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£344.30Goldberg 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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£82.5021st Century Overture - Rob Grice
This contemporary composition written in three contrasting movements draws its inspiration from the many positive and optimistic developments that have occurred in the 21st century. The first moment is vibrant and active, an invigorating vision of a future filled with promise and driven by new ideas and views from all over the world. The second movement is tranquil and dreamlike, presenting a quiet moment of musical reflection. The third movement brings back a feeling of revitalization and inspiration as we pave the way to the future.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£139.99
Cobra - Jan Bosveld
Shortly after the Second World War, a combative movement of Danish, Belgian and Dutch artists chose the cobra snake - extremely dangerous yet considered sacred - as a symbol of their resistance to strict guideliness of form. The name "Cobra" also happens to contain the first letters of the cities Copenhagen, Brussels ans Amsterdam, from where most of the movement's members came. The Cobra movement, which existed from November 1948 until November 1951, can with some justicication be called the last major avant-garde movement of the 20th century.The source of inspiration for the composition Cobra comes from four paintings: "Obhobning" by the Dane Egill Jacobsen; "La jeune fille et lamort" by the Belgian Pierre Alechinsky; "Orgeldraaier" and "Le rythme joyeux de la ville" by the Dutch artists Karel Appel and Corneille. Obhobning means "pile-up", which is represented musically in the first part by a melodic and harmonic pilling up of perfect fourth's. The first part is also characterized by a rhythmic feeling, which the painting gives through its use of numerous black stripes. In the painting La jeune fille et la mort, Pierre Alechinsky places a young girl opposite Death. The second part features the constantly pulsating motion of live while a creeping, dark, melodic line develops. The tension between life and death is tangible as a battle reveals itself. In part three, one hears the Orgeldraaier by Karel Appel, as cheerful and playful as an organ grinder's music. The painting Le rythme joyeux de la ville by Corneille is busy and extremely dynamic, a perfect source of inspiration for a powerful, rhythmic ending to this composition.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£79.95
Lakeside Drawings - Score and Parts - Richard Phillips
Program NotesOnce a year, my wife and I like to visit the beautiful Lake District in the northwestern sector of England in the county of Cumbria. It has been a place of much inspiration for many composers over the years and when amidst the rolling countryside, the lofty mountain peaks, it is no wonder. Lakeside Drawings was started when I visited the Lakes and seeks to reflect the contours of the many mountain peaks through the sometimes soaring melodic lines of the composition. It is a piece based on tunes reflecting the aspect and also of the mindset of the many walkers who have scaled the mountains to achieve an ambition of reaching a summit. Once reached, a glorious view is a prize worth every hour of tiring ascent.-Richard Phillips
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£15.95
Lakeside Drawings - Score only - Richard Phillips
Program NotesOnce a year, my wife and I like to visit the beautiful Lake District in the northwestern sector of England in the county of Cumbria. It has been a place of much inspiration for many composers over the years and when amidst the rolling countryside, the lofty mountain peaks, it is no wonder. Lakeside Drawings was started when I visited the Lakes and seeks to reflect the contours of the many mountain peaks through the sometimes soaring melodic lines of the composition. It is a piece based on tunes reflecting the aspect and also of the mindset of the many walkers who have scaled the mountains to achieve an ambition of reaching a summit. Once reached, a glorious view is a prize worth every hour of tiring ascent.-Richard Phillips
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£59.95
Where Eagles Sing - Paul Lovatt-Cooper
The inspiration for this piece came when the composer visited Florida and the Bird Sanctuary in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. He was in the audience to see the rare bird's show where he witnessed some fabulous looking and endangered birds that were trained to perform different tricks that wowed the audience. The highlight for him was the conclusion of the show where the most awesome sight greeted us as an American Bald Eagle soared over the audience. That particular breed of Eagle has been a very rare bird of late. With so few in numbers, it nearly became a member of the sad group of animals that are extinct.The host of the show took great delight in informing the audience that the fantastic creature is now officially safe and no longer classed as endangered. This made a great impact on the composer as the Eagle is an amazing bird, huge in size and power and yet so graceful in flight. This piece is everything associated with the Eagle; bold, powerful and graceful and now free to soar and sing in the American homelands.Where Eagles Sing has been hugely successful as a curtain-raiser (or finale) with brass bands around the world and it is hoped that this version for wind band will be just as popular.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£59.00...for Spacious Skies - Samuel Ward
"...for Spacious Skies" is a dynamic and stirring concert band piece, drawing inspiration from the iconic American patriotic song composed by Samuel A. Ward. This composition takes the familiar melody of "America the Beautiful" and transforms it into a captivating fanfare, marked by unique harmonies and dynamic shifts in mood and texture. A fresh perspective on a well-known melody that not only pays homage to the beauty of the American landscape, but also provides a platform for young musicians to showcase their developing skills in a vibrant and expressive setting.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£59.00Fanfare for Hope - A. Eric Heukeshoven
Fanfare for Hope was commissioned in honor of the inauguration of Father James P. Burns, the 14th President of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. The fanfare is based on the hymn tune Melita, more commonly known as the Navy Hymn, Eternal Father, Strong to Save, with the text "My hope is built on nothing less ..." serving as the inspiration for the piece. The opening brass fanfare features the uplifting first notes of the tune transitioning into a legato treatment for the woodwinds and horns. The theme builds as the brass and percussion eventually return leading back to the original fanfare. The music ends triumphantly with the entire ensemble joining in celebration.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£46.00Vulcan's Anvil
Vulcan, the ancient mythological god of fire, often portrayed holding a hammer over an anvil at a blacksmith's hearth, is the inspiration for this concert work for young bands. Featuring any instrument that has a convincing anvil sound, this composition also has plenty of skill-building opportunities present for articulations, dynamics, and intonation. Program this unique work for a memorable concert, contest or festival performance.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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£47.00In Grandfather's Arms - James Meredith
The warmth of a grandfather's embrace as he stares in awe of a cherished baby grandchild is the inspiration for this heartfelt composition. In Grandfather's Arms is a work for developing bands that emphasizes expression, phrasing, and dynamics. Low voices will also have the opportunity to be featured as they carry the key melody making this piece a wonderful teaching tool.
Estimated dispatch 12-14 working days
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