Results
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£113.30Moderate Dances - Angelo Sormani
This piece is a tribute to dance music, especially passionate, intense and meditative dance music. "Moderate Dances" is divided into three movements: a "Tango", a "Slow Waltz" and a "Bossa Nova". Each movement and each dance has its own particular characteristics but, when combined, these different rhythmic beats and times give the piece a feeling of completeness and uniformity. The Tango started to flourish in the suburbs of Buenos Aires in around 1880. There is still some doubt as to its origins, which may be Cuban (Habanera) but are probably African. It was most popular in Argentina and Brazil: here the male protagonist was originally the "gaucho" with his inseparable guitar, later to be replaced by the proud, elegant "compadre". By around 1910 the Tango had spread to Italy and France. New clubs opened, where the upper classes could watch and dance the Tango. Here the dance also underwent some rapid transformations. The exaggerated and extravagant gestures and body movements disappeared. Slow, gliding steps replaced the old rotational movements. The women's red ankle-boots and the partners "staring into each other's eyes" accentuated the erotic nature and sensuality of this dance. So much so that, in 1913, the German government banned soldiers from dancing the Tango. Those who broke the law were immediately discharged from the army. From a strictly musical perspective, the basic instruments were a flute, a harp (the diatonic harp typically played by the Indians of Paraguay) and a violin, or flute, guitar and violin or even clarinet, guitar and violin. These instruments were easy to transport, ideal for playing at parties, in the streets and in courtyards. The musicians played by ear, frequently improvising: there were no scores, no records, which is the main reason why it is impossible to trace the Tango back to its exact origins. However, the Tango's evolution (and growing popularity) was once again fostered by its fundamental ability to absorb "other" cultures, languages and sounds. And it was the arrival of the "bandoneon" (an accordion-like instrument that was invented in Germany and brought to Rio de la Plata by some immigrant), which replaced the flute, that marked the beginning of the Tango's huge success outside Argentina. A number of talented composers, above all the great Astor Piazzola (1921-1992), transformed the bandoneon from a simple accompanying instrument to a solo instrument that was to become the distinguishing feature of the 20th century Tango. The Slow Waltz originated from the Waltz, the typical dance of the Bavarian and Tyrolese peasants in the 1700s. It was composers like Johann Strauss, father and son, who carried the Waltz to its zenith in the 1800s, creating the sensual and melancholy yet joyful and charming dance we are all familiar with. When the Waltz first became popular in Germany, the members of respectable society were shocked at the closeness of the dancing partners, who had always previously danced apart. The main difference between the Waltz and Slow Waltz is that the latter has a slower, more expressive rhythm: the men wear tails and the women wear ball gowns decorated with beads and feathers and couples dance in graceful rotational movements. "Bossa Nova" is the title of the last movement in the piece. Jobim, the great Brazilian musician, described this musical genre as a combination of modern Jazz and Samba. Bossa Nova means "new wave". This was the name of the artistic and musical movement that evolved in Brazil in the late Fifties and was extremely popular throughout the Sixties. The songs are usually about love or social matters, drawing inspiration from the slums of Rio De Janeiro and the lives of their inhabitants. Bossa Nova, with its original compositions and the artistic talent of its musicians, also became hugely popular in the United States and Europe, and top Jazz musicians (Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Bob Cooper, Charlie Bird, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie) started to include Bossa in their repertoires.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£82.50Cambridge Park Overture - David Gorham
You are sure to please and delight everyone when you open your performance with this rhythmic and joyful selection. It sounds much more advanced that it actually is and is ideal for festival/contest performance situations. (5 minutes 12 seconds)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£82.50Festive Sounds Of Christmas - Darren W. Jenkins
A medley of three favorite Christmas carols in a rich setting for developing bands. A bright opening fanfare introduces the piece and transitions into the lilting and tuneful The Wassail Song which then slows to a lyrical We Three Kings that features both woodwind and brass choirs. Good Wenceslas brings the piece to a triumphant close with a few quotes of additional carols that add to the festive and joyful atmosphere.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£82.50Prairie Dance - Gary D. Ziek
Prairie Dance was composed for the Emporia State University High School Honors Band in Emporia, KS. The piece begins with an introduction, which is notated to be played "With Spirit". This leads to the body of the piece, which utilizes an ABA form. The A sections are fast and joyful in nature, with the B section being more reflective and wistful. The vastness, beauty and loneliness of the open prairie are portrayed as the piece unfolds.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.50The Exultant Heart - Jess Turner
The Exultant Heart is the winner of the NBA/Merrill Jones Composition Contest and is nothing short of remarkable. The hauntingly beautiful opening is followed by a joyful middle section that features a lively dance, alluding to a rustic wedding dance complete with drum and tambourine. The first theme then returns in a choral-like setting as the dance rhythm continues, gradually settling down to a return of the opening mood while chimes improvise like church bells fading in the distance. Absolutely spellbinding!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£71.50Sing Hi Down - Barry E. Kopetz
The original title of this charming folk song is The Two Little Sisters, and it contains a chant-like phrase "sing hi down." This particular lyric is sung with great energy as it carries much of the joy that prevails throughout the song. After a majestic introduction, the piece begins in earnest at a brisk tempo with the melody combined with a lively off-beat accompaniment. Arpeggios emphasize the "sing hi down" portion of the theme and are followed by a brief dance-like interlude that leads to the close, capturing the essence of this joyful tune.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£82.50Green County Rhapsody - David Gorham
A bold and sweeping introduction of regal grandeur immediately greets the listener before this brisk work launches into a buoyant main theme. This lively section is bubbling with a joyful spirit fueled by sparkling rhythms and bright, uplifting melodic lines. A peacefully idyllic interlude creates a reflective mood of repose before a repeat of the vibrant opening brings the piece to an uplifting and exuberant finale.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.50The Road to Castlemaine - Barry E. Kopetz
A collection of Australian folk songs that depict the sights and sounds of the beautiful landscape with an Aussie twist and tongue-in-cheek tuneful way. The first movement includes The Wonderful Crocodile and The Old Jig-Jog, folk songs full of energy and dance-like qualities. River Fraser provides the melodic content for the second movement, a slow and impassioned lament. The third movement uses three popular tunes that range in style from joyful dancing as in an Irish reel, to a poignant and haunting flavor, to a brave and dramatic march that dies away bit by bit prior to an explosive ending of energy and good humor.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.50Triumphant Flourishes - Travis J. Weller
This piece is joyful and celebratory, ideal for opening or closing a concert and useful for any time of the year. There are a number of triumphant fanfares throughout followed by short flourishes that create a vibrant sound canvas. Several optional solo parts can give more accomplished musicians an opportunity display their skills and which vary the overall texture of the work. Inspiring, encouraging, and uplifting!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£60.50Music for a Night Sky - Jorge L. Vargas
Music for a Night Sky is an introspective composition from composer Jorge L. Vargas. The piece has a moderate flowing waltz that begins reflective but then builds in complexity. It escalates to a more joyful climatic sound before retreating for a reflective conclusion
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days