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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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£104.99Song of Hope - Jan Van der Roost
2011 was a disastrous year for Japan: on March 11 the northeast of the country suffered a violent earthquake, which triggered a huge tsunami and caused massive damage to people and the environment. The ensuing problems with the nuclear reactor atFukushima only increased the misery: a black day in the country's history...One almost inevitable consequence of such dramatic circumstances is the particular damage suffered by the cultural arts. And so it was in Japan: various high school wind orchestras in the effected areas lost their practice rooms and/or instruments.It will take a long time before the damage suffered is repaired - and it will take great effort to overcome the psychological effects, too. Focusing on the latter, Yutada Nishida (director of The Bandwagon radio program) asked a few composers fora simple work that could be played by many orchestras. It just so happened that the Osakan Philharmonic Winds (with whom Jan Van der Roost had conducted a concert exclusively of his own works on September 25th) had had a similar idea. This concert saw the baptism of Song of Hope. This pieceimmediately struck a chord with musicians and audience alike: it begins bleakly in the low register and evolves to a more open, optimistic close. There really is hope for better times!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£154.60Den 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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£75.00Sonata - Derek Bourgeois
This work, composed in 1998, was commissioned by the American trombonist Don Lucas as a work for trombone and piano and first performed by him in Birmingham on 19th May 2000. Subsequently, I arranged the music for both solo trombone and brass band and solo trombone and wind band so that it now exists in three formats. The first movement, in B flat major, is brisk and energetic, and is cast in sonata form. The second subject is gentler and more lyrical. The second movement, a scherzo in C major, is the most complex of the four. Basically the structure is a rond. For a long time the music remains in the opening 5/8 time until a new theme introduces more broken rhythms in a more jazzy idiom. After a return of the opening theme the following episode is more tonally ambiguous. Finally, the main theme returns to round off the movement. The third movement, a lyrical adagio, is really one long extended melodic flow. The harmonies are lush and the textures simple and direct. The tonal center is A minor, but the music meanders through so many keys, that this key centre is heavily disguised. The finale is a fiery affair. G minor is really its home key, but throughout the movement the music moves about a lot and the second subject is first heard in A flat minor. The movement's underlying sonata structure is masked not only by its loose tonality but also by its frequently changing time signatures. Like the first movement the second subject is more lyrical in nature and for a while it seems that the music will end peacefully, but a final flurry heralds a triple forte unison on the home note of the first movement - B flat. Derek Bourgeois
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£131.00Notes from the Road - Franco Cesarini
"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds." - Edward AbbeyNotes from the Road was commissioned to Franco Cesarini by the music Federation of the Canton of Thurgau, Switzerland, as compulsory piece for the second category of the Canton Festival in 2023. The piece is written in the typical form of an Italian overture, with the sequence of veloce-lento-veloce tempi. Reflections on life and the street as its metaphor were the driving elements in composing this piece. The way represents a symbol characteristic to many cultures, so much so that the verb "to walk" or the word "path" indicate a way of being in life and of fulfilling oneself. "Making one's way" means affirming oneself; "Having a way" indicates one's own and personal approach. The road is the most beautiful metaphor of life: there is a departure, a destination, and in the middle lies a path that is sometimes winding, with challenges to overcome and directions to take.An introspective piece, an invitation to each of us to reflect on our own "path".
