Results
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£49.95Malcolm Arnold Variations (Score Only)
MALCOLM ARNOLD VARIATIONS was commissioned by Philip Biggs and Richard Franklin for the 20th All England Masters International Brass Band Championship held in the Corn Exchange, Cambridge on 25 May 2008. The work is dedicated to Anthony Day, long time carer of Sir Malcolm Arnold in his final years. I first met Malcolm and Anthony in 1990 and remained in constant touch until Malcolm's passing in 2006. Anthony, of course, remains a friend and plays his own role subliminally in this piece. The work is not based on any of Malcolm Arnold's own themes, rather it is a portrait of him (and by association Anthony Day) through my eyes and as a result of my friendship with both parties over some 18 years. If there is any theme as such it is the personalities of the players, the protagonist and his carer placed together by my own efforts coloured and influenced by aspects of Arnold's style and technique without recourse to direct quotation but through allusion and parody. It is of course designed as a brass band test piece but in my eyes is first and foremost a musical challenge. The pyrotechnical elements are there but always secondary to the musical thrust of the work's structure. I have long beforehand submerged myself in Malcolm Arnold's music and ultimately delivered this tribute. Music Directors will be advised to acquaint themselves with the composer's personal music, particularly the film scores, symphonies, concertos and ballets: the solutions towards a successful interpretation of my piece are all in there - and YES, I want, and sanction, this piece to be interpreted, and therein lies the challenge for those of you 'up front'! The challenge for players is that of virtuosity, ensemble and careful attention to where they are individually in relation to their colleagues - a question of balance, taste and insight. With regard to tempi, as is my usual custom, I have indicated all metronome marks with the prefix circa. I would suggest that the fast music is played at these tempos but that the more rubato moments can be allowed some freedom in expression and fluidity of line. With regard to the type of mutes to be employed - this decision I leave to the discretion of players and conductors. Structurally the work is cast as an Introduction, 20 Variations and a Finale. Some variations are self contained, others run into each other as sequences in the same tempo. In other variations, segments are repeated and developed. I could describe the overall concept as a miniature ballet or a condensed film score - there is much drama and character and the repeated elements assist this in driving the action forward. I have deliberately avoided the more extremely dark qualities of Malcolm's own music in this, my celebration of this master-composer, as I have always viewed (and evidenced by my previous Masters scores Tristan Encounters and Chivalry) that the Cambridge contest is a 'sunshine- affair' and firmly believe that Malcolm Arnold would have had it no other way too!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£89.95Four Etudes (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
This work was written during August and September 2016. In it, I wanted primarily to explore the elements of timbre, rhythm, texture and colour. The first three tudes (or studies) are based on a set of piano pieces I composed in 1982, whilst the last, the longest of the set, was composed specially. My reference point was the Four tudes for orchestra of 1928 by Stravinsky, a work I have always admired, and of which the first three also happen to be based on a set of earlier pieces, in his case for string quartet, with the last being a re-arrangement of a work for pianola. I have also borrowed the titles he gave to the individual studies as they seemed to fit the mood of my pieces.However, the exception is the final study, where instead of the exuberant mood of his colourful portrayal of Madrid, mine was influenced by the terrible human tragedy that was unfolding in Aleppo at the time I was writing it, and thus reflects the violence and barbarism of those events; yet towards the end it does offer a glimmer of hope for humanity with a return to the Canticle (Song) of the first study, and concludes quietly with the chords and bells that began the work. The titles of the tudes are Canticle, Dance, Excentrique, and Aleppo. Like Stravinsky's, the set is relatively short, lasting around 8 minutes.The Four tudes were commissioned by Black Dyke Band and were written specially for the recording marking the conclusion of my year as Composer-in-Residence. The concert premiere will be given by Black Dyke Band, conducted by the composer, at the RNCM Festival of Brass in January 2017.- Edward GregsonDuration: 8.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£37.95Four Etudes (Brass Band - Score only) - Gregson, Edward
