Results
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£124.95SWORD AND THE CROWN, The (Prestige Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Gregson, Edward
In 1988 I was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company to write the music for The Plantagenets trilogy, directed by Adrian Noble in Stratford-upon-Avon. These plays take us from the death of Henry V to the death of Richard III. Later, in 1991, I wrote the music for Henry IV parts 1 and 2, again in Stratford. All of these plays are concerned with the struggle for power (the crown) through the use of force (the sword) and they portray one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the British monarchy.This work quickly became established in the mainstream repertoire and has received performances worldwide as well as five commercial recordings and many broadcasts. In 2002 I was approached by the Parc and Dare Band regarding their summer festival and commissioned to do a version for brass band. This was given its first performance in Treorchy Hall by the combined bands of Black Dyke and Parc and Dare conducted by Nicholas Childs.When the Royal Air Force Music Services commissioned me to write a work especially for their British tour in 1991 I immediately thought of turning to this music and transforming some of it into a three-movement suite for symphonic band.The first movement opens with a brief fanfare for two antiphonal trumpets (off-stage), but this only acts as a preface to a Requiem aeternam (the death of Henry V) before changing mood to the English army on the march to France; this subsides into a French victory march, but the English army music returns in counterpoint. Finally, a brief reminder of the Requiem music leads to the triumphal music for Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, father of Edward IV and Richard III (the opening fanfare transformed).The second movement takes music from the Welsh Court in Henry IV (part 1) which is tranquil in mood; distant fanfares foreboding battles to come are heard, but the folktune is heard three times in different variations and the movement ends as it began with alto flute and gentle percussion.The final movement starts with two sets of antiphonally placed timpani, drums and tam-tam, portraying the 'war machine' and savagery of battle. Trumpet fanfares and horn calls herald an heroic battle theme which, by the end of the movement, transforms itself into a triumphant hymn for Henry IV's defeat of the rebellious forces.- Edward GregsonPerformance time 13'54"Recorded on QPRM117D FESTIVAL OF MUSIC 1991, Massed Bands of the Royal Air ForceRecorded on QPRM120D THE SWORD AND THE CROWN, Central Band of the Royal Air Force'Finale' recorded on QPRM142D FESTIVAL OF MUSIC 2002, Massed Bands of the Royal Air Force)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£171.00Passacaglia and Fugue in C-minor BWV 582 - Johann Sebastian Bach
The Passacaglia is a set of instrumental variations based on an ostinato bass. Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C-minor for organ represents the pinnacle of what had been achieved in this compositional form at that time. In Franco Cesarini's arrangement for large wind orchestra, the particularly careful interpretation of the original piece enables him to exploit all the sound colors at his disposal, and in this sumptuous guise Bach's work also takes on a grandiose dimension, albeit tinged with late-Romanticism. The exposition of the beautiful theme begins in the bass part, immediately creating a solemn and serious atmosphere which is accentuated by the intensely pathetic character of the first variations. Up to the tenth variation it remains confined to the bass, but in subsequent ones it also passes to the soprano and alto register. The integrity of the theme is also embellished with elegant arpeggios, in whose lower and higher extensions the theme can be distinguished. Towards the end it returns to the bass in an impressive thickening of the polyphonic texture that swiftly re-establishes the key of C-minor. The "Thema fugatum" which follows immediately does not constitute a Fugue in its own right, rather it is nothing but the twenty-first and most extensive variation of the Passacaglia. This time Bach uses only the first half of the theme, superimposing a rhythmic countersubject that considerably enlivens the entire development of the composition. The polyphonic discourse becomes increasingly dense, until the building tension peaks in a powerful "Neapolitan sixth" chord, followed by a sudden pause. This culminating moment then leads to the coda and final cadence on a bright C-major chord.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£118.99Cats (Songs from the musical) (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Lloyd Webber, Andrew - De Meij, Johan
The musical Cats, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber is based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. It became Lloyd Webber's third great success, after the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. He began setting Eliot's poems to music in 1977, and the compositions were first presented as a song cycle in 1980. Producer Cameron Mackintosh then recruited director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne to turn the songs into a complete musical. Cats became one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history. It received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The following year, Cats opened at New York's Winter Garden Theatre, its home for the next 18 years, garnering seven 1983 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show returned to Broadway in 2016, where it had a successful pre-tour run at the Neil Simon Theatre. Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, translated into 16 languages, and seen by more than 73 million people worldwide. Lloyd Webber's magnificent musical score includes the poignant hit song Memory, which has been recorded by over 150 artists, from Barbra Streisand to Liberace to Barry Manilow. It took 7,486 chandelier crashes for Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera to take over from Cats as the longest-running show in Broadway history in January 2006.Duration: 8.15
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.99Troja (Troy) (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Schwarz, Otto M.
