Results
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£72.99Nature's Way - Gunther Schuller
From the composer: Nature's Way for intermediate level band was commissioned by BandQuest, a project initiated by the American Composers Forum. Their mission is for major composers of national reputation to write works of high quality that take into consideration the (still comparatively limited) levels of musical development--both technical and conceptual--typical of such ensembles. I eagerly accepted the commission and the challenges implied thereby--that is, to reign in my creative imagination to some extent and limit the technical/conceptual demands to a more moderate level than is to be found in my previous compositions for band. Nonetheless, since the process of rehearsing, studying and performing a work created specifically for the school student market is--and must be, in my view--primarily educational, it was very clear to me that my work would (and should) challenge the players at least to their top levels, and even a little beyond that. Thus Nature's Way in no way represents a compromise of my personal style, nor my long held concepts of form, continuity, texture, and instrumentation. I have known for a long time that young, inquisitive minds are eager to learn from new experiences, from previously never encountered challenges, that is to say, to be pushed--gently--to rise above their present levels of achievement. That's what education is all about. BandQuest, an exciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band, is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new, fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. Every BandQuest project includes a residency component in which the composer works collaboratively with a middle school as they create their new piece. Many BandQuest pieces are accompanied by an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to assist students as they learn the music and to integrate each piece with non-music studies. Visit www.bandquest.org to learn more about this innovative series, and email [email protected] to request a free downloadable audio catalog.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£138.00San Pedro de Alcntara - Valdemar Gomes
The Spanish war galleon with 64 cannons, built in Cuba between 1770 and 1771 for an English shipowner in the service of the King of Spain left Peru for Cadiz in 1784 with a huge cargo of copper, gold, silver and other valuables on board. There were also more than 400 people on board, including passengers, crew and Inca prisoners after a revolt. The Atlantic crossing went smoothly, passing Portugal to take advantage of favourable winds. The shipwreck off Peniche was the result of human error, apparently due to French maps with dramatic errors in the position of the islands of Berlengas and neighbouring islets. On 2 February 1786, the sea was calm and the night clear, but they hit the rock formation Papoa and the hull immediately broke in two. The bottom sank quickly, while the deck remained afloat for some time. 128 people lost their lives, including many Indians who were trapped in the basement. This shipwreck is considered one of the most important in maritime history.What the composer wants to convey, and what can be felt as one listens, is first of all the sound of power, of hope, of the glory of conquest, of the splendour of wealth. This is followed by the perception of the maritime environment, the harmony with the softness of the ocean, the gliding of the hull in the foam of the sea on sunny, blue days. But along with this tranquillity, you soon hear a rhythmic chain that makes you feel a representation of the hustle and bustle, of the busy crew, of the hard work of a sailor, of the desperation of an exotic people imprisoned in a dark, damp cellar. A distinct rhythm that reminds us of the "salero" of Andalusia, with its Arab influences and its people, the soothing of the resignation of others who are forced to submit. Then we clearly hear a crescendo that makes us imagine the agony of the collision that precedes the shipwreck. The breaking of the hull, the water flooding everything, the despair, the clash of bodies on the rocks, the tragedy to come. Before the "grand finale", in which the return of musical softness reminds us that the story is over. The supremacy of nature over human greed. The waves, though gentle, sweep the wreckage, the lives and the treasures of the New World to the bottom of the sea.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£154.60Den store dagen - Benny Borg