This work was written during August and September 2016. In it, I wanted primarily to explore the elements of timbre, rhythm, texture and colour. The first three tudes (or studies) are based on a set of piano pieces I composed in 1982, whilst the last, the longest of the set, was composed specially. My reference point was the Four tudes for orchestra of 1928 by Stravinsky, a work I have always admired, and of which the first three also happen to be based on a set of earlier pieces, in his case for string quartet, with the last being a re-arrangement of a work for pianola. I have also borrowed the titles he gave to the individual studies as they seemed to fit the mood of my pieces.However, the exception is the final study, where instead of the exuberant mood of his colourful portrayal of Madrid, mine was influenced by the terrible human tragedy that was unfolding in Aleppo at the time I was writing it, and thus reflects the violence and barbarism of those events; yet towards the end it does offer a glimmer of hope for humanity with a return to the Canticle (Song) of the first study, and concludes quietly with the chords and bells that began the work. The titles of the tudes are Canticle, Dance, Excentrique, and Aleppo. Like Stravinsky's, the set is relatively short, lasting around 8 minutes.The Four tudes were commissioned by Black Dyke Band and were written specially for the recording marking the conclusion of my year as Composer-in-Residence. The concert premiere will be given by Black Dyke Band, conducted by the composer, at the RNCM Festival of Brass in January 2017.- Edward GregsonDuration: 8.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£70.00
Origins - Peter Meechan
Origins is in three movements, with each movement having a different subject matter, all linked by the idea of origins: the first movement refers to musical origins; the second to the origins of life; and the final movement to the space exploration - the research of all origins. The first movement is based on a short motif, heard in the first three notes the soloist plays. These three notes cover the interval of a minor third (an interval that often plays a crucial role in my music) on which the whole concerto is built. The soloist and accompaniment interplay freely throughout the opening section, before an ostinato accompaniment appears - over which the soloist sounds a long legato melody. A short cadenza follows and a return to the opening material leads the movement to an end. The second movement, titled Harryas Song, is - as tradition dictates - a slow movement. Happy and reflective in nature, the main melody was written on the evening that my closest friend, Mark Bousie (a fine euphoniumist himself), and his wife Jayne, had their first child - Harry Bousie. It seemed only fitting that this song should be written for Harry in celebration. The final movement brings me back to a lifelong fascination with space, and in this particular movement, the Space Shuttle Discovery. Having completed 39 missions (including flying the Hubble telescope in to orbit), and spent a total of 365 days in space, SS Discovery made its final voyage in 2011 and was taken to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. in April 2012. This final movement, titled Discovery, pays tribute to the great shuttle whose missions inspired millions across the generations. Origins was commissioned by Marco Schneider, Adrian Schneider and the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Beijing, China.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£44.95Trombone Concerto (Trombone Solo with Brass Band - Score only) - Wiffin, Rob
My Trombone Concerto was commissioned by Brett Baker following an earlier piece I had written for him called Shout! It was composed in Spain in the summer of 2010. Once I started writing I realised that this concerto was inevitably going to draw on my own experiences as a trombone player. The first movement was really a matter of getting the right thematic ideas and balancing the tutti and solo passages so, for formal structure, I studied the Gordon Jacob Trombone Concerto. There is a lyrical section preceding the first Allegro that owes much in spirit (but not in the actual music) to The Eternal Quest, Ray Steadman-Allen's Salvation Army solo. The slow movement seemed determined to come out in the vein of a Richard Strauss song. I wanted to write something ineluctably 'cantabile' as we trombone players rarely get a chance to play the melody. There is a brief allusion to that wonderful moment when the trombone gets to sing above the orchestra in Sibelius' seventh symphony. Arthur Wilson, that great exponent of the singing style in trombone-playing and my teacher at college died in the summer of 2010 so it seemed appropriate to dedicate this movement to him. The last movement is the lightest of the three in style and is slightly jazz-inflected, hopefully providing some fun for the soloist. While wanting to test the instrument I did not set out with the intention of making the concerto difficult but there are undoubtedly challenges of technique, range and style to be met by the soloist.- Rob Wiffin
