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Renaissance of Wonder - Peter Meechan
Renaissance of Wonder is a work for solo trumpet and ensemble (consisting of orchestral winds and brass, percussion, piano, ??cello and double bass) commissioned by Ryan Anthony, Gary Ciepluch and the Case Western Reserve University and a consortium of 11 other ensembles and individuals: Gary Ciepluch, OH, Vince DiMartino, KY, Birch Browning, Cleveland State University, OH, Dr. Brendan Caldwell??" Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, OH, William Ciabattari, Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA, John Climer, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI, Dr. Jay Gilbert, Doane University: Crete, NE, Galen S. Karriker, University of Akron, OH, Matthew Salvaggio, Hiram College, OH, Frank Tracz, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, David A. Turrill, Muskingum University, OH.Ryan Anthony??s battle with Multiple Myeloma has inspired all who have encountered him. The inspiration comes not only from his own, personal, courageous battle with cancer, but through his wider vision of the world he lives in; setting up The Ryan Anthony Foundation that supports his CancerBlows events (which in turn raises money that is donated for improved Cancer treatment and research for all); creating a legacy of music through concerts, recordings and the commissioning of new music for trumpet; or through something as simple, yet strikingly powerful, as his Foundation??s tag line ??Music = Hope.When first conceiving the composition, I instinctively was drawn to Ryan??s ability to make melodic, lyrical, music sing in such a special way, and so the idea of a piece that had its foundation in words, a set of songs based on text, became a natural basis for the work.As we spoke more about the piece, Ryan mentioned the many quotes, words, poems and thoughts that had provided moments of inspiration and solace, which he sent through to me. As I read them certain themes became apparent: steely determination and drive, love of life and family, dreams and hope: no matter what adversity, no matter the pain, there was always a greater goal, a bigger picture. These ideas - especially the idea of a dream - became, almost through necessity, part of the piece.Several of the quotes stood out. Some for me personally, some because they seemed to represent and embody Ryan and all that he is. One such quote (from Merrill Root) became the title:We need a renaissance of Wonder. We need to renew, in our hearts and in our souls, the deathless dream, the eternal poetry, the perennial sense that life is a miracle and magic.From our early conversations, I knew that I wanted the Dylan Thomas poem ??Do not go gentle? to be part of this piece. I have always read the poem differently to how it is traditionally interpreted - to me it has always been a lesson about life, and how it should be lived with purpose, making the most of every minute. The work opens up with an unaccompanied setting of the first stanza of the Thomas poem:Do not go gentle into that good night,Old age should burn and rage at close of day;Rage, rage against the dying of the light.As a motor racing fan, another quote Ryan sent me stood out. Mario Andretti??s quote ??If everything seems under control, you??re not going fast enough?. The music in this second section ??you??re not going fast enough? strives to use some of that energy, and embody the spirit of Andretti??s words ??" to live on the edge, as that??s where life ??" and music ??" live also.The third section of the piece, ??Hymn: Dreamers of dreams, makers of music? was written (and titled) not only for Ryan, but for his family. Their dream was their family, and of all the families he could have been born in to, it was a family of musicians. Through the Salvation Army Band heritage and church, Ryan would play hymns - and whilst not a traditional hymn, this section pays homage to his beginnings as a trumpet player, and his beginnings in life, as well as his time in Canadian Brass with a setting of the verse for brass quintet.The title has its origins in the Arthur O'Shaughnessy poem ??Ode? - but I first came across the opening lines (??We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams?) as a child reading the Roald Dahl book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl encompasses everything positive about life, and makes children all over the world believe that anything is possible. Nothing seemed more appropriate for this piece.The fourth passage (Rave at the close of day) recaps the poem and music from the opening, leading to the final section, a dream sequence titled ??The deathless dream? (taken from the ??renaissance of wonder? quotation). By their very nature dreams are deathless, and in its own way that makes dreams more important than life itself. We all dream, we were all someone??s dream, and long after we have all departed this earth, dreams will continue to bring ambition, happiness and - most importantly - hope.Renaissance of Wonder is dedicated to Ryan Anthony, in friendship, inspiration, and wonderment.Pete Meechan, May 2016.
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£57.95An October Sky (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Milner, Barry
Inspired by an October afternoon when the sun had not yet lost its warmth, this piece is an attempt to recreate that moment---being thankful for all we are given, appreciating the beauty around us, and reflecting upon the importance of family and those we love.
