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£60.00Suite from 49th Parallel - Ralph Vaughan Williams arr. Phillip Littlemore
Vaughan Williams was in his late sixties when an opportunity to write for the cinema materialised. He was approached by his former pupil Muir Mathieson, the director of music for the Ministry of Information, to write the score for the film 49th Parallel .The plot for 49th Parallel is set in the early part of World War II, when a German U-Boat sinks allied shipping in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then tries to evade capture by the Canadian Military by sailing up to Hudson Bay. A handful of crew disembark to look for supplies and no sooner have they reached shore when the U-Boat is spotted by the Canadian Armed Forces and sunk. Leaving the shore party stranded in Canada they have no other option but to head for the neutral United States and, as their ill-fated journey unfolds, they meet a variety of characters whom they alienate due to their reprehensible actions. They These include a pacifist in the Canadian wilds played by Leslie Howard, a Hutterite leader, and a French-Canadian fur trapper, played by Laurence Olivier. The film premiered in the UK in October 1941 and in March 1942 for the US, when it was retitled The Invaders .The brass band suite to 49th Parallel, devised by Paul Hindmarsh and arranged by Phillip Littlemore, takes the Prologue from the cinematic score as its starting point. Stretches of pastoral musical themes depict the Canadian landscape before the atmosphere is broken with a menacing rendition, albeit briefly, of the Lutheran chorale Ein Feste Burg depicting the surfacing of the German U-Boat in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This gives way to the mechanical, jaunty section Control Room Alert with its persistent drive and energy. A brief interlude of The Lake in the Mountains leads into the most recognised piece of music of from the film, the Prelude, which accompanied both the opening and closing credits, and adds a most fitting conclusion to this suite.The suite has been recorded by the Tredegar Town Band, under their musical director Ian Porthouse, on the Albion Records CD Vaughan Williams on Brass
Estimated dispatch 5-7 working days
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£144.10Tales and Myths of Gothia - Jerker Johansson
Jerker Johansson has lived in Gothenburg, on the Swedish West Coast, since 1984, and is deeply interested in the history of the country. Gothia is the most southern part of Sweden, and Gothenburg, which was founded in 1621, is since many years an important centre for trade and shipping. Old paintings of the harbour with its gigantic sailing ships gave impulse to the heroic character of the piece. The opening fanfare is followed by a lively allegro, which eventually leads to a calm section, containing reminiscences of the fanfare. The cornets introduce a cantabile theme, and a dance reminding of the Renaissance precede a recapitulation of the allegro theme. Tales and Myths of Gothia was originally composed for concert band in 2017. The brass band version was premiered on 26 April 2019 during Oslo Brass festival by Uffes Blas Brassband, conducted by Andreas Kratz.
Estimated dispatch 5-14 working days