Every conductor knows the importance of using excellent teaching materials to aid in the development of all aspects of musical growth. The quality of the band's performance must be continually improving. Each component of the ESSENTIALS OF MUSICIANSHIP series is designed to focus on a specific area of musical performance. By using these materials during the warm-up period the conductor can mazimize this time and focus on specific areas that are important to the performance of the music being prepared. This is not a book but rather it is a sheet music publication just like any other band publication.

Tarik O’Regan's The Night's Untruth for SATB chorus Brass ensemble and Organ is a co-commission celebrating the 10th anniversary of JAM (The John Armitage Memorial Trust) and the 40th anniversary of VocalEssence. 'The Night’s Untruth explores the use of sleep as metaphor by dint of excerpts from poems written in the 17th to 20th centuries. Death love fear ecstasy isolation dreaming and rest are all textual “variations” on the “theme” of sleep and can be found in the chosen texts. The work’s title is taken from a line in a poem by Samuel Daniel (1562-1619) and speaks tothe composition’s focus on sleep as a parallel possibly dystopian existence to the one experienced in our waking hours.' - Tarik O’Regan March 2010 Scored for brass quintet organ and SATB choir with (minor) divisi and occasional moderately demanding solos for tenor and soprano this evocative 16-minute work probes the mystery of sleep with texts from poems by Keats Samuel Daniel Shakespeare and Hart Crane: 'death love fear ecstasy isolation dreaming and rest' are the themes O'Regan explores through these texts in a work as episodic as a disturbed night with the title creating a 'focus in sleep as a parallel possibly dystopian existence'. - Organists' Review

A superb way to keep your concert performance vibrant and interesting is the inclusion of one or two feature pieces. The natural contrast that happens when you include a section feature or solo keeps the audience focused and enlivens your program.Feature your agile and expressive Flute section this season with FLIRTATIONS FOR FLUTE by James Curnow! With its light and frivolous air Flirtations For Flute was composed specifically for use by many different combinations of Flutes from a solo to an entire Flute section. The piece focuses on the fast paced flexible side of the instrument’s capabilities.

This hauntingly beautiful melody is probably the mostfamous to come from the pen of Czech composer Antonin Dvorák. Stephen Bulla?s transcription of?Largo? from the ?New World Symphony? will helpyour students focus on expressive playing and bringgreat delight to all with the soothing nostalgicmelody.

Baritone Saxophone-Claude T. Smith drew upon his years of experience working with bands all over the world to develop this creative ensemble techniques method that gives all you need to warm-up your group and systematically improve your ensemble.This powerful resource includes:Over 150 studies built around 32 technical exercisesVaried metersAll major and minor band keysCarefully notated articulations and dynamic nuancesLong-toneversion of the focus major and minor scale at the beginning of each exercise13 chorales in the full range of keysA wide variety of stylesAnd of course each exercise is full of the creativity of oneof the world's most respected composers.

Solo for Euphonium and Concert Band. Par OLSEN VADSTEN OYSTEIN. “Song for Frances” is a classic love ballad, written for concert band and brass band, with a soloist on euphonium. The piece always has the soloist in focus and gives him plenty of room to show off, both a warm sound and technical skills. In the first part of “Song for Frances”, the basic melody is clearly presented, while the rest of the piece is more of a written 'as if improvisation' with various melodic and technical 'whims'. The piece will be perfect for any euphoniumist looking for a challenge. / Date parution : 2023-07-31/ Répertoire / Concert Band/Harmonie

Based on Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho this upbeat swing arrangement is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Modest range and technical demands make it easy to focus on style in your teaching. The band even has a chance to put their hands together (and consider getting the audience involved as well!). Characteristic of Andrew Balent the piece works with varying instrumentation and is easy to put together.

The tune 'Brother John ' or 'Bruder Martin' to Mahler's recognition is used in the third movement titled 'Funeral March in the Manner of Callot ' to create a sense of irony. The inspiration for this section was a woodprint from a book of fairy tales. The print depicts forest animals serving as pallbearers at a hunter's forest funeral. The question is not so much 'Are you sleeping (forever)?' as it is 'Are we mourning or celebrating?' The animals appear unsure whether to focus on the end of the hunter or the end of the hunt. Mahler sets the tune in a minor key to stress this irony as the music moves between merriness and brooding. The tune appears as a canon or round.

The composition the Lonesome Knight was based on a fairytale. The piece was written by Saskia Apon for the National Brass Band Championships 2001. Once upon a time there was a knight who went to fight and defeat the dragon that had beenkilling the people of his town. There is a short but intense battle between the two and the knight is triumphant. However whilst persuing the dragon the knight has travelled far away from his home and now is lost. He roames around trying to findhis way home but exhausted and weary he falls to the ground. He awakens startled by a Giant and a group of Goblins who are celebrating the death of the dragon. The knight joins in the festivities but after a long evening is once more leftalone. The sun rises the following morning and he sees a castle on the horizon. He enthousiastcally ventures towards the castle in the hope of meeting other people. However he becomes greatly disillusioned when there is none to be found. Inhis desperation the knight climbs the tower ready to jump off. Suddenly he hears a heavenly voice. Right before him is the most beautiful princess he has ever seen. She graciously thanks him for killing the dragon a spark ingnites between themand they build a life together and.... live happily ever after! Saskia Apon studied harp at Rotterdam School of music. With this instrument she rounded of her studies by passing with credit however it was her love of composition thatremained her focus. Self-taught she began composing at the age of nine. