. The first movement, 'Tintagel', concerns the famous Cornish promontory said to be the birthplace of King Arthur. In Arthur's time, Tintagel was part of the court of King Mark of Cornwall and the music imagines a visit by the King of the Britons to his Cornish neighbour and the place of his birth, reflecting the ceremony and drama of such an occasion; the music is strongly antiphonal, contrasting the more strident fanfares of the cornets and trombones with the warmth of the saxhorns and tubas.The second movement, 'Lyonesse', takes its inspiration from the mythical land which once joined Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly. One legend claims that after the disastrous battle of Camlan where Arthur and Mordred were both killed, the remnants of Arthur's army were pursued across Lyonesse to Scilly, whereupon Merlin cast a spell to sink Lyonesse behind them and drown the pursuers. Some say the bells of the 140 churches inundated that day can still be heard ringing. All the material in this movement derives from two short motifs heard in counterpoint at the very beginning, which are intentionally dissonant and bitonal in character.The final movement, 'Badon Hill', takes its title from the legendary site of Arthur's last battle with the Saxons and is a lively toccata based on the medieval secular song L'Homme Armee ('The Armed Man'). The music uses a number of medieval devices including "hocketing" (passing melody from one voice to another). The actual site of Badon Hill is unknown but it has been associated with Badbury Rings in Dorset and a lot of evidence now points towards the town of Bath. Arthur's victory at Badon Hill was the last great victory for Celtic Britain over the Saxon invaders, but in the end only set the conquest back by a few decades. Arthur himself was dead by then, betrayed and defeated by his nephew Mordred, but it is said that Arthur only sleeps and will return in a time of dire need - hence the legend that Arthur's dying words were: Bury me in Britain, for I am the Once and Future King.Performance NotesWhere space and practicality permits the opening movement should be played with cornets and trombones standing behind the band facing the audience; they should retake their seats for the second and third movements.PercussionConcert Bass Drum (ideally NOT Kit/Pedal Bass Drum), Suspended Cymbal, pair of Clash Cymbals, Glockenspiel, Snare Drum, Tambourine, 2 x Timpani (Eb-G, Bb-D), 2 x Tom-toms, Triangle, Tam-Tam* (only if available), Tubular Bells *(only if available).MutesBaritones, all cornets and trombones will require metal straight mutes; all trombones and cornets will require cup mutes.*The Once and Future King was set as the test-piece for the 3rd section of the Swiss National Championships in 2007. The score was then slightly revised in July 2008, the main alteration being the exclusion of the tubular bells part for the Regional Championships of Great Britain in 2009. Some parts which were optional (or cued on other instruments) at the request of the Swiss Brass Band Association were restored to their original octaves and instruments. In 2015 the tubular bells part was restored in the optional Percussion 3 part; all parts in Percussion 3 are optional, although some are cued in the percussion 1 & 2 parts (and the cues should be played if only two players are available).Listen to a preview and follow along with the score below!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£45.00isti mirant stella
Descriptionisti mirant stellais based on an extract from the text of the Bayeux Tapestry, which was commissioned by Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, to commemorate the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. This text relates to the appearance of Halley's Comet in the spring of 1066. King Edward the Confessor died without an heir early on 5 January 1066 and despite his apparent promise of the throne to William, Duke of Normandy, the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot appointed Harold Godwinson of Wessex as his successor. Just after Harold's hastily arranged coronation the comet appeared, reaching its perihelion on 20 March 1066. In the Middle Ages comets were regarded as evil omens; the tapestry depicts men gazing at the "star" in wonder and Harold himself apparently lost in nightmarish visions of invasion, with ghostly ships in the margins of the tapestry.The music attempts to reflect the mood of this brief but crucial period of English history - the unsettled matter of the royal succession linked in the superstitious medieval imagination to the haunting, spectral apparition of the comet. Medieval composition techniques