Results
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£66.95Confidence - Douglas E. Wagner
Confidence, by Douglas E. Wagner, is a bold, uplifting work that opens with a dramatic fanfare before transitioning into animated rhythms and contemporary harmonies that inspire confidence to face the future. The music instills courage and determination to accomplish dreams, rising each day with hope and positivity. (2:15)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£159.99From Ashes to Glory - Otto M. Schwarz
Good times and bad times - we often picture them in shades of either somber black and white or vibrant color. Beautiful landscapes, tranquil villages, places brimming with peace and harmony - yet, in an instant, they can fall prey to the flames. Joy sinks into sorrow, but with every end comes a new beginning. From the ashes, something new arises, like a phoenix reborn. This has always been the way, the eternal circle of life that envelops our world.Imagine a serene landscape nestled in the mountains. Cows graze peacefully on alpine pastures, the sky stretches endlessly in a deep blue, and the warm spring sun casts its golden glow over the earth. From a hillside, we gaze down upon the village below, where quiet and peace reign. It is a place that carries the breath of time within its essence.But then, as if in a dream, the colors fade. Black and white take the stage, and we find ourselves transported 80 years into the past: it is April 20, 1943. The shadows of World War II have reached even St. Jakob am Arlberg. The swastika flag hangs heavily over the village square, while many of the village's men are away, serving on the front lines.On this day, Adolf Hitler's birthday, tragedy unfolds. A fire ignites - small at first, but fed by wind and timber, it grows into an unstoppable inferno. The flames hungrily consume house after house, and finally, they reach the village's beating heart: the church. Alarms echo through the streets, panic spreads like the fire itself, and the villagers fight desperately against the searing heat. Yet, despite their efforts, the steeple, which once rang out time for the village, collapses, and the church burns to its very foundations.The village is wounded, its people left amidst the ruins of their lives. But amid the ashes and despair, the true strength of the community emerges. Shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, they come together to rebuild what seemed irretrievably lost.Gradually, color returns to the images. The wounds begin to heal, tears dry, and life blooms anew. The village rises again, radiant with hope and the resilience born from its darkest hours.For this is the cycle of life: from pain grows strength, and from the ashes of the past, the future is born - again and again.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£204.00The Light of Resistance - Franco Cesarini
Franco Cesarini was commissioned to write The Light of Resistance by the Filarmonica di Villadossola APS (Piedmont, Italy) for its 125th anniversary. The Villadossola revolt was an uprising that took place in November 1943 in the homonymous municipality during World War II. The partisans, with the support of local workers, managed to temporarily liberate the town from nazi-fascist forces. It was one of the first acts of armed resistance against the German occupation in Italy but was harshly repressed by nazi-fascist troops who regained control of the territory. Although it was suppressed, the uprising remained a symbol of courage and determination.The slow introduction of the composition creates an atmosphere of latent tension, which gradually intensifies until it explodes in a rapid movement, symbolizing the struggle. Two contrasting musical themes collide, embodying the conflict between opposing forces. In the central section, a prayer rises delicately, then evolves into a heroic parade celebrating the temporary triumph of the revolt. However, this victory is fleeting; dissonant harmonies interrupt the scene, representing the brutal repression of the insurrection. In the finale, the heroic theme reemerges, evoking sacrifice as a spark of unshakeable hope. A moment of contemplation closes the composition, honouring the lives broken and reaffirming hope for a future of peace and regained freedom.The premiere of The Light of Resistance took place on 30th March, 2025 in Villadossola, performed by the Filarmonica di Villadossola, Franco Cesarini conductor.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£84.99Variations on a Theme by Elgar - Árpád Balázs
In rpd Balzs's diverse and varied oeuvre, works for wind orchestra play a prominent role alongside choral music. He composed the Elgar Variations in 2022 on the theme of one of Edward Elgar's (1857-1934) short early works (Love's Greetings, 1888). As rpd Balzs writes ''The theme I used as the starting point for my work may already be considered a variation, since I 'peeled off' the dense ornamentation and the tonicisations from it, and what remained was the melody, beautiful in its own place. What come back from time to time from the theme in the variations are: the arched structure, the double peak point, and mostly the major sixth leaping downwards, then upwards. The modest, transparent orchestration, which then is amplified at the repetition of the theme is also a defining feature. There is a personal family secret hidden in the third variation: a late compliment to a loyal spouse for the past half century... The closing variation is calm and quiet - similarly to the chorale-like slow movement in Bla Bartk's 3rd Piano Concerto. It is like a message from an old composer to the Future.'' The Elgar Variations together with the Concertino (1992, Z. 14909) and the Rhapsody (2015-2021, Z. 15167) form an ambitious, emotionally wide-range trilogy for a concert band.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£211.80Karneval i Paris - Johan S. Svendsen
Johan Svendsen (1840-1911) composed "Carnival in Paris" in 1872, inspired by the energy and vibrancy of the Parisian carnival celebrations. The piece showcases a variety of moods and orchestral colours, ranging from jubilant and playful sections to more lyrical and elegant passages. It is a lively and colourful work that reflects Svendsen's skill in orchestration and his ability to capture vivid, festive atmospheres in music. In "Carnival in Paris", his Nordic musical roots meet the cosmopolitan influences he encountered while living and working in major European cities. The work has become one of Svendsen's most popular and is frequently performed in concert halls and festivals. About My Transcriptions for Wind Bands Ever since I started playing the clarinet at 8 or 9 years old in the school band "Blveisene" in my hometown of Gjvik, playing transcriptions of orchestral music has been a natural part of the repertoire. In regional bands, Norway's National Youth Band, and during my 10 years in a Military band, I played many such transcriptions. These transcriptions often included handwritten parts, masterfully crafted by colleagues in a time when music notation software didn't exist. Similarly, the