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£87.95
Trombone Concerto (Trombone Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
My Trombone Concerto was commissioned by Brett Baker following an earlier piece I had written for him called Shout! It was composed in Spain in the summer of 2010. Once I started writing I realised that this concerto was inevitably going to draw on my own experiences as a trombone player.The first movement was really a matter of getting the right thematic ideas and balancing the tutti and solo passages so, for formal structure, I studied the Gordon Jacob Trombone Concerto. There is a lyrical section preceding the first Allegro that owes much in spirit (but not in the actual music) to The Eternal Quest, Ray Steadman-Allen's Salvation Army solo.The slow movement seemed determined to come out in the vein of a Richard Strauss song. I wanted to write something ineluctably 'cantabile' as we trombone players rarely get a chance to play the melody. There is a brief allusion to that wonderful moment when the trombone gets to sing above the orchestra in Sibelius' seventh symphony. Arthur Wilson, that great exponent of the singing style in trombone-playing and my teacher at college died in the summer of 2010 so it seemed appropriate to dedicate this movement to him.The last movement is the lightest of the three in style and is slightly jazz-inflected, hopefully providing some fun for the soloist.While wanting to test the instrument I did not set out with the intention of making the concerto difficult but there are undoubtedly challenges of technique, range and style to be met by the soloist.- Rob Wiffin
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.51Mind Dances (Brass Band) Fendall Hill
This highly descriptive and personal work for brass band is autobiographical, and based on a seven-year period of the composer Fendall Hill's life. He comments: "...external events had severe personal consequences, and my previously self assured self woke in the early mornings, way before my body wanted. My mind would fret, regret, and attempt to fix things beyond my control or powers, carving out an anxiety-shaped hole in my soul. This piece is an exploration of the sheer range of thought processes I went through, the mind dances I would perform to either calm myself back to sleep, or somehow come to terms with my situation. So often I would get to the point of mental exhaustion after phases of semi-calm, imagined alternate realities, and sheer panic. Your mind knows there is no benefit to worrying, but that doesn't stop the flow of emotions, the fear, and the anxiety." To view a performance video of the work please visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUhy33KKCKY&t=3s PDF download includes score and parts. Sheet music available from: UK - www.brassband.co.uk USA - www.cimarronmusic.com Difficulty Level: First Section + Length: 15.00 minutes Instrumentation: Soprano Cornet Eb Solo Cornet Bb Repiano Cornet Bb 2nd Cornet Bb 3rd Cornet Bb Flugel Horn Bb Solo Horn Eb 1st Horn Eb 2nd Horn Eb 1st Baritone Bb 2nd Baritone Bb 1st Trombone Bb 2nd Trombone Bb Bass Trombone Euphonium Bb Bass Eb Bass Bb Timpani Percussion Vibraphone Marimba
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 working days
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£55.00Second Suite in F - Gustav Holst arr. Phillip Littlemore
Gustav Holst's Second Suite in F was composed in 1911, two years after the first suite, yet like his first suite it didn't receive its premiere until many years later, on 30th June 1922, at Royal Albert Hall in London and performed by band of The Military School of Music.The Suite uses English folk songs and folk dance tunes throughout. The opening march movement uses three tunes: a lively Morris Dance called Glorishears, the folk song Swansea Town and finally Cloudy Banks. The first two tunes are repeated to conclude the first movement. The second movement is a setting of I'll Love My Love, a sad story of a young maiden driven into Bedlam by grief over her lover being sent to sea by his parents to prevent their marriage. The Song of the Blacksmith follows with a lively hammer rhythms and the score actually asks for a blacksmith's anvil. The final movement is a fantasia based on the 16th Century English country-dance, The Dargason, with the Elizabethan love-song Greensleeves intertwined. This is a new brass band arrangement that has a lighter texture to that made by Sydney Herbert, restoring it to the original key of F and including sectioned omitted from the 1923 arrangement.Duration: c. 12 minutesDifficulty: 2nd Section and above
