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£250.00The England of Elizabeth,Three Portraits from (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Williams, Vaughan - Noble, Paul
This suite was derived from Vaughan Williams' score for the film, The England of Elizabeth, written in 1955. It was the composer's tenth of his 11 cinematic efforts and designed to serve a more descriptive role than other such scores, since the movie was a documentary featuring no action scenes, but lots of images of paintings, buildings, and the like. Composer Muir Matheson adapted this three-movement suite, probably shortly after the composer's death in 1958, though publication of the manuscript would not come until 1964. The first movement is entitled Explorer, and refers to Sir Francis Drake. Its music is mostly festive and colourful, but features interior passages of exotic flavor, similar in style to that of Vaughan Williams' then-recent Symphony No.8. The second movement is entitled Poet and, at about seven minutes, is the longest of the three in this 16 to 17 minute work. It also contains probably the score's best music, hardly a surprising result since the poet in question is Shakespeare, one of the composer's favourites and an inspirational springboard for so many other of his works. The mood is mostly subdued and Vaughan Williams presents lovely, if slightly somber music in the opening, and follows it with a hearty, folk-like dance tune. The latter part of this movement depicts Shakespeare as a noble, heroic figure in English history. The last movement, Queen, is devoted to Queen Elizabeth. It has a regal yet muscular manner at the outset, and features a gentle but somewhat disengaged middle section. It returns to the splendor and colour of the opening to close the work. This suite is important because it distills some of the best music from the film into a logically assembled structure. Program notes extracted from those of Robert Cummings.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£184.99
Rubicon - Bert Appermont
The Rubicon is a river in Northern Italy which Julius Caesar crossed with his army in 49 BC in defiance of the leaders of Rome, who feared his power. A civil war against rival Pompey ensued, which culminated in Caesar seizing power as the absoluteruler of Rome. The phrase "crossing the Rubicon" therefore refers to any person committing himself irrevocably to a risky, decisive and irrevocable of course of action.The work consists of three parts that deal with this important moment in history.Part 1 (Meditation) symbolises Caesars request to the Gods to assist him in his difficult choice. In a slow introduction we hear the melancholy and beseeching sounds of the duduk (alternatively, this part can be played by a soprano saxophone)and of the soprano solo singer over the bourdon accompaniment. The soprano solo singer then sings "dona tibi pacem" (give him rest) in a melodious and probing theme.In Part 2 (Battle of Pharsalus) trumpets and trombones resound alternately ina stately Roman fanfare, producing a stereophonic effect. This develops into a martial theme in which Caesars impressive army goes to battle against the army of rival Pompey. While the theme of Caesars army fades away, Pompeys theme emerges as anaive dance in six-eight time. His army is definitely in the majority and it believes it can easily defeat the enemy. Suddenly trumpets and trombones clash on two sides of the orchestra: Caesars army advances and attacks. A fierce battle ensues inwhich the two themes are played alternately as well as simultaneously. Thanks to his shrewd battle tactics, Caesar manages to win this legendary battle after all: his theme resounds ever louder in trumpets and horns until everything dies out andchanges into a kind of reconciliation between the soldiers of the two armies. The melancholy "dona tibi pacem" from part 1 now serves as a reconciliation theme.Caesar is now the sole ruler of the New Roman Empire, which would be destined to leave itsmark on our Western civilisation to this day. The third part is a sparkling succession of dance music (Dance) with many Greek and Roman elements in which Caesars victory is praised and celebrated. It is common knowledge that the culture(arts, gods, etc.) of the Romans drew heavily on Greek culture. I have therefore used an authentic Greek theme (the Seikolos song) several times in this part (bar 17 in the euphonium, bar 60 in the base section, bar 68 in the sopranosaxophone) to suggest the music of that era and to evoke the right atmosphere. After a gradual increase in tempo in the entire orchestra, the opening melody gloriously resounds once more, surrounded by virtuoso dance music. The work ends withbombastic brass fanfares in which Caesars theme triumphs once more.NOTE FOR THE CONDUCTOR:The Armenian duduk and the monochord that are used in the introduction give a special tone to the music, but could be substituted (soprano saxophone instead ofthe duduk) or left out (monochord). The soprano solo is also doubled within the orchestra and could therefore also be left out if necessary, although it does provide the work with an extra dimension. The male voices in the introduction and the finalecould possibly be replaced with a synthesizer with choral setting.As a visual and acoustic element in part 2, the trumpets, the e-flat cornet, the small drum and trombones can be stood up and placed at two sides of the orchestra (bar 80).Seen fromthe point of view of the conductor, put the trumpets, the e-flat cornet and the small drum in the left section and the trombones in the right section of the orchestra. This also helps to create a visual contrast between the two themes of the secondpart. The players can be seated again at bar 97 or bar 121. The soprano soloist can be placed in or in front of the orchestra, depending on what gives the best result. For the conclusion of the work the soprano solo can be sung from afar (from thewings) to create additional atmosphere.This work was composed especially for the "St Joseph" brass band from Pey/Echt (Belgium) with conductor Mark Prils.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£435.40Continental Divide - Stig Nordhagen
The title is "Continental Divide" and it has nothing to do with tectonic plates, but is another word for "Watershed". It is the place where the the water flows in opposite directions. For example, when you drive up a mountain, the water flows downwards, the same does it when you drive down the other side. On top there is usually a water, and it is in this water, or musical idea if you like, that it is a continental divide. What I intend is that in this piece there are some musical motifs that change character and direction. They can be in the foreground and carry the play, or they may be in the background as a countermeasure. It can also be from horizontal lines to vertical. Orrhythmical patterns that dont find their match until far into the piece.