scores were often incomplete, typically featuring just a solo clarinet part and condensed score in Bb. The transcriptions also contained parts for instruments like the Eb cornet and multiple tenor horns, but no saxophones, which made them less suitable for modern wind bands. The rise of many skilled Concert Bands and the increasing demands for scores and accessibility made me realize that someone needed to preserve this tradition. The reason I've transcribed these works is to ensure that you can play or conduct a repertoire that I believe has a rightful place in Norwegian Wind Band tradition. These transcriptions are my contribution to preserving some of the unique works in Norwegian music literature. Creating a transcription is a complex task, and I believe the score of "Carnival in Paris" is one of the most intricate I've undertaken. The first part of the process involves entering the entire orchestral score into music notation software. This is time-consuming and requires meticulous work. The next step is to check several editions to see if there are any discrepancies. Mistakes are often found in orchestral material, which can lead to further errors in the transcription. After that, I listen to many different recordings while following along with the score, paying attention to how different conductors emphasize balance and timbre. Gradually, I begin to note down passages I believe will work well for wind bands. One particular challenge in this piece is that the woodwinds and strings operate in the same register. In the original, the tonal difference between the strings and winds helps to clarify the individual musical lines. In the transcription, I've tried to address this by separating the lines, for example through octave adjustments, and highlighting them without compromising other aspects. I've also used some mallet percussion to broaden the tonal palette. There are countless decisions to be made to create a product that will hopefully allow future generations of wind band musicians to play this repertoire. - Stig Nordhagen -
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£142.90Cantina Band - John Williams
Cantina Band (or Mad About Me) was written by John Williams in 1977 for the film Star Wars (later Star Wars IV: A New Hope). Even with quite a bit of the Star Wars music being quite well known, Cantina Band is literally in a style of its own. In the Star Wars-universe this style is called jizz, Williams' take on the more well-known genre jazz. Williams was tasked by Star Wars-creator George Lucas to make music that sounded like several creatures in a future century finding some 1930's Benny Goodman swing band music ... and how they might attempt to interpret it and ended up with Cantina Band #1 and #2. Both numbers are played in the legendary scene taking place in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina where Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi gets in a fight causing even the band to stop playing.The band, which goes by the name Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, comes from the planet Clak'dor VII and specializes in jizz and the nearby, slightly older style of jatz. Performers of this music often go by the name "jizz-wailers", and the Bith people from Clak'dor VII are especially well suited for jizz-wailing since they can hold every note as long as they want thanks to a unique respiratory system - something many perhaps would like to be able to do in the performance of this arrangement as well.The arrangement is relatively faithful to Williams' original version, but with a somewhat different ending. Although the woodwind section undoubtedly has the biggest technical challenges, an understanding of the musical style is the very key to making the arrangement sound good - and here all groups must work together. Playing lightly but quite articulated, and very precise, will be an absolute necessity to get the music drifting off all the way to Tatooine.In measure 113 there is a small improvised solo in either trombone or trumpet, but if you want the real authentic Cantina Band-sound this is of course done on a steel drum.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£75.99Colors of Unity - Thomas Doss
Located in the heart of Europe, this Euroregion unites the three provinces of Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trentino into a prosperous and successful union. People, points of view, interests and opportunities are to be joined together here in a harmonious future. For this part of Europe, our fanfare will be a signal that can be heard from far and wide.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£90.00Bright Dawn Overture, Op. 59 - Franco Cesarini
Bright Dawn Overture was commissioned to Franco Cesarini by the Swiss Band Association as part of a project for the renewal and expansion of the artistic repertoire. "There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.". This sentence by the English philosopher Bernard Williams inspired Franco Cesarini in composing this overture. In fact, even the darkest night is always followed by the sunrise and metaphorically, in every moment of difficulty, man clings to the hope of a better future. Bright Dawn Overture is written in the classic form of an Italian overture (fast-slow-fast). It is intended as a hymn of hope of recovery after a period of great difficulty. A single theme characterizes the composition, passing through the various registers and presents itself in new forms, while constantly being transformed. In the central part the theme takes on an almost mystical character, while in the finale it presents itself in a heroic guise and the composition concludes with a gesture of decisive optimism.A piece accessible to most concert bands, perfect as an opening work!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£52.95Journey's End - Steve Hodges
Upon completion of an activity, an event, or other meaningful experiences, there is a time for reflection for what has been accomplished and what is to follow. This lyrical piece features a memorable melody that is presented by all sections of the band. These reflective presentations lead into a slightly faster minor section indicating the anticipation of plans for the future. The final presentation of the melody indicates a positive feeling of accomplishment and features a moving countermelody by the woodwinds leading to a quiet, contemplative ending. Check out Journey's End, composed by Steve Hodges. (2:48)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£76.99Bloom - The Gift of Spring - Satoshi Yagisawa
A wonderful new work by Satoshi Yagisawa in which flowers are the focal point. This work honours the official registration of the Dendrobium 'Yishun Primary School' in The International Orchid Register. This flower was created by pupils of a Singaporean school. The dramatic mood of the piece is intended to inspire the next generation of students towards a hopeful future after overcoming difficulties and hardships.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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