This work consists of two movements. The first part is rather quiet and pastoral in character written in a gently rocking 12/8 time and expressing the tranquillity of the area around the medieval town of Oudenburg in Belgium. After a beautiful orchestral climax the second section inspired by the Roman past of Oudenburg begins. A somewhat oppressive and impending introduction leads to the musical reflection of an army parade: Oudenburg was a so-called ?castellum ? and the remains of the fortress are still visible in the current town plan. A more dynamic passage follows featuring the low brass. After that the solemn rhythm of the parade is recaptured culminating in atriumphant ending.

Par CURNOW JAMES. What a terrific way to kick off a combined chorus, band and even orchestra concert! THE MUSIC-MAKERS, based on O’Shaughnessy’s poem by the same name, by James Curnow works just as well as a closer, pulling your groups together for an all-inclusive grand finale. The rhythmic exuberance from measure number one sets up the inspiring choral entrance and the lovely andante espressivo middle theme contrasts delightfully. Careful scoring ensures successful balance as you thrill the audience with a panoply of rich and colorful sound. Spectacular! (Also works for Orchestra alone, Band with String Section or Full Band and Orchestra combined) / Niveau : 3 / Répertoire / Concert Band ou Harmonie

Hypercube is a musical narrative partly inspired by the architecture of the Grande Arche de la Défense in Paris whose shape has been compared to a hypercube.With this landmark building as a starting point the piece explores the poetry and reality of urban landscapes. In the course of the piece these contrasting elements are being torn into a dramatic and virtuosic development in extended sections named 'Le Vertige' (Vertigo).The Clouds theme returns later in a series of lyrical solos. In the final part of the piece both the Vertigo and the Hypercube themes become the background for an ongoing acceleration which conveys theimpression of some sort of musical Penrose stairs. Hypercube was commissioned by the Paris Brass Band and the association ADIAM 94 in 2015.

To General George Washington-The grand and energetic opening contrasting styles careful attention to articulations and rich harmonies make this one sound more advanced than it actually is. Consider using Heroic Tribute as the opening piece for your young band festival performance. The easy but bright and colorful Percussion along with excellent use of the Woodwind and Brass sections make this an ideal contest piece. There are plenty of teaching opportunities packed into this majestic new mini-overture for young bands. In fact even if your band usually plays higher grade level music you should still give this one serious consideration. Occasionally it’s good idea to rehearse a high-quality easiercomposition where your entire ensemble can concentrate fully on ensemble playing phrasing tone quality etc. and not worry about just chasing notes. This piece provides great cross-curricular teaching opportunities with history.A great teaching piece as well as a gem in performance!

To General George Washington-The grand and energetic opening contrasting styles careful attention to articulations and rich harmonies make this one sound more advanced than it actually is. Consider using Heroic Tribute as the opening piece for your young band festival performance. The easy but bright and colorful Percussion along with excellent use of the Woodwind and Brass sections make this an ideal contest piece. There are plenty of teaching opportunities packed into this majestic new mini-overture for young bands. In fact even if your band usually plays higher grade level music you should still give this one serious consideration. Occasionally it’s good idea to rehearse a high-quality easiercomposition where your entire ensemble can concentrate fully on ensemble playing phrasing tone quality etc. and not worry about just chasing notes. This piece provides great cross-curricular teaching opportunities with history.A great teaching piece as well as a gem in performance!

The unique writing style of William Himes is showcased here as he takes the simplest of folk songs and transforms it into a feast for the senses. The basic melody takes on a more insistent guise as melodic fragments graduallygrow morph and unite launching into a relentless rhythm that leads to the breathtaking finale. Directors who know Mr. Himes' work want to add every new concert band piece he publishes to their basic library – you'll wantthis one too.

Excuse me may I play along? Could you step aside please? ‘Step Aside’ is a pleasant competition both between two tempi and among the different parts. After a short slow introduction it is the drummer who without asking the questions above sets the high pace. As soon as this rapid movement has been established ‘part 1’ takes the lead but the other parts obviously don’t want to miss a thing and follow in rapid succession. At the end of the composition the various parts ‘compete’ in order to be able to play solo for a while but soon others join in again asking ‘Excuse me may I play along?’

A Grade 1 rock anthem! It?s a perfect way to keep your beginners motivated while you drill them on that new concept called ?eighth notes.? Lots of repetition of simple eighth note figures will help your young band players enter the fascinating world of the divided beat with ease.This solid minor key rock-type piece will also help to keep your audience attentive by letting them hear a bit of a style they are so accustomed to. The overwhelming rhythmic nature of the piece also makes it a possible choice for use with an elementary level massed band. When faced with more than 100 beginners at a time one likes to do music that has a beat they can hang on to! Whether it?s for asmall one-school band or a giant massed group this one is sure to work for you.

Les Marteaux de La Marine was composed in 1999 as a commission by the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The composition contains three static elements which interchange. Static in this case means that development of the material isnot pursued (by the composer). The first element with which the piece begins is tranquil and colourful. The second element is sharp and incisive while the third expresses energy. In all elements a repeated tone is the starting point whichexplains the hammers in the works title.The instrumentation is richly variegated with a harp also determining the palette of colours in the slower movements. The composition opens with an atmospheric Larghetto containing fine harmonies in thesoft and subtly moving wood-winds. The introduction breathes an impressionistic atmosphere in which expressive cantilenas and soloistic agile motifs stand out. A strong setting is followed by an Allegro virtuoso containing fast motifs contrasted withshort and rhythmic stars of the various instrumental sections. Trumpets and horns add a virtuoso bugle-call motif. After a short stringendosection the transparent Larghetto returns with a varied setting of the opening elements. The beautifulleading roles in this section are reserved for cornet (trumpet) and horn. Subsequently the flashing Vivo starts with continuous movements in triplets from both wood-winds and brass. Next the opening Allegro re-appears once again and thus LesMarteaux de la Marine ends with a fast and virtuoso climax. Les Marteaux de La Marine was selected as a compulsory grade 6 contest piece for symphonic bands in the Netherlands.

Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean. In 1494 it was discovered by Christopher Columbus who used it as private property until 1509. After some skirmishes it fell under British rule and the sugar trade on the island flourished. After the abolition of slavery in 1834 it was only granted Home Rule in 1944 but it remained a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Whereas the export of cane sugar used to be Jamaica’s main export product for many years nowadays music has taken over this role. At first American music used to be very popular on the island. Later however Jamaican musicians started to experiment and thus in the end created their ownmusical style called Reggae. Well-known Reggae musicians are Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The most important instruments used in Reggae are the bass and the drums. Together they form the base for the style: the riddim. A bass drum accent on the second and fourth beat are characteristic of a typically reggae drum beat. To this syncopic patterns are often added. The rhythm guitarist plays chords in a characteristic Reggae rhythm not on but between the beats.

An exciting adventure for bands of a moderate standard. From a brooding fog-shrouded sand castle along the seashore in England to another on the sunny coast of France (including rainstick and spoken ?wave? effects) to an exotic triple-meter ?Flamenco-esque? impression of one in Spain SANDCASTLES is a noteworthy addition to the CMP Passport Plus Series. Referring to varying locations naturally invites contrasting styles in the three separate movements. Delightful Percussion writing and creative effects with colorful orchestration throughout make this imaginative and masterfully-crafted arrangement a memorable asset to modern young band literature. Intriguing!

A saxophone feature based on the Passion Chorale-Cette mélodie intemporelle de Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) est devenue célèbre après avoir été intégrée dans la Passion selon saint Matthieu de Jean-Sébastien Bach dans des harmonisations particulièrement riches. Elle est généralement accompagnée du texte O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden (Chef couvert de blessures) du pasteur et poète allemand Paulus Gerhardt. Les saxophones altos et ténors développent dans un premier temps un contrechant lyrique sur la mélodie du cantique puis réexposent la mélodie originale sur une partie obligée proche de l?art de Bach et jouée par les bois évoluant dans les registres aigus.

This hymn was commissioned by ?Antwerpen 93?. And this city on the banks of the river Schelde has been nominated ?Cultural Capital of Europe? for 1993. The work-group ?animatie? took the initiative and commissioned a hymn which -as the finale to a grand open-air event on 27th March- was premièred by hundreds of musicians from all over Europe. Philippe Langlet (France) was the conductor at this majestic occasion.Musically speaking the piece can no doubt be labeled easy. Indeed it is meant to represent a hymn playable by all in different instrumental combinations. Consequently a variable instrumentation was chosen and a type of music which by native is easily accessible anduncomplicated.The conductor is free -in the instrumentation- to score this piece according to his own taste. It is perhaps advisable to use the sharp brass in the forte parts in order to make the range in the sound of the orchestra as colouful as possible. The percussion parts are not absolutely essential so that the hymn can also be performed without percussion.

Scenes from Lake Constance-Armin Schaer a commandé cette oeuvre alors qu?il était à la recherche d?une nouvelle pièce pour tuba. Il insista sur le fait que la composition devait souligner la versatilité de ce merveilleux instrument sans que l?orchestre soit relégué à un simple rang d?accompagnateur. Le style devait être frais et moderne. En tenant compte de tous ces éléments Thomas Doss a créé une oeuvre permettant des sauts stylistiques dans un contexte plaisant passionnant romantique et virtuose sans perdre de vue le fil conducteur qui mène l?oeuvre de la première à la dernière mesure.Armin Schaer décrit l?oeuvre comme suit :« Panoptikum (Panoptique) témoigne de mon affection pour lemagnifique lac de Constance d?où je suis originaire ses habitants ma vie passionnante et les gens qui l?ont enrichie et enfin pour le tuba un instrument que je trouve absolument fascinant. La trame fait ressortir les nombreuses différentes atmosphères qui règnent autour du lac : la gaieté et la mélancolie ; les départs et le désir impatient de revenir le calme et l?agitation. Les rôles du soliste et de l?orchestre s?affranchissent volontairement des conventions usuelles du genre. La musique suffit à susciter des émotions toucher un large public et le convaincre que le tuba peut être un instrument solo à part entière tout en révélant la richesse de l?Orchestre d?Harmonie. J?espère que cette oeuvre enrichira la vie musicale de tous les solistes et orchestres qui croiseront son chemin et charmera tous les auditeurs qui seront amenés à l?écouter ! »

Monastery Tales débute par un tableau musical d?un vieux monastère situé en Allemagne. Aujourd?hui la raison d?être du monastère est la vie du collège qu?il abrite depuis de nombreuses années. Dans cet environnement un orchestre répète des jeunes se rassemblent pour jouer un professeur de musique donne des conseils aux membres de l?orchestre ; et celui-ci connaît ses premières victoires. Entre les murs nus du vieux monastère la recherche du savoir se perpétue. Une belle histoire à écouter !