Results
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£264.99
Panoptikum - Thomas Doss
Armin Schaer commissioned this work in his search for a new piece for the tuba. More specifically, he wanted a work that showed off the versatility of this splendid instrument, written in a musical style that is both fresh and modern, while not banishing the orchestra to a simple supporting role. Taking all these specifications into account, Thomas Doss created a work that allows stylistic leaps and is fun, exciting, romantic, and virtuosic, but does not lose sight of the thread that connects the opening measures to the very last.Armin Schaer describes his Panoptikum as follows:Panoptikum is a show of appreciation for my beautiful home and community at LakeConstance, an eventful life, the people that have enriched this life, and a fascinating instrument: the tuba. This work musically embodies the many different moods found around theBodensee - cheerfulness and melancholy, departures and longing, calm and agitation. The roles of the soloist and the orchestra were consciously crafted in a way that does not follow the usual conventions of the genre. The work should spark emotions, address broad segments of listeners, and persuade them of the tuba's ability to be a solo instrument as well as the richness symphonic wind ensembles have to offer. I hope this work enriches the lives of all the soloists and orchestras that cross its path, as well as everyone in the audience who gets to partake!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£137.70
Den store dagen - Benny Borg
This beautiful song contains a huge contrast between the hopeful and the disappointing. A mother has her birthday and is waiting her children to celebrate it. Each verse starts optimistically, but the short chorus is characterized by the disappointment, that everyone calls, and cannot come. This has been tried recreated musically, mostly in the last two choruses, as it dawns on her that she will not receive a visit. It's a beautiful tune, but with a serious message that it's easy to take someone for granted.One of the elements the musicians came up with after rehearsal, was that they really liked the change between the ballad parts with even eights and the swing parts. This also gives the piece a sense of "parlando" character, which tells a story, and is therefore important to focus. It is not quite simple, as the melody also in those parts with even eights has some triplet rhythms. Therefore, this is a topic you can work on.Regarding instrumentation, Flugelhorn, Alto Saxophone and Euphonium have important roles, in addition to the rest of the first parts in the Band. The arrangement is written so you are not depending on "special" instruments. Important details are also often duplicated so you can use the arrangement for a smaller Wind Band.It is also possible to use a vocal soloist, but then you must soften the instruments that holds the melody.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.95
Timepiece (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Wiffin, Rob
Timepiece is a challenging work full of driving rhythms and relentless energy. It started life as the first movement of The Sands of Time, a commissioned work for clarinet choir. Because of the time limits of the commission, Wiffin could not develop the material as much as he had wanted to. He rescored it for wind band and included it as the first movement of a suite, but it did not sit well there because of its difficulty. Now re-worked and extended, the driving rhythms and many changes of time that give the piece its name are now balanced by a quieter, tranquil central section in 3/4. It is not easy, but most of the difficulty lies in the reading of the music rather than in any particular technical problems. It is recorded on on the RAF CD, Music in the Air.Duration: 6.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£154.95
Two Poems of Robert Frost - David Campo
Robert Frost (1874 - 1963) was one of the most popular, widely read and honored American poets of the 20th century; the two of his poems arguably most popular in the mainstream are "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" and "The Road Not Taken." On the surface, these two poems appear quite different; "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" is contemplative, set in the quietude of a winter night's snow, while "The Road Not Taken" is decisive, kinetic and brightly lit by a morning sun. These similarities and differences resonated deeply with the composer, and the opportunity to set recurring themes and melodies in such contrasting musical environments was the impetus and inspiration for this two movement work. Both movements conjure the remarkably different atmospheres of the respective poems but are interconnected thematically, giving the work cohesion and depth. Both are strikingly colorful and evocative. While the poems are not set literally, there are recurring allusions to the words present in the rhythm, particularly in the phrase "and miles to go before I sleep," as this line seems to especially reflect the physical and spiritual duality of both poems.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£159.99
Ouverture To The Three Angels - Jelle Tasseyns