This beautiful song contains a huge contrast between the hopeful and the disappointing. A mother has her birthday and is waiting her children to celebrate it. Each verse starts optimistically, but the short chorus is characterized by the disappointment, that everyone calls, and cannot come. This has been tried recreated musically, mostly in the last two choruses, as it dawns on her that she will not receive a visit. It's a beautiful tune, but with a serious message that it's easy to take someone for granted.One of the elements the musicians came up with after rehearsal, was that they really liked the change between the ballad parts with even eights and the swing parts. This also gives the piece a sense of "parlando" character, which tells a story, and is therefore important to focus. It is not quite simple, as the melody also in those parts with even eights has some triplet rhythms. Therefore, this is a topic you can work on.Regarding instrumentation, Flugelhorn, Alto Saxophone and Euphonium have important roles, in addition to the rest of the first parts in the Band. The arrangement is written so you are not depending on "special" instruments. Important details are also often duplicated so you can use the arrangement for a smaller Wind Band.It is also possible to use a vocal soloist, but then you must soften the instruments that holds the melody.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.99
Wingin' It! - Gilbert Tinner
Wingin' It! is an entertaining concert piece. It makesespecially high demands on the rhythmic qualities ofthe band and requires exact articulation and phrasingaccording to the composer's instructions. After abrilliant opening, a catchy theme crystallizes whileall sections take turns to come to the forefront.Based on this theme, a swing in the classic big bandstyle, a peaceful Bossa (in which the woodwindsdominate) and a section with typical rock and funkrhythms follow. The two-step feeling closes thecircle to lead to the grand finale. This compositionfeatures all the essential elements of a contest pieceand provides a particular challenge in the understandingand execution ofpopular styles. It alsooffers all the facets that make a work attractive forthe audience as well as the musicians.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£264.99
Diferencias on an Old Spanish Song - Yasuhide Ito
I am immensely happy that my Gloriosa, symphonic poem for band (1990), has been performed by so many bands in the last thirty years.During this period, the growth of the internet has made it much easier to access information.When I composed Gloriosa, I only had limited information about the period when Christianity and Western music was first introduced to Japan, and had to rely a lot on my imagination.However, nowadays, it is easy to obtain various source materials and to read interesting studies on the music of the past.In recent years, the music of Luis de Narvez (born ca.1500 - died between 1555-1560), Spanish composer and vihuela player, has become increasingly known, and several CDs of his music are now available.Narvez composed the earliest-known set of diferencias, a forerunner of the variation form. One of his works is Seys diferencias sobre el himno "O gloriosa domina" [Six diferencias on the hymn "O gloriosa domina"] (1538), based on the Spanish Marian hymn, and it was this melody I used in the first movement of my Gloriosa.Western music has been my musical roots since childhood, and throughout my career as a composer, it has continued to fascinate me. One could say that this has provided the inspiration for Diferencias on an Old Spanish Song, my own take on the diferencias form.Actually, such music from the early sixteenth century could sound fresh to our modern ears. So I decided to quote the melody from Narvez's Sey diferencias at the beginning and end of the piece, in order that people can get the feel for the period.The main section (bars 42-390) is formed of 13 diferencias, similar to the first movement of the Gloriosa.In the middle section, which begins after the eighth diferencia(from bar 187), one should be totally absorbed in the tranquility and the beauty of the music. Although it's in the style of a sarabande, it should be taken slower and played as pianissimo as possible.This is followed by folk-style dance music. (As only standard percussion instruments are used, try to be creative with tonal colours and sense of rhythm).The structure of the work is simple, but be aware of the connection between the sections when constructing the whole.Also, think about the tonality. Overall, the work is in F minor. The main section is basically in D minor, but from bar 102, it modulates to A flat minor and G minor, and then in the middle section it suddenly switches to A flat major (which is the furthest key from D minor, and the relative major of F minor). From bar 219, it modulates to F minor and then to C minor, then back to F minor by way of A minor.N.B. The Oboe II part can be substituted by the English Horn (as indicated in the parts). One can choose according to the player's skills or preference.Recent new compositions for wind band are often full of rhythm, dynamism, and tonal colour, and compositional techniques and orchestration have also evolved greatly. Yet on the other hand, they tend to feature fewer melodic or expressive elements. Since this work is the test piece for WMC Kerkrade 2022, I had to think about what "tests" or "challenges" to set, and I decided to compose something that doesn't involve a lot of technical display, but requires beautiful sounds and harmonies, and above all, musical expressivity. I didn't put many expression markings in the score, because I wanted the performers to think about