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.99The Flood - Filip Ceunen
The Flood was commissioned by Music Society Maris Sonores from Biddinghuizen, the Netherlands, on the occasion of its 55th anniversary. In this colourful composition, the name of the society has been inventively woven into the music - Maris Sonores meaning sounds of the sea - by means of key clicks in the flutes and clarinets, wind effects in various brass and woodwind instruments along with timpani, as well as sound effects in the small percussion. In addition, the history of the town is also reflected musically. Many centuries ago, around the year 800, a hamlet by the name of Bidningahusum already existed; unfortunately, it fell victim to the water of the then Zuiderzee. Later, the catastrophic flood of 1170 dealt the final blow. In the 1960s, there was a call for pioneers to once more build a town carrying the name Biddinghuizen in the polder of Eastern Flevoland - and so it happened. This versatile work, which is available for concert band as well as fanfare band, has been written in such a way that many bands will be able to play it. Each instrument group comes out well, so that The Flood will be a joy for players and listeners alike.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£183.20Viking Saga - Ray Farr
"Viking Saga" was inspired by my conducting engagements in Norway in the 1980s. Among them was a visit to the Flekkefjord Pike Korps who asked me to write a piece for them. I had just written "Adventures in Brass" which was very popular, particularly with younger bands, so I decided to pursue the creative energy. My teacher, at that time, was Professor Edward Gregson who encouraged me to develop my ideas into a full-scale work. The piece received a few performances in this version but neither I, nor my teacher, were satisfied so the manuscripts lay dormant. In the summer of 2002 a band from Switzerland- Cordula Brass Baden and Christoph Moor, who had played the piece under mydirection in the Swiss National Youth Band, commissioned me to finish the work and make the changes that, I felt, were needed. In 2016 the Tnsberg Wind Band, from Norway, commissioned a wind band version for their performance in the Norwegian Championships held in Trondheim 2017.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.99
Wade In The Water - Stephen Bulla
Big band swing sounds for your concert band ! A master of jazz styles, Stephen Bulla has crafted an authoritative big-band style arrangement for your concert band. The well known spiritual WADE IN THE WATER has been a huge popular hit in the past so your audiences are sure to recognize it. Concert bands don't often get a chance to play in a shuffle swing style, and that's a shame. It's so much fun ! Now's your chance !Knee-deep in jazz harmonies and rhythms, you and your band will want to dive into this one right away !
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£154.60Rendezvous - Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Rendezvous was commissioned by Krohnengen Brass Band for their 50th Anniversary in 2019. This version for Concert Band was scored autumn 2020.Rendezvous is devided into three sections. Each section are referring to Edvard Grieg's own titles. but twisted, to make sure that everybody understand that this music is a mash-up of themes Edvard Grieg used in opus 54 (for piano) and opus 61 (songs for children).1. Trolltog med avsporing (March of the Trolls derailment)March of the Trolls is a famous part of Edvard Grieg lyric pieces, opus 54.2. Klokkeklang i feil sang (Bell ringing in wrong tune).Bell ringing show that Grieg was one of the first composers to write the way impressionists did. What happens if this beatiful piece is combined with several other themes from the same book? It somehow works in its own way.3. Pep talk til Blakken (Pep talk to Blakken)The riff used in the first part becomes an important part of the third part: a funky treat of the childrens song "Kveldssang for Blakken" (Evening song for Blakken).I felt that a rather tired old horse needed a pep talk more than a slow tune. So that is why you get this music(!) - and this is how my rendezvous with Grieg ends.Not sure what maestro Grieg would have thougt... But, I have read that the fiddlers that played the tunes Grieg used was not happy with the way Grieg used them.So there you go...Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£57.50Carrying You from "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" - Joe Hisaishi
New Sounds in Concert Band Series(NSB) for small band with 2-part choir Duration: approx.4'10" Arranged by Eiji Suzuki"Carrying You" was composed as a theme song to Castle in the Sky, an animated film produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released in 1986. The composer for Castle in the Sky was originally not Joe Hisaishi, but the director Miyazaki strongly requested him. The director told Hisaishi his vision for the film, and based on the world he imagined, Hisaishi made a collection of music called the Image Album. The melody that later becomes the basis for "Carrying You" was born from this album. However, the director Miyazaki was not planning on including a theme song in this film. Isao Takahata, the producer, proposed including a song, for the audience to think over the film at the end. He wanted the audience to think, "While the protagonists sought for the treasure, they didn't obtain any treasure. What did they obtain instead?" They thought, if they are going to create a theme song, it should be something organically connected with the entire film. Takahata requested the director Miyazaki to write the lyrics for the theme song. And to Hisaishi, he gave instructions to create a melody for the theme song using an instrumental piece called "Pazu and Sheeta" from the image album mentioned above. Director Miyazaki handed a piece of memo with lyrics to Takahata. "Carrying You" we hear now is this lyrics with some changes, set to Hisaishi's music. The melody is used at the opening of the film as well as the scene where Laputa is destroyed, and the song is used for the ending. Performance Advice from Arranger Suzuki: This is an extremely simple arrangement that can be performed by lower grade bands and singers. Of course, it can be played without singers and chorus, but the contents of the lyrics are very tasty so if possible, we recommend that you perform using the voices. Depending on your resources, the voice parts can be done as all solo, all female chorus, and so on.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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