This overture was written in 2000 and pays homage to the composer Paul Hindemith. The composition is based on "Es sungen drei Engel. The song dates back to the 12th century and was originally a Christmas carol. Mahler used this melody in his 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn' and in the finale of his third symphony. Paul Hindemith also uses this melody as a chorale in the 'Engelkonzert' of his 'Mathis der Maler' symphony. This melody is not only used extensively in the 'Overture to The Three Angels', it also forms the main theme of the entire central piece. In this central piece, the melody can first be heard as a fugue by the woodwind instruments and then by the brass instruments andultimately ends in a grand tutti which features all the themes of the entire work. The first and the last part of the composition are not based directly on the chorale melody but constitute a contemporary commentary of the central part. These are not literal references but rather the sounds of the heralds.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£179.99
Outback - Thomas Doss
This work was commissioned by the "-sterreichische Blasmusikjugend" (Austrian Brass Band Association - Young Musicians).The Aboriginal indigenous people of Australia are among the oldest surviving human cultures. The arrival of the Europeans markedtheir decline and endangered their existence. The many secrets the Aborigines hold served as inspiration for this work. Aboriginal SpiritOver many centuries, the Aboriginal people have cultivated a unique ability to live in harmony with theworld around them. Maintaining the delicate balance between their trinity - nature, man, and creation - is an important factor for bliss and happiness.Primeval Sound and Dreamtime The tens of thousands-year-old stories from the era calledDreamtime - the Aborigines' creation myth - play an important role in not only their beliefs, but their everyday lives and laws as well. Ancestral worship and various other rituals and ceremonies are still held in high regard to this veryday.Running HunterThe Aborigines are extremely skilful hunters and are able to run for extended periods of time when chasing their prey. Hunting weapons, such as the boomerang, exemplify their abilities.Uluru (Red Rock)Uluru, also knownas Ayers Rock, is a natural sandstone "inselberg" rising 348m above Australia's plains, and is one of the country's most recognisable icons. Uluru is also a sacred place for the local Aborigines. Its history stretches back to Dreamtime, although itdid not exist in its current state at that time.Encounter with the White MenUnfortunately, the "White Men" did not realize the significance and importance of the Aborigines and their culture until the end of the 20th century. Before then, theywere unaware that the Aborigines were quite possibly one of the oldest known cultures on earth, with a seamless history stretching back to creation itself; Dreamtime. BushfireFire has been present on the Australian continent for millions ofyears. Many of the indigenous flora and fauna have needed to adapt to fire, and evolution has led to unique solutions for survival. Over time, a complex symbiotic relationship has grown between life and the continually returning bushfire.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£95.99
5 Tantum Ergo (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Bruckner, Anton - Doss, Thomas
Anton Bruckner (b. 4.9.1824, Ansfelden, d. 11.10.1896, Vienna) didn't have it easy. Throughout his life, the Austrian composer was plagued by self-doubt. Anton Bruckner came from a simple, rural background. After the death of his father, he was accepted as a choirboy at the monastery of Sankt Florian in 1837. After several years as a school assistant and his own organ and piano studies, he first worked as organist in St. Florian, then from 1855 as cathedral organist in Linz. Introduced to music theory and instrumentation by Simon Sechter and Otto Kitzler, he discovered Richard Wagner as an artistic role model, whom he admired throughout his life and also visited several times in Bayreuth. In 1868 Anton Bruckner became professor of basso continuo, counterpoint and organ at the Vienna Conservatory; ten years later court organist; and in 1891 finally honorary doctor of the University of Vienna. He was considered an important organ virtuoso of his era, but had to wait a long time for recognition as a composer. It was not until Symphony No.7 in E major, composed between 1881 and 1883, with the famous Adagio written under the effects of Wagner's death, that he achieved the recognition he had hoped for, even if he was reluctant to accept it given his inclination towards scepticism and self-criticism. Anton Bruckner was a loner who did not want to follow a particular school or doctrine. He composed numerous sacred vocal works, such as his three masses, the Missa Solemnis in B flat minor (1854), the Te Deum (1881-84) and numerous motets. As a symphonic composer, he wrote a total of nine symphonies and many symphonic studies from 1863 onwards, tending to revise completed versions several times over. Bruckner's orchestral works were long considered unplayable, but in fact were merely exceptionally bold for the tonal language of their time, uniting traditions from Beethoven through Wagner to folk music, on the threshold between late Romanticism and Modernism. Hymns for four-part mixed choir a cappella (1846, St. Florian) No. 1 in E flat major (WAB 41/3): Quite Slow No. 2 in C major (WAB 41/4): Andante No. 3 in B flat major (WAB 41/1): Slow No. 4 in A flat major (WAB 41/2): Slow Hymn for five-part (SSATB) mixed choir and organ No. 5 in D major: Solemnly They are simple works, completely subordinate to their liturgical use, which nevertheless already show numerous characteristics of personal expression. These small pieces were able to stand up to the harsh scrutiny of the mature master: in 1888, Bruckner subjected them to a revision in which he made only minor corrections.Duration: 11.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£163.99
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Schwarz, Otto M.