how best to express this music. If it is played merely as notated, it's not going to sound very interesting.Christianity was introduced to Japan in the mid-16th century, but it was subsequently banned and Japan entered a period of national isolation, which meant that there was hardly any international exchange for two hundred years. As a result, the Christian hymns that were introduced prior to the isolation became almost unrecognizable over the centuries. This was the theme I explored in my Gloriosa thirty years ago.Now, in 2021, the whole world has been forced to "isolate" due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In such times, it seems pertinent that I've written a work using this melody again. I sincerely hope that people will be able to gather in Kerkrade in 2022.(English Translation:Nahoko Gotoh)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£179.99
Amazonia - Jan van der Roost
This major concert work cosists o five movements.1st movement: La Laguna del ShimbeSituated high up in the Andes mountains in Northern Peru are the Huaringas, a group of lagoons in isolated and mysterious surroundings. The water has healing powersand for centuries traditional healers have settled there in small villages. From far the sick come to the Huaringas to be treated in nightly rituals, in which the hallucinating juice of the San Pedro cactus gives the prophet a look inside hispatient. The biggest lagoon is the "Laguna del Shimbe", one of the countless wells of the immense Amazon stream.2nd movement: Los AguarunasFurther downstream in Northern Peru we come across the rain tribe of Los Aguarunas. It's a proud, beautiful andindependent race, which has never succumbed to domination, not even from the Incas. They live from everything the forest has to offer: fish, fruit, plants, ... . They also grow some crops and live as semi-nomads. They take their fate into their ownhands and after having made contact with modern civilisation, they have integrated new elements into their lives without betraying their own ways.3rd movement: MekaronMekaron is an Indian word meaning "picture", "soul", "essence". The Indians are theorigina inhabitants of the Amazon region. They either live in one place as a group or move around a large region. They all have their own political system, their own language and an intense social life. At the same time they are master of music andmedicine. "Everywhere the white man goes, he leaves a wilderness behind him", wrote the North American Indian leader Seatl in 1885. As a result of these contacts with the whites, the disruption of most Indian societies began. (In this century alone,80 tribes have vanished completely).4th movement: KtuajThis is the name of the initiating ceremony of the Krah tribe in the Brazilian state of Goias, in which young boys and girls enter adult life. They are cleansed with water, painted with redpaint and covered with feathers, after which the ritual dance holds the entire tribe spell-bound.5th movement: Paulino FaiakanIn 1988 the Indian chiefs Faiakan and Raoni Kaiapo came to Europe to protest against the building of the Altamira dam inBrazil. As a result of the dam the Indians would be driven from their traditional land and enormous artificial would be created. The project was supported financially by, amongst others, the European Community. In February 1989 the Indian tribesaround Altamira held a protest march for the first time in their history together. Amongst other things they paid tribute tot Chico Mendez, who, murdered in 1988, was the leader of the rubber syndicate and a fierce opponent of the destruction of theBrazilian rain forest. Brazilian and world opinion was awakened. The building of the dam was -albeit temporarily - stopped.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£144.99Festa Paesana - Jacob de Haan
Lunteren, a village on the Veluwe (a wooded region in the Netherlands), sets the scene annually for a village festival dominated by folklore. Festa Paesana (Italian for village festival) is set to music by several folkloric sketches. The theme in Festa Paesana is partly based on a Dutch anthem (Wien Neerlands bloed); when other lyrics are used it is also known as the Lunteren anthem.The work begins with a festive introduction, completed by chimes and drums, in which pieces of the Lunteren anthem are heard. The music then transitions to represent a horse auction. We hear horses run their first rounds in the auction ring while being whipped. The following theme is partly basedon the anthem. The tension of the traditional auction is amplified by an ever-increasing cadence, reaching its climax when the word ?Sold!? is shouted. The night ends with a majestic variation on the Lunteren anthem.The next morning, when the tower clock hits seven times, the village is awaked by the reveille of the heralds. In a fugatic version of the anthem, we can hear the village slowly come to life. This evolves with the chiming of all towers in the village; the celebration can begin. Carriages drawn by horses rumble through the village and thus, it is easy to hear when a horse hesitates or runs amuck. A traditional folk dance group then dances a whirling waltz while the audience shares their pleasure. Musicians march along the scene and take over the waltz theme in their march. Until deep in the night, the musicians are still heard playing in the streets. Meanwhile, we hear the anthem theme being played in a choral variation (in minor). The first time it is played quietly, as a preparation for Sunday. Then it is played in a celebrating way, enabling the devout village residents to remember the past pleasant celebration with satisfaction.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£248.99
