Theme from the BBC TV Series COLDITZ-Acclaimed Canadian composer/arranger Robert Farnon penned this distinctive march theme for the 1970s BBC television drama Colditz telling the story of prisoners held at Colditz Castle in Germany during World War II.Philip Sparke's extended concert version is expertly scored for band and an elegant and powerful addition to any program.

‘Panem et Circenses’ Bread and Games were essential for keeping the citizens of ancient Rome in check. While the bread was meant for the poorest among the Romans the Games were Popular Pastime Number One for everybody.There were different kinds of games such as chariot races (especially popular with female spectators) or wild-beast fights where lions tigers bulls or bears were set on one another or even on human beings. Most popular however were the Gladiator fights. In ‘Bread and Games’ William Vean depicts one of the many fights in the antique Colosseum. 1. Entrance of the Gladiators: By powerful bugle-calls the attention of the peoplewas asked for after which the Gladiators entered the Arena at the sound of heroic marching-music.2.Swordfight: We can hear that the fights were not mere child’s play in this part.On the contrary they were a matter of life and death and were fought accordingly.3.Mercy of the Emperor: Sometimes a wounded gladiator could be fortunate depending on the mercy of the audience. Waving one’s handkerchief meant mercy a turned-down thumb meant no pardon. The Emperor had the right to take the final decision but he usually complied with the wish of the majority of the public. 4.Lap of Honour: Gladiators were mainly selected among slaves convicted criminals or prisoners of war. Consequently winning was very important as it would mean fame honour and sometimes even wealth. A lap of honour therefore was the winner’s due reward.

Cette oeuvre comme le titre l'indique rassemble les plus grands trimphes d'opéras de Verdi. On retrouve bien entendu Nabucco Aida ainsi que Rigoletto. Verdi's Triumphs contient les titres suivants : Marche Trimphale ! Del nilo al sacro lido extrait d'Aida Prisoners' Freedom Choir extrait de Nabucco et La donna è mobile de Rigoletto

The central figure in this work is Marianella Garçia Villas (1948-1983). This Salvadorean woman fought for human rights in her country. As a barrister for political prisoners she belonged to the opponents of the regime in El Salvador. She escaped death several times but eventually her activities cost her her life. The story of Marianella Garçia Villas is very important in the struggle for human rights in South America with many people followed her example. Dirk Brossé ends this symphonic poem with a Coda in which hope for improvements in human rights triumph.

In Greek mythology Boreas is the God of the North Wind. When thinking of the north wind we particularly think of the bleak wind coming from the freezing cold north but in Homers' work we see a more varied picture. As shown in the following two stories Boreas often does play the role of a storm wind that blows forth heavy dark clouds while whipping up the dark waves of the tempestuous sea to mountainous heights. When the stake of the fallen Patroclos refuses to burn Achilles begs for some wind. When Iris the swift messenger of the Gods asks the winds for assistance they raise themselves up with tremendous roaring and rush to Troy. Upon theirarrival they blow the divine fire of Patroclos' stake far up into the sky. When Troy was destroyed the Greeks returned home. After many wanderings Odysseus however ends up with the beautiful nymph Calypso who keeps him as a prisoner. As ordered by Zeus Calypso frees him and sends him off on a handmade wooden raft. At sea Odysseus is threatened by the aggressive sea god Poseidon who stirs up the winds and thrashes the waves with his trident. The goddess Athena stems the violence of all the winds except for the north wind and thus it is Boreas who sends Odysseus to the land of the hospitable Phaiakes. Jan Bosveld composed Boreas for OLTO a music association in Loenen The Netherlands for which he had served as conductor for many years. Turbulent movement in both tempo and dynamics characterize this composition. The result is a whirling piece that races by in a positive manner. Boreas is in de Griekse mythologie de god van de noordenwind. Bij noordenwind denken wij vooral aan de gure wind uit het ijskoude noorden bij Homerus echter zien we een meer gevariëerd beeld. Natuurlijk speelt Boreas zoals uit de twee onderstaande verhalen blijkt meestal de rol van de stormwind die de zware zwarte wolken voor zich uit blaast en de donkere golven van de onstuimige zee torenhoog opzwiept.

Written as a commission by the Stichting de Inrichting foundation of Wijk bij Duurstede (the Netherlands) Rob Goorhuis Requiem voor de mens (Requiem for Man) on lyrics by André van Zwieten was composed in the year 2001. This work for choir andwind-band greatly impressed the audience whilst its composer remained obsessed by its war theme. When he subsequently heard that the Rundfunk Blasorchester from the German town of Leipzig -a place not far from Colditz - was to dedicate a CDto his work Rob Goorhuis got the idea to process some of the themes from his Requiem for Man into an instrumental composition about the famous Colditz castle. a place still bearing the scars of war. From 1933 to 1934 the castle was aSchutzhaftlager. During the Second World War it was used as a prison for senior officers. From this prison many escapes were undertaken which even resulted in the castle being nicknamed The Escape School. In the seventies a television-seriesabout this period made the castle very well-known with the public at large.The despondent tone of the opening theme underscores the sadness caused by wars and violence. Nevertheless the works ending is hopeful and triumphant. Peace iscelebrated but with the hope for a lasting peace sadly remaining a topical issue to the present moment.

as performed by Edith Piaf-Au beau milieu de lOcéan Atlantique juste devant la côte de la Guyane française se trouvent les Îles du Salut. La plus méridionale des trois une petite île rocailleuse est entrée dans lhistoire comme la prison la plus tristement célèbre de tous les temps...1852. LEmpereur Napoléon III inaugure cette colonie pénitentiaire française. Des milliers de prisonniers politiques sont condamnés aux travaux forcés et expulsés de la France vers cet enfer terrestre. La plupart dentre eux nen reviendront jamais...Devils Island souvre sur le thème menaçant de la fatalité avec le vibraphone et le carillon et se poursuit par une complainte au basson.La partie centrale martialesymbolise les nombreuses tentatives dévasion de cette terrible prison saccompagnant de temps à autre dune lueur despoir. Mais en vain...En raison des forts courants marins autour de lîle il est pour ainsi dire impossible de séchapper !Le thème de la fatalité prend un caractère de plus en plus désespéré dans un canon o? alternent lEuphonium et le Flügelhorn.Après que le vibraphone et le carillon ont retenti pour la dernière fois le thème est à nouveau repris par la fl?te et la clarinette basse.Avec la complainte jouée cette fois par le cor anglais cest un silence de mort qui sinstalle petit à petit

from Andrea Chanier-It has been said and wisely so that if you wish to find TRULY dramatic music look to opera. This is an essentially complete transcription of Act IV of Umberto Giordano's tragic opera ANDREA CHENIER. One night before French poet Andrea Chenier's impending execution his lover Madeleine comes to the prison at St. Lazare and wishing to die rather than live without him through bribery manages to exchange places with a young woman who is like Chenier scheduled to mount the scaffold the following day. James Curnow fully utilizes his considerable orchestration skill with this immensely powerful transcription. Well performed the ending is absolutely awe-inspiring. If yourgroup has the skill to play at this level you definitely MUST explore this significant transcription.