From the Paramount and DreamWorks Motion Picture S-Quand on pense à Steven Spielberg on évoque facilement ses films à grand spectacle. Mais c'est occulter l'homme engagé qui a signé plusieurs chef-d'oeuvres dont Saving Private Ryan (Il faut sauver le soldat Ryan) couronné par 5 Oscars. Avec Hymn To The Fallen le générique de fin John Williams nous offre un puissant hymne en mémoire aux soldats qui ont sacrifié leur vie sur l'autel de la liberté lors du débarquement en Normandie le 6 juin 1944. Une note d'humanité dans un océan de noirceur et de violence. Set Choeur (AMP 068-051)

Paul et Barry Ryan étaient jumeaux nés le 24 octobre 1948 fils de la chanteuse pop des années 1950 Marion Ryan. Formés pour la célébrité ils ont commencé à chanter en duo avant l?âge de quinze ans. En 1965 ils ont signé un contrat d?enregistrement avec Decca qui a commercialisé leur image soignée d?icônes de la mode. Leur premier single Don?t Bring Me Your Heartaches est parvenu au top 20 du hit-parade britannique mais leur succès à deux n?a duré que trois ans. En 1968 Barry a entrepris une carrière solo tandis que Paul s?est concentré sur la composition et la production. Eloise avec son style vocal mélodramatique et son accompagnement très orchestral étaitun succès précoce pour cette nouvelle collaboration. De nombreux artistes l?ont depuis reprise telles que les légendes du punk The Damned.

Paul et Barry Ryan étaient jumeaux nés le 24 octobre 1948 fils de la chanteuse pop des années 1950 Marion Ryan. Formés pour la célébrité ils ont commencé à chanter en duo avant l?âge de quinze ans. En 1965 ils ont signé un contrat d?enregistrement avec Decca qui a commercialisé leur image soignée d?icônes de la mode. Leur premier single Don?t Bring Me Your Heartaches est parvenu au top 20 du hit-parade britannique mais leur succès à deux n?a duré que trois ans. En 1968 Barry a entrepris une carrière solo tandis que Paul s?est concentré sur la composition et la production. Eloise avec son style vocal mélodramatique et son accompagnement très orchestral étaitun succès précoce pour cette nouvelle collaboration. De nombreux artistes l?ont depuis reprise telles que les légendes du punk The Damned.

Chacun d?entre nous connaît Saving Private Ryan ce qui était sans aucun doute le film à succès des années passées. Steven Verhaert a fait du thème principal Hymn To The Fallen un arrangement qui fend le coeur. Votre public sera impressionné par cette magnifique musique sentimentale.

This large-scale three-movement work commissioned by Ray Cramer and the Indiana University Wind Ensemble embodies the transformation of silence into sound. The opening movement is sparse utilizing mallet percussion harp andpiano to create a floating sense of timelessness. Featuring extensive solo flute this floating texture gradually builds over several minutes ultimately launching itself into a grandiose warm harmonically consonant blanket ofsound. The second movement continues the focus on solo flute and again opens slowly gradually gaining momentum but at a faster pace than in the first movement. The music spirals upward and outward but instead of reaching aplateau winds itself out and comes to a grinding halt in the upper range of the ensemble. Five brief solemn chords conclude the movement which immediately erupts into Movement III music of unceasing unsettling motion propelled by a driving ostinato which is repeatedly interrupted by bittersweet moments of lyricism all the while pushing toward an unforgiving climax. The movements may also be performed separately. There is no explicit narrativeto the piece though many particular elements do have personal quasi-biographical significance. Ultimately this is music of both personal and musical transformation.NOTE: This work is available as a rental item directlyfrom the composer. For details e-mail rental@stevenbryant.com. The score is also available separately for purchase from Hal Leonard.

Though somewhat dark and dramatic in character A Million Suns at Midnight is ultimately a hopeful optimistic work evoking the struggles of humanity to grow achieve and evolve finally overcoming our fear (and its mostcommon manifestation: violence) to transcend our physical and mental boundaries. Individuals now possess an unprecedented technological capability for both creation and destruction and we must ensure that the million suns atmidnight are not those of fiery destruction but of bright hope.A Million Suns at Midnight is an appropriate and dramatic concert closer and is constructed so as to require minimal rehearsal time with the fullensemble allowing each section to work on their parts separately and assemble the whole quickly and confidently.NOTE: This work is available as a rental item directly from the composer. For details e-mailrental@stevenbryant.com. The score is also available separately for purchase from Hal Leonard.

For the second year in a row composer Steven Bryant took home top prize in the prestigious NBA/Revelli Composition Contest. The winner for 2008 Suite Dreams draws primarily from the inverted chaconne melody in HolstsFirst Suite inE-Flat recasting it in a dreamlike atmosphere almost as if (sometimes warped) memories of the original are drifting across the stage. Dur: 8:45 (Grade 5)

Using melodic fragments from each of the six movements of Percy Grainger's Lincolnshire Posy as foils for each other Steven Bryant has created a unique and brash experiment in musical juxtaposition! Grainger described his work asa bouquet of musical “wildflowers ” and Bryant describes “ImPercynations” as a “genetically-altered crossbred hybrid offspring...a musical Franken-flower”. An unconventional gem. (duration:ca. 5:15)

The Marbled Midnight Mile is a companion to Bryant's earlier works Dusk and First Light – the three of them together forming a loosely-related “night cycle.” The title evokes an extended journeythrough the myriad wandering thoughts that occur in the solitude of night. The music makes only modest technical demands of the ensemble but is a perfect vehicle to expand the band's musical maturity and sensitivity. Dur: 8:00(Grade 4)

The Music of BCM InternationalIn this third installment of a series of pieces that quote and rework familiar band themes (after Chester Leaps In and ImPercynations) composer Steven Bryant uses the classicmarch themes Americans We Liberty Bell March and National Emblem as the basis of this humorous and unexpected take on the traditional march. Slightly warped but unmistakably entertaining this well-constructednovelty is sure to bring a smile. (4:00)