Odysseia - Maxime Aulio
Washed up on the Phaeacian shore after a shipwreck, Odysseus is introduced to King Alcinous. As he sits in the palace, he tells the Phaeacians of his wanderings since leaving Troy. Odysseus and his men fi rst landed on the island of the Cicones wherethey sacked the city of Ismarus. From there, great storms swept them to the land of the hospitable Lotus Eaters. Then they sailed to the land of the Cyclopes. Odysseus and twelve of his men entered the cave of Polyphemus. After the single-eyed giantmade handfuls of his men into meals, Odysseus fi nally defeated him. He got him drunk and once he had fallen asleep, he and his men stabbed a glowing spike into the Cyclop's single eye, completely blinding him. They escaped by clinging to the belliesof some sheep. Once aboard, Odysseus taunted the Cyclop by revealing him his true identity. Enraged, Polyphemus hurled rocks at the ship, trying to sink it. After leaving the Cyclopes' island, they arrived at the home of Aeolus, ruler of the winds.Aeolus off ered Odysseus a bag trapping all the strong winds within except one - the one which would take him straight back to Ithaca. As the ship came within sight of Ithaca, the crewmen, curious about the bag, decided to open it. The winds escapedand stirred up a storm. Odysseus and his crew came to the land of the cannibalistic Laestrygonians, who sank all but one of the ships. The survivors went next to Aeaea, the island of the witch-goddess Circe. Odysseus sent out a scouting party butCirce turned them into pigs. With the help of an antidote the god Hermes had given him, Odysseus managed to overpower the goddess and forced her to change his men back to human form. When it was time for Odysseus to leave, Circe told him to sail tothe realm of the dead to speak with the spirit of the seer Tiresias. One day's sailing took them to the land of the Cimmerians. There, he performed sacrifi ces to attract the souls of the dead. Tiresias told him what would happen to him next. He thengot to talk with his mother, Anticleia, and met the spirits of Agamemnon, Achilles, Patroclus, Antilochus, Ajax and others. He then saw the souls of the damned Tityos, Tantalus, and Sisyphus. Odysseus soon found himself mobbed by souls. He becamefrightened, ran back to his ship, and sailed away. While back at Aeaea, Circe told him about the dangers he would have to face on his way back home. She advised him to avoid hearing the song of the Sirens; but if he really felt he had to hear, thenhe should be tied to the mast of the ship, which he did. Odysseus then successfully steered his crew past Charybdis (a violent whirlpool) and Scylla (a multiple-headed monster), but Scylla managed to devour six of his men. Finally, Odysseus and hissurviving crew approached the island where the Sun god kept sacred cattle. Odysseus wanted to sail past, but the crewmen persuaded him to let them rest there. Odysseus passed Circe's counsel on to his men. Once he had fallen asleep, his men impiouslykilled and ate some of the cattle. When the Sun god found out, he asked Zeus to punish them. Shortly after they set sail from the island, Zeus destroyed the ship and all the men died except for Odysseus. After ten days, Odysseus was washed up on theisland of the nymph Calypso.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£184.00
Compass (CB) - Tomothy Claeyé
A musical journey around the world in four mouvements. In the 1st mouvement, 'Europe Express', we go on a fascinating trip through Europe. Attentive listeners might hear some influences by London, Paris or Madrid. In part two we move on to the east, 'Across Asia'. The trip takes us first into Arabia, where the flutes are smuggling us via the Silk Road into China. The saxophones take care of a typically Jewish klezmer sound. In part three - Yes We Can (The American Dream) -we fly to the swinging United States. Before returning home, we quickly go 'Down Under'.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£49.00Island Drummer Boy
Island Drummer Boy is a fresh take on the classic holiday song "Little Drummer Boy." This tropical twist on the familiar melody invites listeners to a sunny paradise. From crisp staccatos to smooth legatos, each articulation contributes to the unique island vibe, creating a rich and textured musical experience. An irresistible percussion groove sets the rhythm and pace of the music, invoking images of swaying palm trees and gentle ocean breezes in this festive celebration.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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