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£174.99The Legend of Flathead Lake Wind Band Set (Score & Parts)
In Scotland, the monster of Loch Ness is a hot issue, but the American state of Montana enjoys a comparable phenomenon going by the name of Montana Nessie. In the western part of this remote state lies Flathead Lake: a lake of 45 kilometres /38 miles in lenght and 24 kilometres /15 miles breath. At several places, its depth exeeds 100 metres.Nessies discovery takes us back to the year 1889, when captain James Kerr aboard the passengership U.S.Grant was startled by a ship unknown to him suddenly approaching his vessel across Flathead Lake. However, it turned out not to be a ship but an undefinable animal of immense size.From that moment onwards, life would never be the same again in and around Flathead Lake.The composer was inspired by the story, and summarized the events into a symphonic poem, but from a surprising angle:that of the monster. The exiting opening allows us to follow the monster in its natural surroundings.The fast follow-up movement depicts Montana Nessie trotting and frolicking about the Montana woods and prairies.From its abode, it thorougly enjoys everything around it. This period abruptly ends in a short climax (Chimes). The solo for cor anglais marks a new period in the monsters life.The presence of people has a paralizing effect and the apprehensive atmosphere of the slow movement may be felt profoundly.The monster observes and mildly teases the ship. Abhor sounds force the ship to a withdrawal.The moving musical continuation depicts the triumphant monster dancing an ironic waltz. The monsters fear and anger at the intrusion of his freedom run through the piece like continuous threads, and develop into the works final theme. 12:00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£154.99
The Power of the Megatsunami Wind Band Set (Score & Parts)
The word 'tsunami' is of Japanese origin. When you look it up in a dictionary, you will find that it means 'a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption'. A megatsunami is the superlative of this awesome expression of power that nature can create, and has catastrophic consequences. When Carl Wittrock completed this composition not many such big earth movements had occurred, but since then we have become all too familiar with the disastrous consequences which a tsunami may have. On the 26th of December 2004 a heavy seaquake took place near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Tidal waves 10 meters in height ravaged the coastal regions of many countries for miles around. The tsunami took the lives of thousands of people and destroyed many villages and towns. There are more areas which run the risk of being struck by a tsunami, such as the island of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands. This island is based on oceanic crust at a fracture zone and as such is one of nature's time bombs. The consequences of a natural calamity like a megatsunami are immense. In the case of La Palma, the tidal wave will move in the direction of South America, where it may reach 50 km inland, destroying everything on its way. In his composition Wittrock describes an ordinary day which will have an unexpected ending. Right from the beginning there seems to be something in the air, the music creating an oppressive atmosphere of impending disaster. Themes are interrupted, broken off suddenly, followed by silence, suggesting the calm before the storm. Suddenly a short climax (glissandi in the trombone part) indicates the seaquake, and the megatsunami is a fact. Hereafter follows a turbulent passage symbolising the huge rolling waves. After nature's force has spent itself, resignation sets in and the composition ends with a majestic ode to nature. 10:30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£148.00Waterfall - Gauthier Dupertuis
Gauthier Dupertuis was inspired to write the main theme of Waterfall by a stroll near a waterfall that is the pride of his hometown. This piece, composed during lockdown due to Covid-19, is also a reflection on homesickness. Waterfall also expresses the composer's feelings about enjoying a welcome break and return to his roots, which enabled him to spend more time with his loved ones. For him, this waterfall is a symbol: it's not the same water that flows there, but the waterfall is still there, the same as it was when he was a child, like a witness to times gone by. Waterfall is a work with a certain sentimental value for the composer in that it was his very first real composition.The work was premiered on 9th October 2020 by the Wind Band Societat Musical 'La Constncia' of Moixent (Spain) and was conducted by Jos Alberto Pina.
