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£25.95Hymn for Africa - Peter Meechan
Part of the Brass Band Aid SeriesBrass Band Aid is a Charitable Organisation formed by members of Stanhope Silver Band, based in the North of England. From an original aim to raise awareness of the Make Poverty History campaign in their local area, a brass band CD recording was planned. The initiative took on a whole new dimension when the collection of local bands performing on CD were then joined by, what is now known as, The Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band, made up of many of the top brass musicians in the country.Following the success of this initial project the Celebrity Band has come together again to record a new CD - "Into Africa". This is a compilation of pieces especially written for the recording by some of the most esteemed brass band writers of today. 'Hymn for Africa' is one such piece, generously contributed by Peter Meechan in support of the ongoing work of the charity."Hymn for Africa is inspired by the the release of Nelson Mandela in the early 1990's and the effect it had upon not only South Africa, but all over the continent of Africa, as well as the World as a whole. The fact that one man can achieve this with peace and great dignity will always be an inspiration, not only to me, but many, many millions of humans around the globe.sense of dignity and peace the composer . A simple 8 bar melody, first heard on an unaccompanied flugel horn at the beginning, is the basis of the composition. A drone is then added, before a chorale, and finally a rousing climax when the percussion and full band enter. The piece ends at it began, with a peaceful, unaccompanied, flugel solo." (Peter Meechan).All sets sold raise money for Brass Band Aid - a charity The Music Company has continued to actively support since 25.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00Janacek's 'Taras Bulba' - Janacek
Comments from Tim Paton, the arranger of Janacek's 'Taras Bulba': "I will never forget the day in 1967 when I was introduced to the music of Leos Janacek, a Czech composer born in 1854, who died in 1928. Janacek was little known in Britain until the 1960's, when the conductor Charles Macherras introduced his unique music. I heard a recording of Macherras conducting the Pro Arte Orchestra in a performance of Janacek's "Sinfonietta".It was in 1969 that I first heard Janacek's Symphonic Rhapsody, "Taras Bulba".Janacek's music is exciting, powerful, emotive, impassioned and unpredictable.I have taken the first and third movements of this piece, and adapted them for Brass Band, which was at times extremely difficult, but rewarding. It sometimes took up to an hour to be satisfied that a mere several bars had been reproduced to convey the composer's intentions.The Death of AndriThe Cossaks, under the leadership of Taras Bulba, are fighting against the Poles in the 17th century. Taras's son Andri seeks to rescue his love, a Polish princess, from a city which is being besieged by the Cossaks. Having found her, he throws in his lot with the Poles, but is finally captured by his father, who executes him as a traitor before riding off again to battle.Prophesy and Death of Taras BulbaTaras himself is finally captured and condemned to be nailed to a tree and burned alive. As the flames creep around him, Taras has the satisfaction of seeing histroops escape, and as he dies, sees a vision of his country freed at last.This is incredibly descriptive music. The mood is constantly changing, creating feelings of love and anger, celebration and melancholy, despair and triumph.This Brass Band EditionThe duration of the original symphonic rhapsody, three movements, is approximately 23 minutes. I chose the first and third movements, so the Brass Band edition is approximately 14 minutes. The main reason is twofold: Being realistic about the demands this music would place on the stamina of the brass player; Keeping the piece less than 15 minutes, so that, if desired, it could be used on the contest platform.Two unique qualities of Janacek's music had to be taken into account when preparing this brass band version. His compositional technique was individual, at times not sticking to traditional expectations, in both form and orchestration. I imagined what the genius himself would have said looking at my work, and how to tackle a particular section to emulate his original intentions. This was particularly the case when dealing with high woodwind and violin parts, the use of tremolo in string parts, and the orchestral harp.Percussion: Janacek included timpani, side drum, cymbals, triangle and tubular bells. For reasons stated previously, I have also included xylophone and glockenspiel. I have also added the gong in a couple of places to enhance the dramatic effect of the music.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00Journey Home - Lucy Pankhurst
Written for the Euphonium player of the Wingates Band by Lucy Pankhurst, this solo offers a wonderful variety of music all wrapped up in one piece.Starting with a hymnal melody with beautiful, building harmonies and incorporating some great techniques for added effect, the euphonium then moves into a more rhythmic element, which is brilliantly echoed throughout the band.Unusual and unexpected sounds and rhythms all combine to make this a a must for the euphonium player's repertoire collection!
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£15.00Jupiter from the Planet Suite - Holst
Programme notes:The hauntingly beautiful theme from Jupiter, from The Planets Suite has a rare qualityexpressing both optimism and dignity which makes it a popular choice for many formalpublic events such as opening and award ceremonies.The tune is originally found in the Jupiter movement from the large-scale work fororchestra called 'The Planets Suite'. Written by the English composer Gustav Holt ThePlanets Suite is thought to be his finest work.The theme has a steady 3/4 rhythm which provides a contrast in terms of tempo andmeter to the rest of the movement, and has been made popular as a patriotic song called'I vow to Thee My Country'.Performance notes:This arrangement makes use of a gradual increase in dynamics, beginning p and ending ff.With this gradual increase in dynamics is a gradual increase in the scoring starting offwith only the lower instruments playing p and ending up with everyone playing ff.The percussion part is very minimal in this arrangement (only 2 notes for the suspendedcymbal) and is an optional part.Just before the final chord there is a cut off marked in the parts. This may be a newconcept for some inexperienced players so it should be fully explained by the conductor.The Flexi-Collection ApproachFlexible scoring tailored to your needs - A perfect solution for expanding the repertoire of training and junior brass bands. The Flexi-Collection currently offers two series - Popular Classics and World Tour. Based on four-part harmony, these collections provide groups with the advantage of complete flexibility when they may not be balanced. If players or instruments are missing, the show can still go on!The Flexi-Collection - Popular Classics Series, encapsulates all that is great about the wonderful range of musical styles produced by Holst, Elgar, Handel, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Bizet and Parry.The thoughtful scoring and arranging by Andrew Duncan now means that groups of all abilities have access to a truly flexible set of music for their needs. With world parts, rudimentary theory, terminology translations and large format typesetting, The Flexi-Collection ticks all the boxes when it comes to bringing interesting music to the training and junior band/brass group environment.Available individually or as part of the money-saving Flexi-Collection Popular ClassicsAlbum.Scored for Brass Band and supplied with additional Easy Bb, Easy Eb and world parts - The Flexi-Collection offers flexibility in every sense of the word.