are employed in places, including the use of a 'tenor', hocketing and a brief isoryhthmic motet. The music attempts to avoid tonal centres and particularly any form of diatonic 'resolution', instead exploring the issue of unresolved dissonance as a musical device in its own right.Performance Notes:All cornets, flugel and solo horn will require bottles filled with water to varying levels to 'tune' them to the correct pitch for the closing section of the piece. Pitches for the bottles are notated in the same transposition as the player's main instrument, so for example a notated D in the bottle part for flugel would sound as a C.All cornets except soprano require harmon mutes; where these are marked 'TR' these should have the tube removed. 'TI' denotes the tube should be left all the way in. Soprano and solo cornet III require metal straight mutes; flugel, all tenor horns, 2nd baritone and both euphoniums require fibre straight mutes. Soprano, all solo cornets and all trombones require cup mutes.The percussion section will require vibraphone (with a suitable bow, preferably a 'cello bow), glockenspiel, tubular bells (low and high E only), concert bass drum, tam-tam and snare drum - the bass drum and tam-tam will require brushes in addition to the normal beaters. In addition 1st horn and 1st baritone are required to play triangles, which should ideally be different pitches if possible.Approximate duration 7'48"NOTE: This set comes with a B4 score. To view a PDF preview click here.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.95Corineus (Brass Band - Score and Parts)
Premiered by Cory Band at the 2018 Festival of Brass, Manchester. Selected as the set-work for the Championship Section at the 2019 National Youth Championships of Great Britain.Corineus, in medieval British legend, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the eponymous founder of Cornwall. The first of the legendary rulers of Cornwall, he is described as a character of strength and power. It is on the medieval ruler that this new work, Corineus, is based, presented in three contrasting sections. The work opens with heraldic fanfares and a sense of jubilance before presenting musical material which changes and develops organically, portraying the journey taken by Corineus, Brutus, and the Trojans from modern-day mainland Europe to Britain. The central section of the work is slower, creating a feeling of longing. Brutus' son, Locrinus, had agreed to marry Corineus' daughter, Gwendolen, but instead fell in love with a German princess. In writing this part of the work, the composer portrays the longing of Gwendolen for her husband, knowing he is in love with somebody else. After Corineus died, Locrinus divorced Gwendolen, who responded by raising an army in Cornwall and making war against her ex-husband. Locrinus was killed in battle, and legend suggests that Gwendolen threw Locrinus' lover into the River Severn. This dramatic battle provides the inspiration for the final part of the work. In writing this work, the composer hopes to flare the imagination of young brass players around the country, in an engaging new take on a firm fixture in British folklore.Duration: 11.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.95Corineus - Christopher Bond
Corineus, in medieval British legend, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the eponymous founder of Cornwall. The first of the legendary rulers of Cornwall, he is described as a character of strength and power. It is on the medieval ruler that this new work, Corineus, is based, presented in three contrasting sections. The work opens with heraldic fanfares and a sense of jubilance before presenting musical material which changes and develops organically, portraying the journey taken by Corineus, Brutus, and the Trojans from modern-day mainland Europe to Britain. The central section of the work is slower, creating a feeling of longing. Brutus' son, Locrinus, had agreed to marry Corineus' daughter, Gwendolen, but instead fell in love with a German princess. In writing this part of the work, the composer portrays the longing of Gwendolen for her husband, knowing he is in love with somebody else. After Corineus died, Locrinus divorced Gwendolen, who responded by raising an army in Cornwall and making war against her ex-husband. Locrinus was killed in battle, and legend suggests that Gwendolen threw Locrinus' lover into the River Severn. This dramatic battle provides the inspiration for the final part of the work. In writing this work, the composer hopes to flare the imagination of young brass players around the country, in an engaging new take on a firm fixture in British folklore.