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Fragile Oasis - Peter Meechan
Fragile Oasis is the name of a collective who describe themselves as ???a grass-roots participatory initiative that connects the shared perspective of astronauts from different countries and cultures with people on Earth, encouraging all to work together so that our planet is not only visibly beautiful, but beautiful for all?.Many involved in the project are astronauts on the International Space Station (I.S.S.), who post, on their website (http://www.fragileoasis.org) many different details of their experiments, photos from space, and some incredible video footage of our Earth.One such time lapse video (a video made up many still images) was posted on their website by astronaut Ron Garan (http://www.fragileoasis.org/blog/2011/11/coming-back-down-to-our-fragile-oasis-2/) in 2011. It is made up of images taken from the I.S.S. of what Garan described as ???a couple of laps around our Fragile Oasis before coming back down [to Earth]? and features all kinds of amazing views from space.Each of the five sections of this work relate to an aspect of the video - either something literal or something more metaphorical. The opening section, i: The lights from Above, is a musical description of the view of the Aurora Australis from above the lights. The second section, ii: The Storm from Above (part i), is also a musical portrayal of portions of the video clip - in this case the many lightning storms we see from above. The storms that are so powerful on Earth appear as small bolts of electricity dancing through the clouds.The third section, iii: Freya, has its roots in personal family tragedy. The name Freya derives from a Norse goddess who was associated with both beauty and love, and in this central section I wanted to write music that not only acknowledged how fragile life itself is, but that every day of it counts and should be celebrated.iv: The Storm from Above (part ii) is a again a reference to the lightning storms, but also to the huge hurricanes we see in the video. It leads us to the final section, v: The Oasis from Above - a description of the size and grandeur of Earth, our Fragile Oasis.Fragile Oasis is dedicated to Natalie Youson, in friendship.The original wind orchestra scoring was completed in 2014, and was revised in 2017 with the editorial advice of Robert Ambrose whose support of this work I am eternally grateful for.This wind orchestra scoring was completed in 2014 and was commissioned by a consortium of the following bands:Agrupacin Msico-Cultural "Las Musas" de Guadalupe (Murcia) - Dr. Jos Ibez Barrachina - SpainBand of the Coldstream Guards - Major Darren Wolfendale - UKBorge Musikkorps - Sverre Stakston Olsrud - NorwayThe Brooklyn Wind Symphony - Jeff W. Ball, Artistic Director - USADunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra - Adrian Schneider - ChinaKoninklijke harmonie Ste. Cecilia Zele - Bart Picqueur - BelgiumMusikgesellschaft Emmen - Manuel Imhof - SwitzerlandUniversity of Saskatchewan Wind Orchestra - Dr. Darrin Oehlerking - Canada
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£147.99
Fantasia Per La Vita E La Morte - Bert Appermont
The mystique surrounding life and death formed the starting point of this composition. I wanted to write a work without a story, mixed up in a kind of musical quest for a new world of sound, original rhythm sequences, melodies filled with suspenseand distinct orchestral tones.The indirect cause was the birth of my first child which took place during this time, followed by the death of a close family member. At such a moment you experience just how close life and death are to each other, anddespite one being the antithesis of the other, they are incredibly similar. Both radical events are passages into new worlds and have great emotional impact. Moreover, the work was commissioned by "New Life", an orchestra that lost one of itsmusician in a plane crash, which also led me to believe that this approach would be appropriate.I would prefer not to comment on which passages in the composition concern life (birth) and which refer to death. It seems to me that it is moreinteresting to question traditional conceptions and leave it open for the listener. If you think that a passage is about birth, and this idea then shifts, it is this that raises fascinating questions, on both a musical and metaphysical level.Music isin an indirect but incredibly persuasive way in which to express the endless striving and seeking of mankind. Music can even touch eternity, as it were, and give us the feeling that we can transcend death. This endless search (and also longing) canbe heard throughout the work; as much in the sound fields and accent shifts in the first part as in the enormous tension curves and compelling themes of the second part. The semi-tone functions in this way as a guide or something to hold on to,running through the whole work and upon which much of the musical material is based. Traces of profound love resound with quiet simplicity in the slow section's melodious solos, after which the work contemplates life and death one last time, musesupon joy and sadness, on the possibilities and limitations of people and on the why of all things.I would like to dedicate this work to my dearest daughter Paulientje, to Meterke and to Johan de Jong of the "New Life" orchestra. May it fare themwell, here or in another dimension...
Estimated delivery 10-12 days
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£150.00A Child's Garden of Verses (Soprano Solo with Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Jager, Robert - Noble, Paul
A Child's Garden of Verses has a very special meaning for me. Bob Jager, a family friend, was visiting in our home, and my wife, Mitzi Noble, a soprano soloist, was singing to his children. Bob's two young children became so enthralled with the music that Bob wanted to capture that moment. So he composed this piece for Mitzi, and dedicated it to his children, Kathleen and Matthew. The text is from Robert Louis Stevenson's poems: I. Happy Thought; II. The Wind; III. The Land of Counterpane; IV. From a Railway Carriage; V. Escape at Bedtime. Bob writes: The ideal performance instrumentation would be one on a part. If a larger group is used the balance should be kept proportional. In a few places the terms Solo or One are used where the sonority is critical, and this should be strictly followed. Above all, the singer should never feel forced by the ensemble. This work was composed in 1972, and was never published. I am pleased that Bob has allowed me now to publish it under Noble Music Publications, so that it may be available for others to perform and enjoy. Mitzi writes: Although we did not have access at the time, the ideal performance would be with a throat mic so that the soloist is free to move around the stage and sing, as though singing and relating to children sitting on the front row.
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