Results
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£134.99Bacchanalia - Philip Sparke
Bacchanalia was commissioned by the Yokohama Bacchus Brass Orchestra to celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2019. The band wanted the title of this short opener to reflect the reference to Bacchus in their name, so Bacchanalia was agreed upon. The spirit of the Greek god of wine does indeed permeate the piece, with bustling themes, dance motifs and occasional harmonic ambiguity. A lovely piece of music full of joie de vivre.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£141.99Pulcinella - Philip Sparke
Pulcinella was commissioned by the Taiwanese euphonium player Tzu-Hsiang Lin. Lin is a renowned soloist and teacher and a Besson Euphonium Artist. He teaches euphonium at Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan University of Arts, Shih Chien University and National Kaohsiung Normal University. Lin gave the premiere of Pulcinella in both its concert band and brass band versions in January 2021. Pulcinella continues Sparke's series of euphonium solos named after characters of the Italian commedia dell'arte and opens with a long and expressive minor melody for the soloist over a brooding accompaniment. This is taken up briefly by the full band and is extended by the soloist after a change of key. A cadenza, accompanied by fragments of the main melody leads to a complete change of mood, tempo and tonality, introducing a Vivo section starting with a perky syncopated tune for the soloist. The band then uses elements of this new tune to introduce a change of key, where the soloist introduces a more lyrical second subject over a pulsing accompaniment. The band then takes this up and changes key to reintroduce the original Vivo melody, which leads to a short and acrobatic coda to bring the work to a spectacular close.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£137.99A Little Klezmer Suite - Philip Sparke
A Little Klezmer Suite was commissioned by Rushton Park High School to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their band programme. They gave the premiere in a virtual online concert in October 2020. Klezmer music originated in the 'shtetl' (villages) and the ghettos of Eastern Europe, where itinerant Jewish troubadours, known as 'klezmorim', had performed at celebrations, particularly weddings, since the early Middle Ages. 'Klezmer' is a Yiddish term combining the Hebrew words 'kley' (instrument) and 'zemer' (song). The roots of the style are found in secular melodies, popular dances, Jewish 'hazanut' (cantorial music) and also the 'nigunim', the wordless melodies intoned by the 'Hasidim' (orthodox Jews). The melodies used in the four movements of A Little Klezmer Suite have traditionally been used in Jewish wedding ceremonies and celebrations.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£91.99Guardians of the Waves - Philip Sparke
Guardians of the Waves was commissioned by the Japan Coast Guard Band to celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2018. They gave the premiere as part of a 30th anniversary concert on November 8th that year. Set in traditional march form, Guardians of the Waves opens with a short introduction, which leads to the main theme, played initially by the brass and then repeated with a florid woodwind descant. The theme is extended and morphs into a second theme, first played tutti and then quietly repeated by bassoon, tenor sax and euphonium. This leads to a conventional 'bass strain', played twice with varying accompaniments. A quieter trio section follows, delicately scored and featuring the tenor instruments of the band. Taken up by the full band, this leads back to a recall of the introduction and a return to the main two themes, which lead to a triumphal close.Recorded by the Kobe College Wind Orchestra and its conductor Osama Matsuura
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£72.99Nobles of the Mystic Shrine - John Philip Sousa
Sousa composed this march at the request of his nephew, who was sponsoring his uncle's entrance into the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in 1922. The following year, the march received its premiere in Washington D.C., under the largest band ever led by Sousa, comprised of no fewer than 6,200 Shriners. This medium-level arrangement by Charles L. Booker, Jr. makes this classic march more accessible to bands, with scoring for modern instrumental forces and transposition to an easier key.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£137.99Olympus - Philip Harper
Olympus consists of three parts, for which the composer drew inspiration from ancient Greek myths, goddesses and traditional festivals, as well as the Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius", Latin for "Faster, Higher,Stronger".
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£91.99March Prelude: Alnwick Town - Philip Sparke
March Prelude: Alnwick Town was commissioned by the Alnwick Playhouse Concert Band (with Ray Thompson as conductor) to celebrate their first 25 years. It opens majestically with answering phrases between various sections of the band, leading to a faster march-like section its main theme echoes the rhythms of the opening material. A bridge passage featuring snippets for saxophones and trumpets leads to a new theme, more legato in nature and repeated after a change of key. The bridge passage returns to herald a restatement of the main theme before the opening material reappears to close the work with a flourish.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£84.99Easy Lover
This song, performed by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey, was a smash hit in most of Europe and North America. The peculiar video - a video making a video of making a video stood out from the crowd and helped elevate the song to a No. 1 and all-time hit. Collins' legendary songwriting talent and longstanding career in the music industry has made him a name known by all generations. An ideal song for any concert!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£106.99Desert Dances - Philip Sparke
Henderson is a city in Clark County, Nevada, just southeast of Las Vegas and surrounded by desert: this was the inspiration for the title. Desert Dances opens with a lively introduction, mostly in 3/4, which pervades the faster sections of the piece. This subsides to introduce a slower dance which expands to a full-band climax. The introduction soon returns and leads to the main theme of the piece, a waltz-like melody played by the full ensemble. A short bridge passage follows, which leads to a legato central theme. This is played twice and heralds the return of the main theme and a short coda which closes the work. An imaginative work for concert or contest with nice featuresthroughout all groups of the band.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£152.99Aurora Dances - Philip Sparke
Aurora Dances was commissioned by the Hong Kong-based Winter Band Festival, and consists of three movements, to be played without a break. 'Aurora Borealis' opens with florid woodwind figures and highlights different sections of the band in turn. The second movement 'Aurora Australis' leads to a sombre chorale, which builds to a full-band climax. The finale 'Aurora Dances' is characterised by rhythmic, dance-like themes. A central section features a contrasting legato melody, but this doesn't dispel the energetic feel of the opening, which returns to close the work.Recorded by the Kobe College Wind Orchestra and its conductor Satoshi Yagisawa
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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