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£30.00The St Louis Blues - Sandy Coffin, W C Handy
Two-Step MarchCommissioned by John Wallace, this arrangement of The St Louis Blues has been crafted by Sandy Coffin through close listening of the available recordings of the Harlem Hellfighters Band. Sandy had been heavily involved with the Historic Brass Society symposium 2017 held in New York and assisted John with his research on this fascinating band and the style of music it generated.Eye-witness accounts refer to the 369th band 'dancing' rather than 'marching'. Above all, in modern performance, finding a 'dancing beat' is crucial to a successful performance of this Ragtime march in order to do justice to the great pioneering work of James Reese Europe.Note the flutter-tonguing and use of muting, the counter-melody in soprano cornet, and the wilder and yet wilder nature of each repetition of the Chorus.Look and Listen:Background to the Harlem HellfightersThe US Army 369th Regiment, made up largely of African-Americans from New York, became known as the Harlem Hellfighters because of the heroic reputation which accrued to them during the actions they engaged in during the First World War in Europe.James Reese Europe was one of the most active African-American composer/musical directors in the pre-war American music scene. The legendary Harlem Hellfighters Band, which he assembled in 1917 from African-American and Puerto Rican musicians, came at an important transitional point in musical history. A new form of music called jazz was emerging from Ragtime and the performing style of Europe's band was immersed in the flow of this new direction.Europe's Harlem Hellfighters influenced and inspired everyone who heard them, including the welcoming crowd when they disembarked in France, bowled over by their swinging rendition of La Marseillaise. Reese Europe became a war hero, commanding a machine-gun unit as well as the band.On return from War in 1919 the band led a ticker-tape parade along Fifth Avenue in New York and soon made about 30 shellac recordings. These recordings display some of the fingerprints of their performing style: ragging, improvising, muting, wailing, smearing (their word for glissando) - and from the evidence of their recordings they took the printed page as a blueprint for individuality.In May 1919 during the Hellfighters' triumphant coast-to-coast tour after their return, James Reese Europe was tragically murdered, bringing to premature close, at the age of 39, the work of a great musical innovator.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£94.99Wigerathorp - Jan de Haan
Brass Band Gloria Dei, the group that commissioned this work, has its roots in the Frisian town of Gerkesklooster (the Netherlands), where the settlement Wigerathorp used to be. In the 13th century, a monastery was erected here, named Jeruzalem. This inspired the composer to base the work on the well-known melodious hymn Jerusalem by Sir Hubert Parry. Gercke's Overture - the monastery was built by order of landowner Gercke Harkema - is followed by a slow movement in which the founders of the monastery, The Monks of Claercamp, take shape through the Gregorian chant Veni creator spiritus. In the last movement, Monastery Jerusalem, the main theme develops in all its glory.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£42.95Day of the Spiritual - Brian Bowen
Early African-American songs contain a wealth of human expression, based on a yearning for freedom and biblical deliverance. This rhapsodic work combines Spirituals and Blues as the composer visualises a Camp Meeting where ecstatic utterances and spontaneous solo outbursts occur. These eventually become disorderly and uncontrollable, leading to a frenzy and collapse. With order and calm resorted, the music leads to an exultant conclusion. Included: I Stood on the River of Jordan - Balm in Gilead - Michael, Row the Boat Ashore - Wade in the Water.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£159.99Other Lives - Oliver Waespi
Other Lives is works perfectly for a competition but can also be programmed as concert work. The dark chords at the beginning of the piece are derived from "Der Doppelganger", one of Franz Schubert's late songs. After a short development the music begins to accelerate and find its own shape, gradually moving away from the introduction. The entire first part, "Rage", has an intensely agitated character. The ensuing "Reflection" turns back to the initial chord progression, before a series of interspersing solos explore time and space at a slower pace. After another musical surge, the music is brought close to silence and then gives way to the third part, "Redemption".Here, a widely spaced sound field contains a remote allusion to another work by Schubert "Ruckblick". After this farewell, an abstract musical transformation triggers an emotional change, as the initial motifs are now presented in their inversed form in order to create a much brighter harmonic landscape. Moreover, in the last part of the piece, "Renewal", the grim, tense atmosphere of the first part is transformed into a great energy. Other Lives was commissioned by the Valaisia Brass Band.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£179.50Fanfare and Chorale - Egil Hovland
