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£113.30Moderate Dances - Angelo Sormani
This piece is a tribute to dance music, especially passionate, intense and meditative dance music. "Moderate Dances" is divided into three movements: a "Tango", a "Slow Waltz" and a "Bossa Nova". Each movement and each dance has its own particular characteristics but, when combined, these different rhythmic beats and times give the piece a feeling of completeness and uniformity. The Tango started to flourish in the suburbs of Buenos Aires in around 1880. There is still some doubt as to its origins, which may be Cuban (Habanera) but are probably African. It was most popular in Argentina and Brazil: here the male protagonist was originally the "gaucho" with his inseparable guitar, later to be replaced by the proud, elegant "compadre". By around 1910 the Tango had spread to Italy and France. New clubs opened, where the upper classes could watch and dance the Tango. Here the dance also underwent some rapid transformations. The exaggerated and extravagant gestures and body movements disappeared. Slow, gliding steps replaced the old rotational movements. The women's red ankle-boots and the partners "staring into each other's eyes" accentuated the erotic nature and sensuality of this dance. So much so that, in 1913, the German government banned soldiers from dancing the Tango. Those who broke the law were immediately discharged from the army. From a strictly musical perspective, the basic instruments were a flute, a harp (the diatonic harp typically played by the Indians of Paraguay) and a violin, or flute, guitar and violin or even clarinet, guitar and violin. These instruments were easy to transport, ideal for playing at parties, in the streets and in courtyards. The musicians played by ear, frequently improvising: there were no scores, no records, which is the main reason why it is impossible to trace the Tango back to its exact origins. However, the Tango's evolution (and growing popularity) was once again fostered by its fundamental ability to absorb "other" cultures, languages and sounds. And it was the arrival of the "bandoneon" (an accordion-like instrument that was invented in Germany and brought to Rio de la Plata by some immigrant), which replaced the flute, that marked the beginning of the Tango's huge success outside Argentina. A number of talented composers, above all the great Astor Piazzola (1921-1992), transformed the bandoneon from a simple accompanying instrument to a solo instrument that was to become the distinguishing feature of the 20th century Tango. The Slow Waltz originated from the Waltz, the typical dance of the Bavarian and Tyrolese peasants in the 1700s. It was composers like Johann Strauss, father and son, who carried the Waltz to its zenith in the 1800s, creating the sensual and melancholy yet joyful and charming dance we are all familiar with. When the Waltz first became popular in Germany, the members of respectable society were shocked at the closeness of the dancing partners, who had always previously danced apart. The main difference between the Waltz and Slow Waltz is that the latter has a slower, more expressive rhythm: the men wear tails and the women wear ball gowns decorated with beads and feathers and couples dance in graceful rotational movements. "Bossa Nova" is the title of the last movement in the piece. Jobim, the great Brazilian musician, described this musical genre as a combination of modern Jazz and Samba. Bossa Nova means "new wave". This was the name of the artistic and musical movement that evolved in Brazil in the late Fifties and was extremely popular throughout the Sixties. The songs are usually about love or social matters, drawing inspiration from the slums of Rio De Janeiro and the lives of their inhabitants. Bossa Nova, with its original compositions and the artistic talent of its musicians, also became hugely popular in the United States and Europe, and top Jazz musicians (Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Bob Cooper, Charlie Bird, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie) started to include Bossa in their repertoires.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.50Tour De Force - Robert Jager
Looking for an exciting, different but still traditional setting of a march ? Then you and your students will enjoy this original work composed in 1973 for a foreign tour band. Both woodwind and brass writing is playable for good junior high bands as well as high school groups. Ranges are moderate, rhythms tricky but within the grade level of the work. (2 minutes 30 seconds)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£71.50Zombies Knocking On Your Door - John Prescott
Imagine that you are being pursued by a horde of Zombies, the living dead, who have decided to make you one of them. You run inside your house and lock the door, but they come knocking. You tell them to go away, but they just knock louder and as time goes on their knocking grows more and more insistent. How will it end? Listen to this scary piece and judge for yourself.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£82.50The Shady Grove - Travis J. Weller
Shady Grove is a folk song that began to be heard in the southern Appalachians around the time of the Civil War. The memorable melody has a distinctively haunting quality that one cant help but be affected by. Many different lyrics exist for the song (some estimate it could be as many as 250), but the central themes are that of longing, love, and friendship. The use of washboard and spoons at one point brings this catchy bluegrass tune to life, helping us connect to this delightful American folk song.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£68.99Prince of Denmark's March - Jeremiah Clarke
Jeremiah Clarke (c. 1674-1707) belongs to the generation of English composers following that of Henry Purcell. Not much is known about his early life, but by 1685 he was a chorister of the Chapel Royal, a group of liturgical musicians attached to the court. He held the post of organist at Winchester College from 1692 but later returned to London as Master of the Choristers at St Paul's Cathedral. The Prince of Denmark's March is perhaps his best-known work and was originally written for harpsichord, although Clarke later included it in a collection of pieces for wind instruments.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£149.99Out of the Darkness, into the Light - Philip Sparke
Out of the Darkness, Into the Light is about optimism. All of us experience disappointments in our lives, such failed relationships or the loss of loved ones, but the indomitability of the human spirit allows us to overcome such set backs and get through the darker moments. For some, faith and religion may be the answer, but this piece is more about the internal strength that we can all call upon.Opening in sombre mood, the first phase of the work symbolises the doubts we all have about ourselves and our lives. The opening phrase on solo clarinet appears throughout the piece and could be seen as the central idea of the work, the human spirit itself. The faster, centralsection is about the struggle to overcome the pain we experience and at bar 88 the moment of catharsis occurs. This signals a change of mood and from then on, the clarinet motif is transformed into a feeling of joy and optimism. We have entered the light.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£87.99A Festive Tribute - Johann Sebastian Bach
A Festive Tribute is an arrangement of a splendid chorus whichBach first used in the secular Cantata 207 of 1726, but is perhapsbetter known in its later version, which appears in Cantata 207a, thedescriptively titled Auf, schmetternde Tne der muntern Trompeten,which cannot be adequately translated but means something alongthe lines of 'let the trumpets sound'. While the lyrics are perhaps alittle obsequious, much of the music for this cantata is celebratoryand lushly scored for a large orchestra including trumpets, oboesd'amore and flutes, making it an ideal piece for a concert bandarrangement.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£80.99El Choclo - Villoldo
You probably don't recognize the title, but you are almost certain to be familiar with the famous melodies of this stately Latin classic. Robert Longfield's skillful arrangement stays true to the original but adapts it into a wonderful piece for the modern concert band. Full of audience appeal! Very highly recommended!
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£159.99Ouverture 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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£122.50Dance of the Jesters - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Dance Of The Jesters was composed as incidental music for the ballet The Snow Maidens. The ballet is not based on the Hans Christian Andersen story, but on a contemporary Russian fantasy-play Snegourochka. The Snow Maiden, daughter of Father Frost, falls in love with a human, Misgir, and plans to marry him. However, Misgir is already betrothed to Coupava. The Snow Maiden follows him southward to interrupt his wedding, but she falls victim to the warmth of the sun and melts. The Dance is an incredibly lively affair that has stood out from the songs, dances, and choruses of the ballet. It captures the color and zest of Russian folk dance.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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