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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£144.99Serenata - Jan van der Roost
While composing Serenata, Jan Van der Roost didn't focus too much on virtuosity, acrobatics or spectacle. Instead, he wanted to let the solo instrument shine as a melodic and expressive voice. And indeed: the warm sound of the euphonium touches the heart of the audience straight away in the first section with a melodious theme. Then follows a rigaudon, a noble and elegant dance from the Renaissance era. Despite the fact that some of the variations on the main theme require some technique and agility, the overall character mostly remains songful. The composition as a whole builds further on these two musical ingredients, but thanks to a clever alternation of melodic and technical passages, it offers a nice stylistic diversity to the listeners. The band is definitely not 'just accompanying' but fully participates and begins a dialogue with the soloist: both musical partners have their say. The end is more spectacular and sonorous, giving an extra boost of energy to the soloist as well as the band in a grand finale!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£105.80Magellano - Andrea Moncalvo
This composition was written on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the death of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer (1480 - 1521), who embarked on what would have become the first circumnavigation of the globe. Unfortunately, he did not complete it because, in 1521, he was killed in the region that is today the Philippines. This adventure triggered various images in the author's mind; evocations that the composer elaborated in this piece, which is in a tripartite form (A B A) and is introduced and concluded by a solemn fanfare evoking the departure of the expedition, consisting of 5 ships with a total of 234 crewmen. The first part (Allegro) presents a main theme with a cantabile character that describes the fleet that, intrepid, plows the ocean. This initial melody is then contrasted by a more rhythmic and syncopated theme in a minor key, which instead refers to the indigenous peoples they have encountered during the journey. The central section (Adagio) is an oasis of reflection because, as in other great adventures, this too has tragic aspects: mutinies, shipwrecks, clashes with indigenous peoples, up to the disappearance of those who had desired and planned this enterprise. The last part proposes the themes of the first section but in reverse order, to describe the return to the homeland. The solemn fanfare welcomes the arrival of the Victoria, the only surviving ship with only 18 men on board, which returns to the port of departure after completing the circumnavigation of the earth in 2 years, 11 months, and 17 days.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£159.99Guardian Angels - Kevin Houben
Guardian Angels gives a musical expression to the legend of Reverend Louis Henri Bhler referring to the use of Psalm 34.North-west Veluwe and in particular Oldebroek (The Netherlands) has a very rich religious tradition which is demonstrated by its monumental churches. They tell the story of a stirring history in which Reverend Bhler played a crucial role. Inspired by his arrival as a pastor in 1870 in the neighbouring Oosterwolde, two big religious communities came into existence with their characteristic churches but this rivalry also resulted in great social unrest.This composition reflects on this striking personality and in particular on the story of the Angel Guard.'One evening Reverend Bhler has given a sermon in Oldebroek and he walks over the Church path through the pastures to Oosterwolde. On this dark and stormy evening Bhler's opponents are waiting for the pastor in ambush. They want to drown him in a watercourse near the Church path but abandon their plan because Bhler is accompanied by two men. The next day it comes to an encounter between Bhler and his opponents. They repent their, fortunately unexecuted , plan. Bhler firmly believes that on the previous night he walked alone over the Church path, and was not accompanied by two men. It was concluded that it must have been the angels who had protected Bhler.'Psalm 34 is central to this composition and this because of its powerful melody but also because the lyrics of verse 4 of the rhymed version fit in well with the special legend of Reverend Bhler:The Lord's angel gathered round himAn invincible heavenly guard,Who tries God's will, around himSo he's well guard(ed)A second melodious and harmonic cell is a musical transformation of the name 'Bhler'. This cell is varied in major and minor third chords and sometimes used as the main idea or apotheosis, but also serves as an accompanying cell or as a bridge between other melodic and rhythmic constructions.The composition was made possible by contributions of: Mr Evert van de Poll, owner of the Van Gelder Groep, Het Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Gelderland en Het Feteris Oosterbaan Fonds.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£435.40Goldberg 2012 - Svein H. Giske
The first time I heard Bach's Goldberg Variations was in the movie Silence of the lambs, in the early 1990s. I noticed the beautiful background music in one of the scenes, but at that time I didn't know what it was. A few years later, when I was studiying at the Grieg Academy, I got to know the entire piece. For me, this is a piece of music which I can listen to countless times. I think it sounds as fresh today as it did more than 15 years ago and it never ceases to inspire me. Both Bach's composition and Glenn Gould's famous 1955 recording (which was the first one I heard) still makes a great impression on me. Before Gould recorded it at age 22, it wasn't a highly ranked piece amongst pianists and Bach was by many viewed as a bit old-fashioned. The young Canadian turned all this around. He managed to portray Bach in a reformed way, producing fine nuances in phrasing and making the many layers in Bach's music more transparent than anyone before him. Thus he plunged both himself and Bach (back) onto