Results
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£57.50Pop! - Tawnie Olson
Inspired by the ever-popular snack, Pop! is a grade 3 band piece by composer Tawnie Olson that imitates the sounds popping popcorn beginning with that first, single kernel to the exploding sounds of an overflowing pot. Through the use of imitation, additive processes, playful articulation, and the development of tune fragments, Olson crafted a piece that is relatable and great fun to play. Pop! also has an aleatoric passage that gives young performers the opportunity to co-compose by improvising sounds that suggest of pop of popcorn in the making. 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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£264.99Panoptikum - Thomas Doss
Armin Schaer commissioned this work in his search for a new piece for the tuba. More specifically, he wanted a work that showed off the versatility of this splendid instrument, written in a musical style that is both fresh and modern, while not banishing the orchestra to a simple supporting role. Taking all these specifications into account, Thomas Doss created a work that allows stylistic leaps and is fun, exciting, romantic, and virtuosic, but does not lose sight of the thread that connects the opening measures to the very last.Armin Schaer describes his Panoptikum as follows:Panoptikum is a show of appreciation for my beautiful home and community at LakeConstance, an eventful life, the people that have enriched this life, and a fascinating instrument: the tuba. This work musically embodies the many different moods found around theBodensee - cheerfulness and melancholy, departures and longing, calm and agitation. The roles of the soloist and the orchestra were consciously crafted in a way that does not follow the usual conventions of the genre. The work should spark emotions, address broad segments of listeners, and persuade them of the tuba's ability to be a solo instrument as well as the richness symphonic wind ensembles have to offer. I hope this work enriches the lives of all the soloists and orchestras that cross its path, as well as everyone in the audience who gets to partake!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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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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£154.60Rendezvous - Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Rendezvous was commissioned by Krohnengen Brass Band for their 50th Anniversary in 2019. This version for Concert Band was scored autumn 2020.Rendezvous is devided into three sections. Each section are referring to Edvard Grieg's own titles. but twisted, to make sure that everybody understand that this music is a mash-up of themes Edvard Grieg used in opus 54 (for piano) and opus 61 (songs for children).1. Trolltog med avsporing (March of the Trolls derailment)March of the Trolls is a famous part of Edvard Grieg lyric pieces, opus 54.2. Klokkeklang i feil sang (Bell ringing in wrong tune).Bell ringing show that Grieg was one of the first composers to write the way impressionists did. What happens if this beatiful piece is combined with several other themes from the same book? It somehow works in its own way.3. Pep talk til Blakken (Pep talk to Blakken)The riff used in the first part becomes an important part of the third part: a funky treat of the childrens song "Kveldssang for Blakken" (Evening song for Blakken).I felt that a rather tired old horse needed a pep talk more than a slow tune. So that is why you get this music(!) - and this is how my rendezvous with Grieg ends.Not sure what maestro Grieg would have thougt... But, I have read that the fiddlers that played the tunes Grieg used was not happy with the way Grieg used them.So there you go...Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£264.99Panoptikum (Concert Band - Score and Parts)
Armin Schaer commissioned this work in his search for a new piece for the tuba. More specifically, he wanted a work that showed off the versatility of this splendid instrument, written in a musical style that is both fresh and modern, while not banishing the orchestra to a simple supporting role. Taking all these specifications into account, Thomas Doss created a work that allows stylistic leaps and is fun, exciting, romantic, and virtuosic, but does not lose sight of the thread that connects the opening measures to the very last.Armin Schaer describes his Panoptikum as follows:Panoptikum is a show of appreciation for my beautiful home and community at Lake Constance, an eventful life, the people that have enriched this life, and a fascinating instrument: the tuba. This work musically embodies the many different moods found around theBodensee - cheerfulness and melancholy, departures and longing, calm and agitation. The roles of the soloist and the orchestra were consciously crafted in a way that does not follow the usual conventions of the genre. The work should spark emotions, address broad segments of listeners, and persuade them of the tuba's ability to be a solo instrument as well as the richness symphonic wind ensembles have to offer. I hope this work enriches the lives of all the soloists and orchestras that cross its path, as well as everyone in the audience who gets to partake! 15:30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£59.95
Where Eagles Sing - Paul Lovatt-Cooper
The inspiration for this piece came when the composer visited Florida and the Bird Sanctuary in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. He was in the audience to see the rare bird's show where he witnessed some fabulous looking and endangered birds that were trained to perform different tricks that wowed the audience. The highlight for him was the conclusion of the show where the most awesome sight greeted us as an American Bald Eagle soared over the audience. That particular breed of Eagle has been a very rare bird of late. With so few in numbers, it nearly became a member of the sad group of animals that are extinct.The host of the show took great delight in informing the audience that the fantastic creature is now officially safe and no longer classed as endangered. This made a great impact on the composer as the Eagle is an amazing bird, huge in size and power and yet so graceful in flight. This piece is everything associated with the Eagle; bold, powerful and graceful and now free to soar and sing in the American homelands.Where Eagles Sing has been hugely successful as a curtain-raiser (or finale) with brass bands around the world and it is hoped that this version for wind band will be just as popular.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£68.99
