Results
-
£57.50Aria - Philip Sparke
Aria was commissioned by and written for the remarkable Tenor Horn player, Sheona White. The work opens with an accompanied recitative, which leads to a change of key where the main melody is presented. This, in turn, serves as an introduction to another melodic idea, marked calmato. The band takes up this theme and then takes centre stage with a passionate repeat of the main theme, which is completed by the soloist. A Cornet then plays the calmato theme against which the soloist plays a counter melody. This leads to a return of the opening recitative which brings the work to a peaceful close. A fantastic new addition to the solo repertoire for this much neglectedsolo instrument.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£68.99The Green Hills of Tyrol (Euphonium Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
The Green Hills of Tyrol was commissioned by Jrena and Beat Knusel for their son, Swiss euphonium player Joel Knusel, to celebrate his 20th birthday in 2019. The request was for a piece suitable for use in a solo competition, possibly using a Scottish or Irish melody, and composer Philip Sparke suggested an old-fashioned air varie might be a suitable idea. The piece follows the well-established formula of a theme followed by four variations. The history of the original melody is fascinating and, although it is now well-known as a bagpipe tune, its background is Austrian or Italian, rather than Scottish. The tune appears as a chorus of Swiss soldiers in Rossini's 1829 opera William Tell but was possibly an existing Tyrolean folk tune. In 1854, during the Crimean War, Pipe Major John MacLeod of the 93rd Highlanders heard a band of the Sardinian contingent playing selections from the opera in camp before the Siege of Sebastopol. He was struck by the melody and arranged it for his pipers, calling it The Green Hills of Tyrol, referring to Tell's visit to that corner of Austria in the opera. It has since become universally popular among pipe bands who usually refer to it as A Scottish Soldier, following the addition of new lyrics in a 1961 hit by Andy Stewart.Duration: 5.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£87.99Sunday in the Park (Tenor Horn Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
Sunday in the Park was written for tenor horn virtuoso Sheona White, and commissioned by her partner, Matt Wade, as a Christmas present. Composer Philip Sparke had known and admired Sheona's playing for many years, having produced her first solo CD and written pieces for her previously. Both composer and performer are huge fans of the late Karen Carpenter, Sheona in part modelling her sound on the singer's sultry voice; so it was decided that this new solo would be a piece which, whilst not being a 'Carpenters' pastiche, paid tribute to their relaxed style and rich harmonic language. Sunday in the Park opens with an accompanied cadenza for the soloist, which leads to a gentle rhythmic melody with a laid-back feel. This is taken up by the band but the soloist sparks a change of mood by introducing a faster light rock interlude. This reaches a climax, at which point the music unwinds until the original mood returns. A variation on the original melody leads to a short cadenza from the soloist, which brings the work to a peaceful close.Duration: 7:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£57.50Almshouse Street Blues (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
In 2007 Philip Sparke was appointed composer-in-residence to Monmouth School, situated on the Welsh/English border. The school, which has a venerable history dating back to 1614, has a thriving music department which boasts two concert bands, in co-operation with the nearby Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls, and a brass band.This exciting and innovative appointment involved three visits by the composer during the year as well as the commissioning of a new piece for each of the bands, all of which were premiered in a concert at the end of the year.Almshouse Street Blues was written for the brass band, whose members were allowed to vote for which type of piece they would get! Monmouth School is based in Almshouse Street and the town has a thriving summer festival which, alongside blues bands, features a wide variety of music including jazz, soul, rock and bangra.Duration: 4.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£164.99Raveling Unraveling - Philip Sparke
Winning Performance EBBC Lille 2016 Raveling, Unraveling In Search of 'La Valse' was written for the Cory Band as their own-choice test piece for the 2016 European Brass Band Championships in Lille. The piece found its genesis in Sparke's The Unknown Journey (2014) for concert band, and the use of Ravel's La Valse as a structural undercurrent to the original piece is an act of reverence. Sparke's aim was to produce a work that is organic rather than episodic in nature. The composer's view is that little in music does this better than La Valse and for this reason he uses various sections of this masterpiece, both manipulated and quoted verbatim (including much of itsstunningclosing passages) to provide the overall geography of his new work. As the music progresses, more of the Ravel appears, surfacing completely as the piece reaches its climax - a gesture of homage to the French master.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days