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£87.95Masquerade (Score and Parts)
The first performance took place on the 4th. September 1993 at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester during the British Open Brass Band Championships.Note by Philip Wilby:Masquerade is a centenary tribute to Verdi's last opera Falstaff and takes its final scene as the basis for my own piece. Thus I have used some of Verdi's music, and some of Shalespeare's plot, and woven them into a fabric with highly demanding music of my own to produce a work in the great tradition of operatically-based brass band pieces. Such scores date from the very beginnings of band repertory and are often not direct arrangements in the established sense but new compositions produced in homage to a past master. They may still offer performers and audience alike something familiar interwoven with something new. My own piece reuses some elements from the original story: . .Falstaff has been caught in a web of his own lies by the ladies of the town, who propose to teach him a lesson. The story opens at night in Windsor Great Park. The plotters, variously disguised in Hallowe'en fashion (as fairies,elves hobgoblins etc!) assemble in the park to await Falstaff's arrival (musicologists will, perhaps, note a rare use of 'large bottle in F' being used during this scene of suppressed alcoholic revelry!). Falstaff's companions, Bardolph,Piston and Robin, enter (represented here by the three trombones!), and are variously abused by the masqueraders. At the height of the Tout an alarm sounds and Falstaff (euphonium cadenza) enters as Midnight strikes. From a safe hiding place he watches as the disguised Nanetta (principal comet) sings a serene solo as the moon appcars above the trees. With sudden force the others seize him and drag him from his hiding place. As in the traditional game 'Blind Man's Buff', he is roughly turned seven times (a sequence of solo accelerandi) until, at last, he recognizes his assailants as his sometime friends. Far from complaining, Verdi's character concludes the opera with a good-humoured fugue on the words.... 'All the World's a Joke... Every mortal laughs at the others, But he laughs best who has the final laugh. Philip Wilby.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£44.95Masquerade (Score Only)
The first performance took place on the 4th. September 1993 at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester during the British Open Brass Band Championships.Note by Philip Wilby:Masquerade is a centenary tribute to Verdi's last opera Falstaff and takes its final scene as the basis for my own piece. Thus I have used some of Verdi's music, and some of Shalespeare's plot, and woven them into a fabric with highly demanding music of my own to produce a work in the great tradition of operatically-based brass band pieces. Such scores date from the very beginnings of band repertory and are often not direct arrangements in the established sense but new compositions produced in homage to a past master. They may still offer performers and audience alike something familiar interwoven with something new. My own piece reuses some elements from the original story: . .Falstaff has been caught in a web of his own lies by the ladies of the town, who propose to teach him a lesson. The story opens at night in Windsor Great Park. The plotters, variously disguised in Hallowe'en fashion (as fairies,elves hobgoblins etc!) assemble in the park to await Falstaff's arrival (musicologists will, perhaps, note a rare use of 'large bottle in F' being used during this scene of suppressed alcoholic revelry!). Falstaff's companions, Bardolph,Piston and Robin, enter (represented here by the three trombones!), and are variously abused by the masqueraders. At the height of the Tout an alarm sounds and Falstaff (euphonium cadenza) enters as Midnight strikes. From a safe hiding place he watches as the disguised Nanetta (principal comet) sings a serene solo as the moon appcars above the trees. With sudden force the others seize him and drag him from his hiding place. As in the traditional game 'Blind Man's Buff', he is roughly turned seven times (a sequence of solo accelerandi) until, at last, he recognizes his assailants as his sometime friends. Far from complaining, Verdi's character concludes the opera with a good-humoured fugue on the words.... 'All the World's a Joke... Every mortal laughs at the others, But he laughs best who has the final laugh. Philip Wilby.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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