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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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  • £84.99

    An Old Swedish Hymn Wind Band Set (Score & Parts)

    Klaas van der Woude has based his arrangement An Old Swedish Hymn on an old pastoral hymn from Dalarna. This beautiful melody even attracted ABBA as they used it as the opening music for some of their concerts. Van der Woude's arrangement is in classical style making it suitable for any occasion.

    Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days

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  • £105.00

    Danceries (Set I) (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Hesketh, Kenneth

    The term 'Danceries' can be found in a copy of Playford's Dancing Master, an extensive collection of folk and popular tunes of the seventeenth century (and no doubt earlier). This publication was used by master fiddle players to teach the various dance steps of the day to a nobleman's house or a king's court. Whilst this present set of 'Danceries' cannot be said to be an aid to terpsichorean agility, it will at least set feet tapping! The melodies themselves are a mixture of new and old--well, nearly. Where the old occurs it has been adapted in mood and composition and is often interspersed with completely new material. The harmonies and rhythms bring a breath of the new into these themes and add to the drama of the set.Movement 1: Lull me beyond thee. Gentle and lilting, almost a barcarole, this movement is very much a reverie. The original tune had the name 'Poor Robin's Maggot' - a rather disconcerting title; maggot, however, in seventeenth-century parlance meant whim or fancy. This theme can also be found in The Beggar's Opera by John Gay (first performed in 1728) under the title 'Would you have a young lady' (Air 21).Movement 2: Catching of Quails. A colourful, buoyant scherzo on an original melody. The thematic material is shuttled around the band to contrast with full-bodied tuttis. The last few bars fade away to almost nothing before a final surprise!Movement 3: My Lady's Rest. A tender pavane, also on an original theme, with Moorish leanings. Solos for principal winds and brass contrast with warmer tutti passages. The movement culminates with a final presentation of the theme before evaporating in held flute and trumpet chords.Movement 4: Quodling's delight. The final movement to the set combining one of the melodies from Playford's Dancing Master ('Goddesses') with an original contrasting melody. A dramatic and exuberant ending to the set of 'Danceries'.Duration: 12.00

    Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
  • £57.50

    Old Churches - Michael Colgrass

    Gregorian chant is one of the earliest forms of notated music, using free flowing rhythms and simple melody. In Old Churches, composer Michael Colgrass uses these elements to create an aura of voices echoing in the monastery. Using easy graphic notation, students have a fun and creative way to explore sound production along with the compositional process. (Includes score and parts.) Learn more at YouTube. 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
  • £242.50

    Labyrinth for Symphonic Band (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Aagaard-Nilsen, Torstein

    I wrote Labyrinth to celebrate the 450th anniversary for the city of Fredrikstad. The Danish king Fredrik II agreed to establish a new town further down the river Glomma, to make it easier to defend from the Swedes. The piece is a network of quotations mixed with my own pitch material. My versions of the quoted melodies are not authentic, and sometimes hard to recognize. However, the different quotations give the music an aura of tonality. For example, a dance tune composed by the Flemish composer Mattheus Le Maistre (1505-1577). The melody also occurs in the first danish book of hymns written after the reformation. Since Norway for 400 years was a part of Denmark and everybody had to write and read Danish, they used much of the same music, too. I also use regular Danish hymn tunes and quote from a religious folk song from the area around Fredrikstad. The military signals I use are authentic (for example, The Old Danish March), and I am very sure they were used in the Old Town (the fortress) of Fredrikstad. The drums quote from The Downfall of Paris. This could have been heard played by professional soldiers hired by the Swedes from Scotland. This edition is a revised version made in 2020. - Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen. Duration: 23.00

    Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days

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  • £149.99

    Suite Provencale (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Van der Roost, Jan

    This 4-movement suite is based on authentic folk tunes from the beautiful southern province in France: the "Provence". The composer used an harmonic language respecting the popular characteristics, but on the other hand also contains some "spicy" notes (...just like the well known "Provencal sauce"!...). The instrumentation is very colourful, paying a lot of attention to the different timbres of both brass and wood winds as well as to the percussion section. Every movement has its own character: "Un Ange a fa la crido" (= An angel brought the creed/credo) is like a bourree, "Adam e sa Coumpagnou" (= Adam and his companion) is an old love song, "Lou Fustie" (= the carpenter) a fast dance and finally "Lis Escoubo" (= a whistle tune / popular ballad) is a farandole. In the latter, the old tradition of folk musicians who play a whistle with one hand and a drum with the other hand, is clearly represented during the first presentations of the one and only theme)Although this piece is not too demanding, a well balanced band is necessary to perform it successfully. Thanks to the contrasts and the varying colours, it keeps on holding the attention.Duration: 7:15

    Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days

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  • £53.95

    Jolly Old King Jingle Bells

    "Jolly Old King Jingle Bells" is a charming mash-up of three holiday classics and a perfect addition to your holiday concert! Quarter note melodies in the winds make this piece accessible to the young band. Have fun identifying the three carols with your students. Celebrate the holiday spirit with this fun and clever piece!

    Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
  • £82.50

    Jammin' Old St. Nicholas - John Prescott

    Imagine that Santa gets a part-time job playing drums in a classic rock band, and the result might sound something like this. The melodies, harmonies, and riffs are patterned after rock and roll songs and are use to accompany this upbeat treatment of the holiday classic Jolly Old St. Nicholas. The drum set is emulated by separate percussion parts, but an actual drum set can be used, maybe with Santa himself (or someone in a Santa suit) playing the set.

    Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
  • £65.99

    The Old Castle - Modest Mussorgsky

    Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition" has captured the imaginations of musicians worldwide over the past century. Robert W. Smith has created a new and unique setting of the beautiful and poignant "Old Castle" for the concert band. Beginning with a quote from the "Promenade," the listener is transported into a different world that is highlighted by one of the most beautiful melodies in all of music. Performable by bands of varying levels, the musical teaching opportunities in this work will place this in your standard repertoire. Beautiful, emotional and exceptionally scored!

    Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days

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  • £224.99

    The Miracle (The Passion of Saint Margaret) (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Appermont, Bert

    This work was inspired by the 3rd/4th century legend of Margaret of Antioch. Margaret was very devout, and lived as a shepherdess in the countryside. When the city prefect Olybrius proposed to her, on the condition that she would give up her faith, she refused and was eventually put to death. To evoke the archaic early-medieval atmosphere, Bert Appermont has used two Gregorian Kyries. In addition, influences from old music (such as old modes and parallel fifths) and Carl Orff's work are present. This four movement piece is an epic symphonic poem-like work with an incredible expressiveness and is ideal for a thematic concert or a contest.Duration: 17.30

    Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days

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