The Greek poet Homer wrote about Troy and the Trojan War, which probably took place in what is now Asia Minor, in his Iliad in the 8th century B.C. Nowadays, the term Trojan generally refers to a malware program that is used to gain unauthorised access to computers. This use comes from the legendary Trojan Horse, which saw the turning point in the battle between Greeks and Trojans through the cunning of Odysseus. Let us return to the beginning of the story: Paris, son of the king of Troy, is tasked by Zeus with judging the beauty of the three goddesses Aphrodite, Pallas Athena, and Hera. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, flatters Paris by promising him the most beautiful woman in the world. Soon afterwards, on a journey to Greece, Paris meets the beautiful Helen, who immediately falls in love with him. Since however she is the wife of Spartan king Menelaus, she eventually lets herself be kidnapped by Paris voluntarily. The Greeks then form a large army and go to war against Troy to retrieve Helen, leading to a ten-year siege of the city. The city is eventually conquered not through combat, however, but through Odysseus' cunning ploy. He has the idea of building an enormous wooden horse with warriors hidden inside. The horse is placed at the gates of the city. Thus, the Trojans are tricked into giving up the siege when, despite various warnings, they bring the horse into the city to dedicate it to the goddess Athena. At night, the soldiers climb out of the horse and open the gate for the Greek army. The troops storm the city and burn it to the ground. The royal family and all the Trojan warriors are killed, only Aeneas, the son of Aphrodite, escapes. Later, following many years' wanderings he and his acolytes will become known as the founders of the Roman people. There are various accounts of the fate of the beautiful Helen. She is said to have returned to Sparta with Menelaus and to have ruled there until the end of her life. Or maybe not...Duration: 6.00
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.99Solemnitas (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Van der Roost, Jan
This short but solemn overture was written on the occasion of the 110th jubilee of Harmonie Hautcharage, Luxembourg. It is an homage to Jean-Paul Frisch and his son Gerard (the present conductor), who each have been conducting the ensemble for many years. Under their leadership, the band has developed and improved remarkably. The very first musical theme, presented during the introduction of this little overture, is based on the letters hidden in the names Jean-Paul and Gerard Frisch (in which h is considered b - as it is in German), thus aiming the spotlight on both key figures in the history of Harmonie Hautcharage. After the rather stately intro, the allegro is more joyful and lighthearted, thus depicting the optimism of the many young players of the band. The end is exciting and energetic: it radiates positivity and belief in the future. Duration: 5.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£85.00Under Spanstind (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Torskangerpoll, Idar
Suite in Three MovementsThis piece of music is a commissioned work for Lavangen School band and their band music convention in 2019. The piece was performed under the mountain Spanstind (located far north in Norway) by a band consisting of approx 400 amateur musicians. The mountain Spanstind is 1457 meters high and drops into the valley Spansdalen below, an especially scenic venue.The composition is inspired by the sami joik (folk song) Ru?gu?ohkka, the song to Spanstinden. It is also inspired by the nature of the surroundings. Mvt 1 "Ro" (calmless) describes the feeling of calmness in the midnight sun. Mvt. 2 "Uro" (unrest) describes a scene of wind, snow, avalance and the big forces of nature. Mvt 3 "Storhet" (greatness) describes the feeling of greatness the nature has, and how we experience it as majestic and exalted.The piece can be played with the movements alone, or one can add the signals played by soloist(s) off-stage or in the back of the hall. The signals are to be played before, in between, and after the 3 movements. All instruments can be soloists. The soloist performs the signals rhythmically aleatoric, where each soloist repeats the signal 4 times in his or her own tempo. Signal 1 is played before Mvt 1, signal 2 is played between Mvt 1 and 2, signal 3 is played between Mvt 2 and 3, and signal 4 is played while the band holds the last note (long, use stagger breathing). after a while, all the soloists end on the same note and the music fade out.Duration: 6.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£85.00Mammoth Mountain Suite (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Esplo, Haakon
