In the tripartite 'Cowboy Suite' Alan Laken takes us to the Wild West the domain of cowboys indians trappers and other fortune hunters. Around 1890 the west coast of America was reached which in effect meant the end of the Wild West. Its stories however survived and have been a source of inspiration for many books films and of course music. Some characters such as Jesse James Billy the Kid and Buffalo Bill are forever linked to these tales. In the 'Cowboy Suite' we first hear the 'Hoedown'. At the end of an exhausting workday the labourers used to lay down their tools among others the 'hoes' and spontaneously began to play music on the instruments which they then possessed (guitars fiddles and banjos) and to dance. After being jolted on the 'Wagon Trail' we reach the third part the 'Cowboy Roundup'. In this last part it becomes clear that as a cattle driver it is imperative to stay firmly seated in the saddle. As the cattle are rounded up i.e. driven together spectacular things happen.

Written in a style similar to Michael's popular Celtic Air and Dance here is another terrific setting of Celtic tunes arranged for very young bands. This arrangement opens with a beautiful and flowing version of thefamiliar air Danny Boy. The setting concludes with the lively Star of the County Down featuring the percussion section and a dance-like melody. Dur: 2:50

Score-Three Fantastic Dances by Joaquin Turina (1882-1949) arranged by John Boyd for Concert Band. Score.

from Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo-Buckaroo Holiday est un des quatre tableaux du célèbre ballet Rodeo du père de la musique américaine Aaron Copland (1900-1990). Écrit en 1942 pour la chorégraphe Agnès de Mille Copland en réalisera une suite pour orchestre autour de quatre épisodes dansés qu?il intitulera Four Dance Episodes. On y retrouve le ton narratif du ballet.Rodeo a pour thème une histoire d?amour drôle. Une jeune vachère tente d?attirer l?attention du maître-vacher en réalisant toute une série d?actions valeureuses mais en vain. Elle finira cependant par gagner son cœur en se rendant à une soirée dansante vêtue d?une superbe robe rouge. Tout est bien qui finitbien.Buckaroo Holiday est le premier mouvement de la suite pour orchestre. Robuste et puissant avec quelques passages mélodieux et lyriques ce premier épisode évolue sur de nombreux rythmes syncopés et évoque avec justesse la vie du cow-boy (ou buckaroo - terme dérivé de l?espagnol vaquero signifiant « vacher »).Cette excellente transcription pour Orchestre d?Harmonie a été réalisée par Ed Keeley. Elle reste parfaitement fidèle à la version originale.

Songs of Irish Rebellion-Pour faire suite à son populaire Celtic Air and Dance Michael Sweeney a arrangé deux mélodies irlandaises aux dimensions historiques : Foggy Dew écrite peu après l?Insurrection de Pâques 1916 et The Minstrel Boy qui date dela Rébellion irlandaise de 1798.

This major concert work cosists o five movements.1st movement: La Laguna del ShimbeSituated high up in the Andes mountains in Northern Peru are the Huaringas a group of lagoons in isolated and mysterious surroundings. The water has healing powersand for centuries traditional healers have settled there in small villages. From far the sick come to the Huaringas to be treated in nightly rituals in which the hallucinating juice of the San Pedro cactus gives the prophet a look inside hispatient. The biggest lagoon is the ?Laguna del Shimbe? one of the countless wells of the immense Amazon stream.2nd movement: Los AguarunasFurther downstream in Northern Peru we come across the rain tribe of Los Aguarunas. It?s a proud beautiful andindependent race which has never succumbed to domination not even from the Incas. They live from everything the forest has to offer: fish fruit plants ... . They also grow some crops and live as semi-nomads. They take their fate into their ownhands and after having made contact with modern civilisation they have integrated new elements into their lives without betraying their own ways.3rd movement: MekaronMekaron is an Indian word meaning ?picture? ?soul? ?essence?. The Indians are theorigina inhabitants of the Amazon region. They either live in one place as a group or move around a large region. They all have their own political system their own language and an intense social life. At the same time they are master of music andmedicine. ?Everywhere the white man goes he leaves a wilderness behind him? wrote the North American Indian leader Seatl in 1885. As a result of these contacts with the whites the disruption of most Indian societies began. (In this century alone 80 tribes have vanished completely).4th movement: KêêtuajêThis is the name of the initiating ceremony of the Krahô tribe in the Brazilian state of Goias in which young boys and girls enter adult life. They are cleansed with water painted with redpaint and covered with feathers after which the ritual dance holds the entire tribe spell-bound.5th movement: Paulino FaiakanIn 1988 the Indian chiefs Faiakan and Raoni Kaiapo came to Europe to protest against the building of the Altamira dam inBrazil. As a result of the dam the Indians would be driven from their traditional land and enormous artificial would be created. The project was supported financially by amongst others the European Community. In February 1989 the Indian tribesaround Altamira held a protest march for the first time in their history together. Amongst other things they paid tribute tot Chico Mendez who murdered in 1988 was the leader of the rubber syndicate and a fierce opponent of the destruction of theBrazilian rain forest. Brazilian and world opinion was awakened. The building of the dam was -albeit temporarily - stopped.

In The Spotlights is a sequel to the successful compositions On the Bandstand and On Stage. It is a collection of seven short pieces in different light styles with the following titles: Marcha della Plava (paso-doble) Swing Dixie El Pedro (cha-cha) Dream Music Samba Dance Dixie Parade and The Music Boys. A valuable collection suitable for many occasions!

Go West est à l?origine une chanson du groupe The Village People (1979). En 1993 le duo britannique Pet Shop Boys reprend dans une version plus dancefloor cette chanson qui va faire le tour du monde des discothèques et devenir l?hymne de nombreux stades de football. Réveillez la passion de votre public avec l?arrangement enflammé de Toru Kanayama.