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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£149.40Storsltt - Øystein Olsen Vadsten
"Storsltt" or in English "Grand Nordic Tune" is one of many original pieces written by composer ystein Olsen Vadsten. "Sltt" is a general term for music played to traditional Norwegian dances."Grand Nordic Tune" was a commissioned work for the Rlingen Musikklag's 70-year anniversary concert in 2022, where the piece was premiered. They wanted something a little pompous, and preferably something in the style of Nordic folk music, which the composer is known for. The title in Norwegian then was obvious, "Storsltt", which in Norwegian has a double meaning, both a big tune and, in a double meaning, pompous or magnificent.As usual, the starting point is a traditional Nordic dance form, and this time the choice fell on the distinctive Swedish "polska", which is played in . The dance, despite its name, reportedly has no connection to Poland, but is entirely of Scandinavian origin. It has been danced for centuries, and has also been called the devil's dance, because it had a hypnotizing effect on people, so that they could not stop, but danced themselves to death. Hence people thought that it must have been the devil who caused it.Traditionally, there is a lot of repetition in this type of music, which contributes to this hypnotic effect.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£171.00Passacaglia and Fugue in C-minor BWV 582 - Johann Sebastian Bach
The Passacaglia is a set of instrumental variations based on an ostinato bass. Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C-minor for organ represents the pinnacle of what had been achieved in this compositional form at that time. In Franco Cesarini's arrangement for large wind orchestra, the particularly careful interpretation of the original piece enables him to exploit all the sound colors at his disposal, and in this sumptuous guise Bach's work also takes on a grandiose dimension, albeit tinged with late-Romanticism. The exposition of the beautiful theme begins in the bass part, immediately creating a solemn and serious atmosphere which is accentuated by the intensely pathetic character of the first variations. Up to the tenth variation it remains confined to the bass, but in subsequent ones it also passes to the soprano and alto register. The integrity of the theme is also embellished with elegant arpeggios, in whose lower and higher extensions the theme can be distinguished. Towards the end it returns to the bass in an impressive thickening of the polyphonic texture that swiftly re-establishes the key of C-minor. The "Thema fugatum" which follows immediately does not constitute a Fugue in its own right, rather it is nothing but the twenty-first and most extensive variation of the Passacaglia. This time Bach uses only the first half of the theme, superimposing a rhythmic countersubject that considerably enlivens the entire development of the composition. The polyphonic discourse becomes increasingly dense, until the building tension peaks in a powerful "Neapolitan sixth" chord, followed by a sudden pause. This culminating moment then leads to the coda and final cadence on a bright C-major chord.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£94.99O Christmas Tree
The tradition of the Christmas tree in Western Europe dates back to a time long before any Christianization had taken place. During the severely cold winter nights, so it was believed, evil spirits tried to 'kill' nature. Needle-leaved trees were the only ones which kept their green colour throughout the year, and therefore became symbols of immortality. These 'living' trees, said to be the work of benign spirits, were brought into people's houses to ward off evil, life-threatening powers. In the 14th century people first started to decorate Christmas trees. It was a pagan custom, originated by the inhabitants of Alsace. This custom was taken over by the Church inthe course of the 15th and 16th century. At first the decoration consisted mainly of edibles, such as apples and wafers, but later small presents were added. Legend has it that the reformer Martin Luther was the first person to decorate a Christmas tree with candles. The flickering candle flames were meant to create the image of a starry sky in which Christ's apparition could be recognized. The German organ-player Ernst Anschtz from Leipzig was the first person to notate the song 'O Tannenbaum', the melody being a well-known folk song. Next to 'Stille Nacht' 'O Tannenbaum' is the most famous German Christmas song, now known throughout the world. In the United States of America the melody of 'O Tannenbaum' has even been used in four States (among which the State of Maryland) for their State song. In David Well's arrangement the song is first heard as many of us know it. After this introduction, however, it is transformed into a solid rock version, and the beat has been changed. In the second part the familiar three-four time is back, but here the rhythm is different from the original. After the richly ornamented rock beat the basic theme can be heard once again and the composition is concluded in a festive manner.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£171.00Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor BWV 852 (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Bach, Johann Sebastian - Cesarini, Franco