Estimated dispatch 5-10 working days
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£35.00Gaudete (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - McKenzie, Jock
Gaudete (meaning 'rejoice') is a sacred Christmas Carol of Latin text. As a single line melody to carry the words, is it thought to have been written in the late medieval period, with subsequent harmonies being added in the fifteenth century. The song was published in 1582 in the collection 'Piae Cantiones' - a collection of Finnish / Swedish sacred songs. This carol follows the typical structure for sacred songs at the time of its publication - a uniform series of four-line stanzas each preceded by a two-line refrain. The Latin text is a medieval song of praise about the Virgin Mary. My arrangement, whilst being something of an 'indulgence' seeks to use some musical language typical of the time of the original publication. Duration: 3.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.95Corineus (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Bond, Christopher
Regionals 2024 - 3rd Section test piecePremiered by Cory Band at the 2018 Festival of Brass, Manchester. Selected as the set-work for the Championship Section at the 2019 National Youth Championships of Great Britain.Corineus, in medieval British legend, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the eponymous founder of Cornwall. The first of the legendary rulers of Cornwall, he is described as a character of strength and power. It is on the medieval ruler that this new work, Corineus, is based, presented in three contrasting sections. The work opens with heraldic fanfares and a sense of jubilance before presenting musical material which changes and develops organically, portraying the journey taken by Corineus, Brutus, and the Trojans from modern-day mainland Europe to Britain. The central section of the work is slower, creating a feeling of longing. Brutus' son, Locrinus, had agreed to marry Corineus' daughter, Gwendolen, but instead fell in love with a German princess. In writing this part of the work, the composer portrays the longing of Gwendolen for her husband, knowing he is in love with somebody else. After Corineus died, Locrinus divorced Gwendolen, who responded by raising an army in Cornwall and making war against her ex-husband. Locrinus was killed in battle, and legend suggests that Gwendolen threw Locrinus' lover into the River Severn. This dramatic battle provides the inspiration for the final part of the work. In writing this work, the composer hopes to flare the imagination of young brass players around the country, in an engaging new take on a firm fixture in British folklore.Duration: 11.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£29.95
Corineus (Brass Band - Score only) - Bond, Christopher
Regionals 2024 - 3rd Section test piecePremiered by Cory Band at the 2018 Festival of Brass, Manchester. Selected as the set-work for the Championship Section at the 2019 National Youth Championships of Great Britain.Corineus, in medieval British legend, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the eponymous founder of Cornwall. The first of the legendary rulers of Cornwall, he is described as a character of strength and power. It is on the medieval ruler that this new work, Corineus, is based, presented in three contrasting sections. The work opens with heraldic fanfares and a sense of jubilance before presenting musical material which changes and develops organically, portraying the journey taken by Corineus, Brutus, and the Trojans from modern-day mainland Europe to Britain. The central section of the work is slower, creating a feeling of longing. Brutus' son, Locrinus, had agreed to marry Corineus' daughter, Gwendolen, but instead fell in love with a German princess. In writing this part of the work, the composer portrays the longing of Gwendolen for her husband, knowing he is in love with somebody else. After Corineus died, Locrinus divorced Gwendolen, who responded by raising an army in Cornwall and making war against her ex-husband. Locrinus was killed in battle, and legend suggests that Gwendolen threw Locrinus' lover into the River Severn. This dramatic battle provides the inspiration for the final part of the work. In writing this work, the composer hopes to flare the imagination of young brass players around the country, in an engaging new take on a firm fixture in British folklore.Duration: 11.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£44.00Hymns at Heaven's Gate (Score only) - Elgar Howarth
A flourish: a crowd assembles at the gate of Heaven, saints and sinners. As in a film the immensity of the crowd is illustrated, and the camera zooms to focus onparticular groups and individuals. Monks sing a 'medieval' hymn, interrupted by the fanfares of mischievous seraphim; gradually the whole crown join in. The fanfares grow wilder, and grubby, naughty children enter, singing mock fanfares, making jazzy gestures and trying to sing a chirldren's hymn. They are joined by roughnecks who take up the fanfare idea. The camera zooms again at the entrance of Jesus. A commanding flourish causes consternation. Separate groups react, interrupted by mysterious percussion effects. Then, as the whole panorama explodes in sound, William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) approaches awestruck. A triple Alleluia is followed by the third hymnand further Alleluias. A dance finale begins using material from the whole piece. A tumultuous climax preceds sudden quiet Alleluias, and the crown exits into Heaven to the music of the monks, reharmonised and transformed. The camera shots extend to the heavens and the stars. Duration: 15:00
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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£56.00Hymns at Heaven's Gate (Parts only) - Elgar Howarth
A flourish: a crowd assembles at the gate of Heaven, saints and sinners. As in a film the immensity of the crowd is illustrated, and the camera zooms to focus onparticular groups and individuals. Monks sing a 'medieval' hymn, interrupted by the fanfares of mischievous seraphim; gradually the whole crown join in. The fanfares grow wilder, and grubby, naughty children enter, singing mock fanfares, making jazzy gestures and trying to sing a chirldren's hymn. They are joined by roughnecks who take up the fanfare idea. The camera zooms again at the entrance of Jesus. A commanding flourish causes consternation. Separate groups react, interrupted by mysterious percussion effects. Then, as the whole panorama explodes in sound, William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) approaches awestruck. A triple Alleluia is followed by the third hymnand further Alleluias. A dance finale begins using material from the whole piece. A tumultuous climax preceds sudden quiet Alleluias, and the crown exits into Heaven to the music of the monks, reharmonised and transformed. The camera shots extend to the heavens and the stars. Duration: 15:00
Estimated dispatch 7-9 working days
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