-
£91.99Pulcinella (Euphonium Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
Pulcinella was commissioned by the Taiwanese euphonium player Tzu-Hsiang Lin. Lin is a renowned soloist and teacher and a Besson Euphonium Artist. He teaches euphonium at Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan University of Arts, Shih Chien University and National Kaohsiung Normal University. Lin gave the premiere of Pulcinella in both its concert band and brass band versions in January 2021. Pulcinella continues Sparke's series of euphonium solos named after characters of the Italian commedia dell'arte and opens with a long and expressive minor melody for the soloist over a brooding accompaniment. This is taken up briefly by the full band and is extended by the soloist after a change of key. A cadenza, accompanied by fragments of the main melody leads to a complete change of mood, tempo and tonality, introducing a Vivo section starting with a perky syncopated tune for the soloist. The band then uses elements of this new tune to introduce a change of key, where the soloist introduces a more lyrical second subject over a pulsing accompaniment. The band then takes this up and changes key to reintroduce the original Vivo melody, which leads to a short and acrobatic coda to bring the work to a spectacular close. Duration: 6.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£57.50The Conqueror (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
This fantastic contest march was composed for the Alexander Brass Band from Stavanger, Norway, who wanted a brand new march to play when they took part in the world-renowned Whit Friday March Contest. In the march Philip Sparke has followed the traditional brass band contest march format and it is named as a tribute to Alexander the Great, rather than the Alexander brass band, who were actually named after their local pub!Duration: 3:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£57.50Ukrainian Bell Carol (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Leontovych, Mykola Dmytrovich - Sparke, Philip
The Ukrainian Bell Carol is part of a large choral work entitled Shchedryk by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych (1877-1921). The tune is an adaptation of an old 'shchedrivka', a song traditionally sung on Ukrainian New Year's Eve (January 13th) which hopes for good fortune in the year to come. The tune has since been the inspiration for at least four different Christmas carols, of which Carol of the Bells is the most famous. Philip Sparke has sourced the original Ukrainian melody to create this stirring arrangement.Duration: 3:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£87.99An English Christmas (Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
Christmas as celebrated in England is a relatively new tradition dating from the time of Queen Victoria. Her husband Prince Albert was from Germany and he brought many German Christmas traditions with him, including the Christmas tree and Christmas cards, and even carols such as Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. Philip Sparke has however used a varied selection of English melodies to arrange into his Festival of Carols.The choir parts are seperately available (order no. AMP 227-050 or AMP 227-250 for a single copy).Duration: 9:30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
-
£87.99Moon Song, Sun Dance (Flugel Horn Solo with Brass Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
Moon Song, Sun Dance was commissioned by flugel horn virtuoso, Claude Romailler, and premiered by him at the Swiss National Solo and Quartet Championships in April 2012. As the title implies, the work is in two contrasting movements, which can be performed separately or together. Moon Song opens with a flowing modal theme, which the soloist embellishes before the band takes centre stage. A central section brightens the mood with a new melody over the lightest of accompaniments; this is once again developed by the soloist until the original theme reappears, played by the band. This introduces a cadenza for the soloist which either closes the movement, or can be extended to link directly to the second movement. Sun Dance is a vivace 6/8 scherzo which opens with a flourish from the band. The soloist then introduces the main theme, which in turn is taken up by the band. A short bridge passage heralds a change of key and a new melody from the soloist. A brief central interlude then introduces a change of meter and recalls the main melody of Moon Song, before a recapitulation leads to a florid coda, which brings the work to a close.Duration: 8:45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
View Music