Stories, sagas and legends--who among us don't know them? Always delivered with a tinge of brutality, these cautionary tales are a legacy of moral education from times past: inquisitive children alone in the forest are generally eaten by a witch; the 'Soup-Kasper' of Hoffmann's Struwwelpeter dies from starvation rather than eating his soup; anyone letting in strangers usually gets devoured; anyone who plays with matches gets burned; and thumb-suckers get their thumbs cut off. The list of unfortunate demises is almost endless.In the tale of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, parents lose their children through greed, ridicule, scorn and a failure to appreciate art. There is still a street in the town of Hamelin in which neither drumming nor playing has not been allowed since 130 children disappeared into a mountain, never to be seen again. This composition by Otto M. Schwarz opens with exactly this scene, taking us back to the year 1284. As in many towns at the time, Hamelin in Germany suffered with hygiene problems--rats and mice began to multiply rapidly, and the town was overrun with the plague. There appeared a man dressed in colourful clothes who promised the locals to free them from this burden. They agreed and settled on a fee. Then the man pulled out a pipe and began to play. When the rats and mice heard this, they followed him. He led the animals into the Weser River, where they all drowned. Back in town, the people refused to pay him. They didn't recognise this man's skills and knowledge and were only prepared to pay for simple labour. A pact with the devil was made, which led to the Pied Piper leaving the town in a furious rage. One Sunday, when many people were at church, he returned, took out his flute and began to play. The town's children were so enchanted by his playing that they followed him. He led them out of the town and disappeared with them forever into a mountain forever. Of all the children, only two survived--however one was mute, and one was blind. In the street from which the children left Hamelin, music may no longer be played in memory of this event. The work may be performed in two different versions: 1. Purely instrumental (without narrator)--the GPs (pauses) must be kept short 2. With narrator--he speaks in the GPs but not during the music.Duration: 14.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£37.95
The Year of the Dragon (Prestige Concert Band - Score only) - Sparke, Philip
The 2017 version of The Year of the Dragon was commissioned by the Siena Wind Orchestra and given its world premiere on June 17th 2017 in Bunkyo Civic Hall, Tokyo, conducted by the composer.The original wind band arrangement of The Year of the Dragon was made in 1985, a year after the composer wrote the brass band version. At that time he was still learning the intricacies of writing for wind band (and still is!) and in the 32 years which have elapsed since then, his approach to scoring for the medium has developed and, hopefully, improved.Here are the main differences between the two versions:In the 1980's, the wind band movement was much less international than it is now. British wind bands were still to some extent based on the military band tradition of the time, which tended to use rather smaller instrumentation than the then-dominant American university model. The new version embraces a much more international instrumentation, including low woodwinds and string bass, as well as an expanded percussion section.In the original version there was a touch of naivety in the way the composer wrote for the woodwinds; much of their articulation was transferred too literally from the brass version, resulting in some unidiomatic writing, which he has tried to improve in the new version.In addition to the above, Philip's own compositional style has matured and developed in the intervening 32 years. There are some passages in the original which he simply would not write today - not because they are 'wrong', but because his way of writing has changed. The new version is perhaps how he would have written it today, rather than simply dressing the original version in new clothes.The work is in three movements:Toccata opens with an arresting side drum figure and snatches of themes from various sections of the band, which try to develop until a broad and powerful theme from the middle of the band asserts itself. A central dance-like section soon gives way to the return of this theme, which subsides until faint echoes of the opening material fade to a close.Interlude takes the form of a sad and languid solo for alto saxophone. A chorale for the whole band introduces a brief spell of optimism but the saxophone solo returns to close the movement quietly.Finale is a real tour-de-force for the band with a stream of rapid semi-quavers running throughout the movement. The main theme is heroic and march-like but this is interspersed with lighter, more playful episodes. A distant fanfare to the sound of bells is introduced and this eventually returns to bring the work to a stirring close.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£199.95
The Year of the Dragon (Prestige Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Sparke, Philip
The 2017 version of The Year of the Dragon was commissioned by the Siena Wind Orchestra and given its world premiere on June 17th 2017 in Bunkyo Civic Hall, Tokyo, conducted by the composer.The original wind band arrangement of The Year of the Dragon was made in 1985, a year after the composer wrote the brass band version. At that time he was still learning the intricacies of writing for wind band (and still is!) and in the 32 years which have elapsed since then, his approach to scoring for the medium has developed and, hopefully, improved.Here are the main differences between the two versions:In the 1980's, the wind band movement was much less international than it is now. British wind bands were still to some extent based on the military band tradition of the time, which tended to use rather smaller instrumentation than the then-dominant American university model. The new version embraces a much more international instrumentation, including low woodwinds and string bass, as well as an expanded percussion section.In the original version there was a touch of naivety in the way the composer wrote for the woodwinds; much of their articulation was transferred too literally from the brass version, resulting in some unidiomatic writing, which he has tried to improve in the new version.In addition to the above, Philip's own compositional style has matured and developed in the intervening 32 years. There are some passages in the original which he simply would not write today - not because they are 'wrong', but because his way of writing has changed. The new version is perhaps how he would have written it today, rather than simply dressing the original version in new clothes.The work is in three movements:Toccata opens with an arresting side drum figure and snatches of themes from various sections of the band, which try to develop until a broad and powerful theme from the middle of the band asserts itself. A central dance-like section soon gives way to the return of this theme, which subsides until faint echoes of the opening material fade to a close.Interlude takes the form of a sad and languid solo for alto saxophone. A chorale for the whole band introduces a brief spell of optimism but the saxophone solo returns to close the movement quietly.Finale is a real tour-de-force for the band with a stream of rapid semi-quavers running throughout the movement. The main theme is heroic and march-like but this is interspersed with lighter, more playful episodes. A distant fanfare to the sound of bells is introduced and this eventually returns to bring the work to a stirring close.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days