This arrangement (or edition) for brass band will give the possibility for more performances of this fine work by Hovland. The composer, before his death, examined my work and made no suggestions for changes, and his approving comments were complimentary and encouraging. The work was originally written for Concert Band in 1966 as Op. 54a to St. Olaf College Band in the US. It was transcribed in 1967 for symphony orchestra as Op. 54b by the composer himself. The challenges in arranging the piece for brass band were mostly concerned with satisfactorily covering the upper register used by piccolo, flutes and clarinets, and while there are wonderful brass players around who have amazing high registers, I have aimed this edition at a level achievable by reasonably good brass band players who are willing to give time and effort into the proper preparation and delivery of the music. Having worked on this new edition with a top-class brass band, I think it sounds wonderful and interestingly different to the original. Besides the obvious differences of tone-colour and absent high notes, I have used in my scoring, the option for using a vibraphone in place of a celeste. Vaughan Williams, in his Variations for brass band writes for celeste, but because the instrument is quite rare, performances have been mostly given using a glockenspiel- but this, of course sounds two octaves higher than it was intended. I think that vibraphone and brass is an excellent combination and recommend it without hesitation in this piece. Every detail of articulation and dynamic has been considered, so in order to keep the integrity of the music, please do not change anything in the name of "interpretation". As Ravel says- "What is there to interpret?" Ray Farr
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£90.30Blackbird Special - Davis
Blackbird Special" is a song by American band Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The song is an entertainment piece, a good concert opener or encore. When used as a concert opener one may let the different sections of the band enter the stage one by one playing in order of appearance. Percussion section may play their parts ad lib. The most important is the groove of the piece. Please pay attention to strict articulation from bar 17. Be aware of the marcatos at 33. The last note of the slurs at 41 must be not be too short. It's important to hold the note values, especially in bars 49, 51, 53 and 55. From 57 and throughout the piece, the percussion may invite the audience to join forhandclaps. As an extra effect, the Bass Tubas may stand at 57, the Horns at 59, backrow Cornets and Trombones at 61 and Euphonium/Baritone/Solo Cornets at 63. ||||||
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£54.99Fox from the North - Jacob de Haan
As with his march Fresena, Jacob de Haan assimilated a well-known folksong from his province of birth (Friesland) into this swinging composition. Both works originate from a festival suite that he once wrote by order of this province.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£39.99
Fresena March - Jacob de Haan
Fresena is the original name for Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands, with its own language and culture. In this simple mars, Jacob the Haan used two traditional Friesian folksongs. Together with his composition Fox from the North this mars was a part of the festival suite that Jacob de Haan once wrote by order of the council of Friesland.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£104.99Kefas - Rob Goorhuis
The composition Kefas was written for the brass band 'Apollo' from Grou (The Netherlands), by order of the Unisono Foundation, the organisation for wind music in The Netherlands.The assignment was given on account of earning the Champions Title during the Dutch Brass Band Championships in the year 2001 (4th division). The theme of the composition links the tradition of the village Grou, not to celebrate Sint Nicolaas but Sint Pieter.By this typical Dutch festivity (in December) the holy Nicolaas gives presents to the children. It is a popular custom where young and old participate. Grou is the only place where this is not done by Sint Nicolaas but by Sint Pieter.Apart from that, on the 22th of Februari, a lot of festivities that take place,resemble those of the Sinterklaas celebration. In the composition two Sint Pieter songs are processed, set through bible scenes, wherein in among others the visit of Christ to the house of Peter's Mother-in-law and the calling of Peter are depicted. The title refers to the pronouncement of Christ, where he named Peter the rock on which he shall build his church. The Hebrew word for rock is Kephas. Kefas was premiered in 2003.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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£53.50Step Aside - David Well
Excuse me, may I play along? Could you step aside, please? 'Step Aside' is a pleasant competition both between two tempi and among the different parts. After a short, slow introduction it is the drummer who, without asking the questions above, sets the high pace. As soon as this rapid movement has been established, 'part 1' takes the lead, but the other parts obviously don't want to miss a thing and follow in rapid succession. At the end of the composition the various parts 'compete' in order to be able to play solo for a while, but soon others join in again, asking 'Excuse me, may I play along?'
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
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