Fairy Tail Suite - Tsutomu Tajima
This work was complete in January 2013 to commemoration the 50th anniversary of the Iwate Prefecture Band Association. Conditions at the request were as follows:1: Does not have to be particularly relating to Iwate. It should be something that would be widely familiar to the whole country. 2: Should suit the contest piece requirements. 3: Must be a song that can be used at a graduation ceremony for student procession and recessional.4: Must include vocal parts with a beautiful melody.5: Must be a march.6: Must be a song that would be loved by many.They are difficult requests. I hope to satisfy at least one of them.We selected Yanagida Kunio's book "Tono Monogatari" as the cornerstone of the work, chose four stories that fit the image, and stuck close to the source of the story. Then, "prelude music" was added, making it a suite consisting of five movements.I. "Prelude" What kind of story will it be? An exciting opening expresses such a feeling.II. "Zashikiwarashi" Spirit that brings good fortune and wealth. It appears at midnight and makes mischief, something silly, not serious. Zashikiwarashi moves quickly, dances, plays its games, hiding and reappearing often. These characteristics are considered cute and the music depicts such a mischievous Zashikiwasi.III. "Oshirasama" A girl and her horse love each other. Her father forbids this, and kills the horse. The beautiful daughter clings to the horse and cries. Eventually, the daughter and the horse rise to heaven, slowly and gradually, remembering former happy days. The music captures this ascension to heaven.IV. "Yamanba (Mountain witch)" Run away, run away, its chasing, still chasing. Run away, and still chasing. The girls hides. Yamanba searches. It keeps chasing, endlessly, following her everywhere. Chasing, chasing, and finally... Seriously and comically depicting the chase situation in fugue style.V. "Kappa" Staring into the distance. It looks gallant. What is it looking at? Staring beyond the mountain? Perhaps it is longing for hope and happiness. This is an homage, a march, and cheering song for Kappa who never gives up and embraces dreams and hope.It is my wish that many people become familiar with this song.(2013.3.31 Tsushima Tashima)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£137.99Odyssee - Jan Bosveld
The Odyssee tells the story of Odysseus, the undaunted hero. In times long ago the blind poet Homer wrote this famous epic. The "Odyssey" follows the "Iliad", the story of the bloody war between the Greek and the Trojans. This battle endsafter ten years thanks to the Odysseys famous trick. the Trojan Horse. The Odyssey is not a war epic, but a story about perseverance, loyalty, adventure, and the survival instinct of its ingenious hero. In The Odyssey, Homer describes howOdysseus, the king of Ithaca, had to endure another ten years of affliction after the ten years of war in Troy before he could finally return to his home land. During those years, his wife, Penelope, had to try and keep her many admirers away.These men not only wanted het hand but also the kingship. To prove her husbands worth, she played a trick: "As soon as I have finished weaving this shroud for my father-in-law, Laertes, I will choose one of you to become my husband", she promisedthem. But during the night, she secretly loosened what she had woven during the day, prolonging the time until Odysseus would finally return. After twenty long years, when he finally stood at the door, she wondered: Is this really my husband? Ishe an imposter? Cunningly, she asked him to move the bed, because only she and her husband know that the bed was immovable and was build around an old three trunk! Odysseus was deeply moved: this really was his wife, his Penelope! Nearly threethousands years later, the loyalty and strength of this character, and all the dangerous adventures that Odysseus survived thanks to courage and intelligence, still moves us today. Odyssee by Jan Bosveld is not just an adventure story, butrather a characteristic piece in which memories of Homers story can be heard. The composition opens with a firm, stirring theme describing our hero, Odysseus, in detail: This man is not to be taken lightly. The further development of thisshort introduction completes this character sketch: trustworthy, perseverant, and a genius. After that we can picture Odysseus on the lonely beach of Ogygia. Do the trumpets depict his memories of the war of Troy? Does he think of his wife, as werecognise the weaving loom of Penelope in the murmuring eighth? In the solemn, plaintive part that follows, we can imagine Penelope feeling lonely, sitting in the womens room with her servants.One of the girls plays the harp, but that does notclear the sombre atmosphere. Then we can imagine seeing the sorceress Circe, who changed Odysseus men into swine. After she gives a simple magic sign something follows that reminds us of the sound of pigs grunting. Then the Odysseus theme resounds:the hero comes to savi his comrades. Assisted by Hermes, he forces Circe to lift the spell. The piece ends the same way as it began, with an animated theme: Odysseus is still the same, undefeated and not to be taken lighty!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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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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£159.99
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 dispatch 7-14 working days
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