Suite in Three Movements. Mammoths were a family of elephants that, with one exception, died out at the end of the last ice age. Their closest living relative is the Asian elephant. In many places in the world one can find mammoth remains. In Norway (especially in Gudbrandsdalen), 20 discoveries of teeth and skeletal remains have been made after mammoths that lived here between 40,000 and 50,000 years ago. On cave paintings and carvings you can see many pictures of mammoths with other animals. Pictures of killed mammoths have also been found with humans. Mammoth Moutain Suite describes a bunch of hunters looking for mammoths. Imagine the majestic animals, what it felt like to see the herd in the mountains and what it sounded like when the 6 ton heavy and 3.5 meter tall mammoths were on the run. Duration: 7.30
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£80.00Clarinet Concerto (The Fallen) (Clarinet Solo with Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Wilson, Jeffery
The three movements are 'Conflict', 'The Fallen' and 'Resolution', themes that are freely interpreted musically. In 'Conflict', the solo clarinet begins with an ascending figure based on octave leaps, while the accompaniment contrasts with marcato quavers and harsh dissonances. The melody features seventh intervals, and while the movement is marked 3/4 the accompaniment is often 6/8. This is more evident in the second theme where the clarinet line moves much more by step. The development takes these ideas and the cadenza comes from yet more conflict between the now calm clarinet and dissonant clashes in the accompaniment. 'The Fallen' is the slow movement and poignantly features notes from 'The Last Post' in the opening and a beautiful working of 'David of the White Rock' later on. The final movement 'Resolution' is a Rondo in 6/8, brighter but with hints of the initial conflict through the sevenths in the meno mosso sections which interrupt the flow. Another long cadenza takes short ideas from the piece before the work comes to a triumphant end with all four E notes across the whole range, echoing the beginning. Wilson set out to write a concerto for a versatile instrument and has found ways to exploit its capabilities while keeping tonal centre. There are frequent altissimo notes within all three movements. Wilson does use the very low notes, most notably in the cadenzas, but much of the work is high, presumably to allow the clarinet to carry over the wind band accompaniment. A good command of all notes right up to A sharp an octave above the stave is needed, plus technique to travel to and from altissimo notes (legato). The piece is around 25 minutes long. Printing is clear and the piano accompaniment comes as a spiral bound volume.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£113.90Cry of the Mountain (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Lorriman, Howard
This work is dedicated to Manfred Obrecht, conductor and musical editor. Manfred asked the composer to write a piece that captures the changing colours and mood of a mountain when viewed from a relatively close distance. The work is in four sections:Awakening - early morning and the mountain is covered in cloud, eventually the sun bursts through and reveals the mountain in all its glory.Snow, Ice and Glaciers - between the rocky out-crops ther are layers of snow; slippery ice patches and icicles adorn the overhangs. In the larger crevices and valleys glaciers are formed.Vistas and Distant Peaks - when viewed from other high points one can see the mountain in full outline against the vast landscape.Avalanche - despite its beauty, a mountain can be a dangerous place and the accumulated snow may not be stable, it can easily tumble out of control. The slight twist of major tonalities at the very end reflects the way a sudden change in light can alter the whole perspective.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£150.00Diversions on a Theme of Paganini (Concert Band - Score and Parts) - Lane, Philip - Noble, Paul
This work is made up of eight short movements and was originally scored for brass quintet, being commissioned for performance by the London Gabrieli Ensemble. The full orchestra version was made in 2000 for a commercial recording by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Gavin Sutherland, and the band arrangement was completed in 2009. The title is important in that the pieces are more musings than variations on the famous theme. The introduction stands somewhat apart, rather in the way the opening of Dohnanyi's Variations on a Nursery Tune does, and the subsequent diversions play with the theme, or parts of it, in movements lyrical, bombastic, or plain frivolous. The individual titles of the movements are self-explanatory, except to add that the last one always reminds the composer, for some reason, of final credits going up at the end of a film or television programme. Titles of the eight movements: 1. Introduction and Theme; 2. In Pieces; 3. Toccata; 4. Chaconne; 5. Cortege; 6. Popular Song; 7. Five-A-Side; 8. Epilogue. This piece will be a great workout for your band, with lots of opportunities for soloists, some rhythmic challenges, and great emotional stretches.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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