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00
My Little Welsh Home - Traditional
A beautiful arrangement by Tim Paton of a Welsh song by W S Gwynne Williams. Created in memory of his mother, Tim has produced a wonderful version for brass band and has also included an optional vocal solo or unison choir line.Comments from the arranger:I have arranged [My Little Welsh Home] in memory of my mother. [She] was born, Doreen Davies, on 27th November 1918, in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, a small town in South West Wales. She had a beautiful voice, and met my father, Bill Paton, during World War II, whilst she was singing in a troop concert at the County Theatre in her home town, and my father was the MC.Throughout her life, my mother and father entertained, and she was singing right up until the final months of her life. She spent many years in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, a seaside town in South West England, and it was here that she passed away on 20th September 2004. During the last several months of her life, she often referred to the song My Little Welsh Home:Here are the words.I am dreaming of the mountains of my homeOf the mountains where in childhood I would roamI have dwelt 'neath southern skiesWhere the summer never diesBut my heart is in the mountains of my homeI can see the little homestead on the hillI can hear the magic music of the RhyllThere is nothing to compareWith the love that once was thereIn the lonely little homestead on the hillI can see the quiet churchyard down belowWhere the mountain breezes wander to and froAnd when God my soul will keepIt is there I want to sleepWith those dear old folks that loved me long agoLooking at the words, I can see why it meant so much to her. Haverfordwest is at the foot of the Preseli Mountains, and her home and church were at the top of a hill. My mothers' ashes were taken back to her own little Welsh home, and laid to rest in the grounds of the church where she had been Christened, Confirmed and Married.Look and Listen (Score-reading digital sound-sample):
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£35.00
One Small Step
Commissioned by The Flowers Band, helping to lead them to their 'Most Entertaining Band' award-winning performance at the 2013 Butlins Mineworkers Brass Band contest, the piece has also just received the 'Best New Composition' award at the 2013 West Lothian Festival of Brass with its performance by The Co-operative Funeralcare Band.Emotive and programmatic in its content, it is an ideal concert feature and, as displayed by its commissioners and award-winning performances, perfect for entertainment contests; opening up opportunities to incorporate multi-media snippets of the associated Presidential speeches and video footage of the historic moment it depicts.
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£30.00
Pioneers
The 19th Century was a time of great pioneering spirit, where developments in industry, and transport were to begin a process, which was to transform societies around the world beyond recognition.In the vast, so-called "New World" of America these changes were exemplified as the railways spread out to reach hitherto remote and largely unexplored expanses.Steve Robson has composed Pioneers as a three movement piece for brass band (also available for brass and percussion ensemble), written in the spirit of John Philip Sousa (1854 - 1932), Stephen Foster (1826 - 1864) and Scott Joplin (1868 - 1917).The three movements consist of:March - The US Marine Band (1880)Spiritual - I'm Lookin' Up To HeavenRagtime - Canonball Rag
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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£30.00
Presley In Mind 2
"Love me Tender""Wooden Heart""Suspicious Minds"Owing to the resounding success with both bands and audiences, and following several requests, I have produced this second medley. After the introduction, Love me Tender begins as a Flugel solo. When we go into Wooden Heart, it is the turn of the Horn to play it as a solo first time through. Suspicious Minds starts as a solo for Euphonium. The slow section is a Trombone solo, before it speeds up again for a Las Vegas style ending. "All these pieces are attractive and fun and would fit into an entertainment programme". Rodney Newton
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£40.00
Reflections of Freedom - Andrew Duncan
Reflections of Freedom depicts the emotions and feelings of the many migrant farmers who left 19th Century Scotland to set up home and begin a new life in the 'New World'. In particular, the joys experienced on the reaping of their first harvest.Use is made of the American folk tune, Bringing in the Sheaves. Written for the US Army Brass Band in Washington DC and premiered by them in 1997.'Reflections of Freedom' was the title track on the Whitburn Band CD of the same name, recorded in 24.
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£30.00
Rhapsody - Tim Paton
Composer, Tim Paton comments: Rhapsody began life in 1971, as Rhapsody in three movements. It was originally written for wind and brass octet with timpani, and was performed at the Royal Manchester College of Music (soon to become the RNCM) in 1972.Ten years later, it was expanded into a piece for wind band. In 22, I decided to make another major revision, and create a lower section test piece for brass band. I removed the middle movement, and published it as a "Romance" for brass band. I composed a link between what had initially been the outer movements, and renamed the piece Rhapsody".The link is inspired by the minimalist music of Philip Glass. In the lead up to the grand finale of the Rhapsody, I have used an accompanyingmotif/obligato which is directly inspired by a passage in the final movement of Janacek's "Sinfonietta".
In Stock: Estimated dispatch 3-5 working days
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