the international music scene. When The Norwegian Band Federation (NMF) asked me to write the test piece for NM in 2012, it was only natural for me to use the Goldberg Variations as a starting point and inspiration for my work. Since I was a teenager at NMF's summer courses in the mid eighties I've always listened to many different styles of music. Growing up in Sunnmre with the Brazz Brothers as teachers and mentors, jazz-, pop/rock- and folk music were early on a natural part of my musical background. I also have my classical education from the Grieg Academy on trumpet. As the title of my piece implies, I've wanted to bring Bach to the present and put his music into various modern musical landscapes. I think you can bring about a special kind of energy when music from different genres are mixed and I've tried to do this by mixing Bach with artists and musical styles from the present. In Goldberg 2012, the music is often constructed by several layers, which in a way are living parallel musical lives. They are seemingly moving or floating freely, almost unaware of each other, but bound together by the same basic pulse. The rythms, however, are often notated on a different rythmic subdivision level than the usual 8th- or 16th note levels. By doing this, I hope to achieve transparent sounds that rythmically are perceived as more free and detached from each other. In large sections of the piece, pop/jazz is fusioned with elements from Bach. I guess you could have this little scene as a synopsis for the piece: picture a group of musicians meeting: some are classical performers, some are jazz. They start to improvise together, each in their own voice or musical dialect and I'm sort of in the middle, trying to write down what they are playing. This is what I feel much of Goldberg 2012 is about. The foundation of the piece, in addition to Bach and references from pop/jazz music, lies also in my own material. This material, basically two chords, is heard in it's purest form in the 1st movement. I use these chords to create scales, new chords and different motifs which contribute to blend together the different moods of the piece. It has not been my intention to copy Bach's form (theme and 30 variations), but rather to use the bits and pieces that I like the most as an inspiration for my own variations. The 1st movement, Aria 2, is for my 3rd son, Olav, who was born on the 21st of April 2011, and the 5th movement, From long ago, is dedicated to the memory of my father, Svein J. Giske, who passed away on the 6th of June 2011. -Svein H. Giske, January 2012-
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£154.99Symphonic Variations - Jacob de Haan
This composition is based on a passacaglia theme, in which artistic perfection, symphonic drama and oriental melody lines play a role. The passacaglia is originally a dance made up of a series of variations above a bass line constantly present as an ostinato. It is not in this sense that the "Symphonic Variations" are in the passacaglia form but in the sense of the open form of the variations. Jacob de Haan, himself originally an organist, took his inspiration for this piece from the famous passacaglia for organ in C-minor by J.S. Bach. Following the introduction of the passacaglia theme (in the bass) the entry by the trumpets and trombones forms the majestic start to amusical adventure, in which this theme (often fragmentary) returns in variations. Then there follow two faster movements with dramatic contrasts and virtuose passages. Particularly striking here is the use of two characteristic intervals from the beginning of the theme namely the minor second and the augmented fourth. An apause in the composition comes in the slow bridge where a syncopated bourdon (perfect fifth) is constantly repeated. The tension grows in dynamics and harmony, and the oriental-flavour becomes obvious in the melody. We arrive at a faster movement via an accelerando, in which a perpetuum mobile based on the passacaglia theme is central. Finally the whole flows into a martial theme, in which the ostinato accompaniment n the descant derives from the passacaglia theme.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£204.99
Credentium - Jan van der Roost
A spectacular dive via an extended chromatic scale immediately submerges us in a charged and somewhat archaic-feeling atmosphere. Trumpets, horns and trombones resound in rhythmic patterns, buttressed by restless motifs in the percussion. A second theme, in the woodwinds, begins much calmer but is quickly pushed aside by that same brass offensive. This introduction is the musical expression of the sometimes tumultuous early history of the town of Peer in Belgium. It closes with a D scale played over two octaves and repeated three times, symbolizing the church steeples that dominate the townscape. Peer has the credentials of a town, and people should know about it.There followsa rhythmic, turbulent passage: in the course of history, Peer has not been spared the ravages of war, arson, occupation, epidemic and other evils. In contrast, a slow, pastoral, lyrical part expresses the periods of peace and prosperity the town has known, as well as the serene geographic setting that still characterizes the place. Various instruments in groups are developed in solo style while the accompaniment displays vast, painterly images of sound. Now and then an exotic intonation is heard: a variety of peoples and cultures have left their mark on the town.This episode of tranquility and peacefulness comes to a sudden end when, via a surprising, almost chaotic transitional passage, we are in effect transported back to our own time. A hopeful, festive march expresses the confidence in the future that the Royal Concert Band of Peer exudes. This confidence is wholly justified: under the direction of conductor Willy Fransen, the 95 members of the concert band have experienced an extended period of good fortune, and the 75 musicians of the youth band - and the 45 little musicians of the mini-band - are involved in thriving operations.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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