Results
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£122.50Mercury Rising - Philip Sparke
Mercury Rising was commissioned by sinfonisches blasorchester wehdel and its conductor Thomas Ratzek, to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2018. They premiered this piece in their half-century concert on 2nd November 2018 in the Bremerhaven Stadttheater in Germany. Designed as a virtuosic and lively opener, Mercury Rising opens with nervous energy and driving, syncopated rhythms in a blaze of colour. The horns and saxophones then introduce a broad melody, which the trumpets subsequently take up after a change of tonality. A quieter moment introduces a distant fanfare on muted horns over bubbling semiquavers in the low clarinets. This is interrupted by a passionate tenor melody but soon returns on the full brass section, accompanied by echoes of the opening woodwind figuration, and is extended to bring the piece to a triumphant close.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£164.99A Centennial Journey - Philip Sparke
A Centennial Journey was commissioned by the Norwegian ensemble Stavanger Musikkorps av 1919 to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2019. The work was premiered under conductor Morten E. Hansen at their Jubilee Concert in the Stavanger Konserthus on 28th September 2019. The piece opens dramatically with a sweeping melody on horns and saxophones under florid woodwind figuration, building to a majestic climax. A trio for the trombones calms the mood until the opening melody returns in a gentler style, eventually building to a busy molto vivo. The woodwind figuration continues over a series of brass trios until the main theme of the work appears on clarinets and euphoniums. This develops to introduce a change of key, featuring a long, hymn-like melody on clarinets and horns. The melody is then taken up by the full band, interspersed with sporadic brass fanfares. The opening of the molto vivo returns and leads to a return of the opening horn melody, building to a thrilling coda based on previous melodic material.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£118.99North Hills Fantasy - Philip Sparke
North Hills Fantasy was commissioned by the North Hills High School Bands, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (director: Len Lavelle) as part of a commissioning programme that has run since 1965 - the longest of its kind in the USA. The work opens with a reflective, unaccompanied solo for alto saxophone which develops into a chorale for horns and saxes. This is taken up by the trumpets and subsides to a change of key and mood, with highly decorated folk-like solos for clarinet, bassoon and saxes. These solos build to a climax for full band, which heralds a triumphant return of the horn chorale, accompanied by florid woodwind figuration. But the mood soon winds down; fragments of earlier melodies return calmly to peacefully close the work.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£137.99Highland Dawn - Philip Sparke
Highland Dawn portrays a sunrise in the Scottish Highlands, where stunning mountain scenery and clear air create a special atmosphere. A faster central section describes the area coming to life as the day begins, using the Scotch 'snaps' which are characteristic of traditional bagpipe music; but the serenity of the opening returns to bring the work to a peaceful close.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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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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£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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£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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£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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