The Passacaglia is a set of instrumental variations based on an ostinato bass. Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C-minor for organ represents the pinnacle of what had been achieved in this compositional form at that time. In Franco Cesarini's arrangement for large wind orchestra, the particularly careful interpretation of the original piece enables him to exploit all the sound colors at his disposal, and in this sumptuous guise Bach's work also takes on a grandiose dimension, albeit tinged with late-Romanticism. The exposition of the beautiful theme begins in the bass part, immediately creating a solemn and serious atmosphere which is accentuated by the intensely pathetic character of the first variations. Up to the tenth variation it remains confined to the bass, but in subsequent ones it also passes to the soprano and alto register. The integrity of the theme is also embellished with elegant arpeggios, in whose lower and higher extensions the theme can be distinguished. Towards the end it returns to the bass in an impressive thickening of the polyphonic texture that swiftly re-establishes the key of C-minor. The "Thema fugatum" which follows immediately does not constitute a Fugue in its own right, rather it is nothing but the twenty-first and most extensive variation of the Passacaglia. This time Bach uses only the first half of the theme, superimposing a rhythmic countersubject that considerably enlivens the entire development of the composition. The polyphonic discourse becomes increasingly dense, until the building tension peaks in a powerful "Neapolitan sixth" chord, followed by a sudden pause. This culminating moment then leads to the coda and final cadence on a bright C-major chord. Duration: 12.45
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£94.99O Christmas Tree (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Well, David
The tradition of the Christmas tree in Western Europe dates back to a time long before any Christianization had taken place. During the severely cold winter nights, so it was believed, evil spirits tried to 'kill' nature. Needle-leaved trees were the only ones which kept their green colour throughout the year, and therefore became symbols of immortality. These 'living' trees, said to be the work of benign spirits, were brought into people's houses to ward off evil, life-threatening powers. In the 14th century people first started to decorate Christmas trees. It was a pagan custom, originated by the inhabitants of Alsace. This custom was taken over by the Church in the course of the 15th and 16th century. At first the decoration consisted mainly of edibles, such as apples and wafers, but later small presents were added. Legend has it that the reformer Martin Luther was the first person to decorate a Christmas tree with candles. The flickering candle flames were meant to create the image of a starry sky in which Christ's apparition could be recognized. The German organ-player Ernst Anschutz from Leipzig was the first person to notate the song 'O Tannenbaum', the melody being a well-known folk song. Next to 'Stille Nacht' 'O Tannenbaum' is the most famous German Christmas song, now known throughout the world. In the United States of America the melody of 'O Tannenbaum' has even been used in four States (among which the State of Maryland) for their State song. In David Well's arrangement the song is first heard as many of us know it. After this introduction, however, it is transformed into a solid rock version, and the beat has been changed. In the second part the familiar three-four time is back, but here the rhythm is different from the original. After the richly ornamented rock beat the basic theme can be heard once again and the composition is concluded in a festive manner.Duration: 3:15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£76.64Temperamental (Concert Band) Fendall Hill
This work by Fendall Hill was the set test for the 2021 National Brass Band Championships of New Zealand, B Grade. Here it has been adapted for Concert Band. The composer writes: 'J.S. Bach (1685-1750) is deemed by many to be the 'Ulimate Composer'. He added an incredible proportion to the DNA of western music, and his influence is heard in the music of today. Like many artists, he was not overly recognised as a composer during his lifetime, and it took an 1829 performance of the St Matthew Passion by Mendelssohn to ignite a recognition of his place in the music world, a place he has maintained ever since. This piece starts with a similar spark of rediscovery of the music of Bach. It contains arrangements of various works, interspersed with composition based on Bach's chord structures, sections in the style of Bach, and original sections inspired by the moods created along the way. The first section explores the Toccata, and great organ works. This leads into an exploration of his choral works, and a finale based on the Preludes. The word 'Tempered' has different meanings, and all seem to apply to the music of Bach, and these appeal to the musical, engineering and spiritual aspects of my personal life. His music reaches to the humanity and divinity, it has strength, structure and order that creates frameworks in which incredible complexity reigns; and the complexity leads to a wildness, a kind of craziness that represents a range of human moods, and can change without warning. The same piece of music affects people in very different ways. I don't know if it's Bach's music, or us, but it can seem out of control and under control at the same time - the combination is highly temperamental. To view a follow-the-score video of the work please visit: https://youtu.be/6CtYZmCoWIc Sheet music available from: UK: www.wind-band-music.co.uk USA: www.solidbrassmusic.com Difficulty Level: Advanced Instrumentation: Instrumentation: Piccolo Flute 1-2 Oboe Bassoon Clarinet in Bb 1-3 Bass Clarinet in Bb Alto Saxophone 1-2 Tenor Saxophone Baritone Saxophone Trumpet in Bb 1-3 Horn in F 1-4 Trombone 1-2 Bass Trombone Euphonium Tuba Double Bass Timpani Percussion 1-3
In stock: Estimated dispatch 1-3 days
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