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£249.99The Wind in the Willows - Johan de Meij
"A book for those who keep the spirit of youth alive in them; of life, sunshine, running water, woodlands, dusty roads, winter firesides" said author Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932) about his children's book The Wind in the Willows. Initially, he wrote the stories about Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad to read to his visually handicapped son Alistair, but after the publication in book form in 1908, it became a worldwide success. It was later also turned into a film and a television series. What appealed ti the composer most is the friendly, very cosy atmosphere that Grahame has managed to create with his optimistic narrative style full of high spirits, an atmosphere that reminds thecomposer of his own carefree youth. It was therefore a great pleasure to set this book to music! The four movements successively describe:I) The River- The river, which flows through the habitat of the animals like a lifeline, regularly is the scene of pleasant boat trips and picnics. The animals lead their untroubled lives here. The four-tone main motif [A-C-D-C] is extensively presented by the brass section, and returns in the following movements as a countermelody. II) Ratty and Mole -The bright, energetic Rat and the melancholy doubter Mole are inseparable friends and have many adventures. Their opposite characters are illustrated by separate musical themes. III) Mister Toad - The wilful, haughty Mister Toad is indeed a unique case: time after time, he runs into tricky situations, and with his indomitable passion for fast - preferably stolen - cars he causes quite a lot of damage...IV) The Return of UlyssesAfter Toad Hall, the majestic residence of Mister Toad, is recovered from the weasels and stoats of the Wild Wood, who had captured the estate in a cowardly way, our friends get ready for a banquet. They celebrate the victory with a triumphant parade, and so both the book and the music conclude with a happy ending.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£102.99
The King's March - Søren Hyldgaard
This lively new work, expertly arranged by Johan de Meij, is taken from the soundtrack of the recently released animated film Till Eulenspiegel. In writing the music for the film the composer, Sren Hyldgaard, said: "Writing music for an animated adventure romp like Till Eulenspiegel is about as much fun as I can imagine having as a composer.While extremely challenging on the timing and hitting-the-action side, the furious universe of the animated adventure genre is as much an inspiration as it is an obstacle." The King's March from Till Eulenspiegel captures the high spirits of the film itself with the arrival of the extravagant entourage containing the royal carriage with all itsPomp and Circumstance.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£317.99Music of the Spheres - Philip Sparke
The piece reflects the composer's fascination with the origins of the universe and deep space in general. The title comes from a theory, formulated by Pythagoras, that the cosmos was ruled by the same laws he had discovered that govern the ratios of note frequencies of the musical scale. ('Harmonia' in Ancient Greek, which means scale or tuning rather than harmony - Greek music was monophonic). He also believed that these ratios corresponded to the distances of the six known planets from the sun and that the planets each produced a musical note which combined to weave a continuous heavenly melody (which, unfortunately, we humans cannot hear). In this work, these six notesform the basis of the sections MUSIC OF THE SPHERES and HARMONIA. The pieces opens with a horn solo called t = 0, a name given by some scientists to the moment of the Big Bang when time and space were created, and this is followed by a depiction of the BIG BANG itself, as the entire universe bursts out from a single point. A slower section follows called THE LONELY PLANET which is a meditation on the incredible and unlikely set of circumstances which led to the creation of the Earth as a planet that can support life, and the constant search for other civilisations elsewhere in the universe. ASTEROIDS AND SHOOTING STARS depicts both the benign and dangerous objects that are flying through space and which constantly threaten our planet, and the piece ends with THE UNKNOWN, leaving in question whether our continually expanding exploration of the universe will eventually lead to enlightenment or destruction.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£149.99Out of the Darkness, into the Light - Philip Sparke
Out of the Darkness, Into the Light is about optimism. All of us experience disappointments in our lives, such failed relationships or the loss of loved ones, but the indomitability of the human spirit allows us to overcome such set backs and get through the darker moments. For some, faith and religion may be the answer, but this piece is more about the internal strength that we can all call upon.Opening in sombre mood, the first phase of the work symbolises the doubts we all have about ourselves and our lives. The opening phrase on solo clarinet appears throughout the piece and could be seen as the central idea of the work, the human spirit itself. The faster, centralsection is about the struggle to overcome the pain we experience and at bar 88 the moment of catharsis occurs. This signals a change of mood and from then on, the clarinet motif is transformed into a feeling of joy and optimism. We have entered the light.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£168.50The Four Noble Truths - Philip Sparke
The Four Noble Truths are the most basic expression of the teaching of Buddha and therefore still form the guidelines for Buddhists to this day. The four truths are Dukkha, which describes times of major stress in our lives - birth, aging, desire and death; Samudaya which describes those parts of our life that induce stress, feeling, craving, desire; Nirodha which tells us how to eliminate those aspects of our lives which induce stress and Magga which describes the eight didciplines which can help us eliminate the origins of stress from our lives. It can be seen from these over-simplified definitions, that the Four Noble Truths fall into two pairs, the first two describingthe origins of stress and the second two describing how we can reduce stress. To reflect this, the four movements of this work are also combined into two pairs - two quick movements and two slow movements. A fascinating work from this great English composer.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£267.99Between the Two Rivers - Philip Sparke
Between the Two Rivers was commissioned by Fanfare 'Prins Hendrik', from Aalst in the Netherlands. The title derives from the fact that the town of Aalst lies between two tributaries of the River Dommel. The community is a highly religious one, so the famous Luther chorale, Ein' Feste Burg, was an obvious choice for Philip Sparke to use as the theme for this new work. It takes the form of a theme with four contrasting variations. Variation 1 is a moto perpetuo, variation 2 has a slower march like feel, variation 3 is a sinister slow movement and the final variation is in the form of a lyrical fugue. Between The Two Rivers is sure to become a major work in modern concert bandrepertoire.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£168.50Spirit of the Sequoia - Philip Sparke
When Philip Sparke composed this piece he tried to create a work that characterised man's ability to overcome personal tragedy and the feeling of serenity gained when the tragedy is forgotten. To do this he decided to use the analogy of the sequoia, a generic name for the huge redwood trees, particularly the Californian redwood. The remarkable life cycle of these amazing trees involves them dropping seeds to the ground which require heat, such as a ferocious forest fire to re-grow. In a similar way, the human spirit can actually gain from setbacks - we become stronger after adversity. The music falls into sections which can broadly be characterised as doubt, conflict,catharsis, inner calm and finally triumph. A fantasic new major concert work from the pen of Philip Sparke.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£110.99The Pioneers - Philip Sparke
In The Pioneers Philip Sparke salutes the bicentenary of an expedition by two all time American heroes - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They were commissioned by US President Thomas Jefferson to find the headwaters of the Missouri and a route to the Pacific following the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the USA. They set out as the 'Corps of Discovery' from Louisville, Kentucky, in May 1804 and not only did they succeed in reaching the Pacific through hostile territory, but also found their way back - in 3 years! The piece is not descriptive of the journey but gives the composer the opportunity to celebrate the 200th anniversary of this amazing feat. Add a touchof the wild-west to any concert with this exciting work.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£78.99Benjamin Franklin and the Art of Music - Robert W. Smith
Benjamin Franklin's love for the art of music was well documented in American history. Robert W. Smith has selected three musical moments in Ben Franklin's life and created this unique composition for the concert band. Beginning with a setting of "My Plain Country Joan." a song composed as an anniversary gift to his wife, Franklin's jovial personality is evident through the timelessness of his music. The second section is based on Franklin's glass armonica. The delicate and ethereal sounds of this beautiful instrument provide a quiet moment of reflection for all. The finale is based on Franklin's "magic squares." an arrangement of numbers in a square where all rows, columns and diagonals add to the same sum. Robert W. Smith extracted the melody based on the numeric sequence in a 3 x 3 magic square. The resulting musical statement and fugue truly shows the close relationship between mathematics and music. An amazing concept, an amazing cross-curricular piece!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£94.50Zeus: King Of The Gods - Rob Romeyn
This monumental programmatic work from the pen of Rob Romeyn captures the myth and legend of Zeus, the mythical master of the gods and men. A sky god, he controls lightning, which he uses as a weapon, and thunder. It opens as Zeus becomes involved in the Trojan war, hurling lightning bolts at his opponents. The tension soon subsides as we are introduced to the eternally beautiful Hera, whom Zeus would eventually marry. The music then ensues as our story unfolds, as Zeus made his domain the mountaintops and clouds where he could survey all creation, and inflict pain and justice on all evildoers. Tension builds as Zeus battles Typhon in hand to hand combat, ending ultimately with Zeus throwing the enormous Mt. Etna at the monster, pinning him underneath. From here, the tension subsides, and a beautiful lyrical section builds to an ending of incredible power and grandeur as Zeus again reaffirms his stature as the ruler of Mt. Olympus. This exceptional work is a wonderful addition to any concert or festival performance!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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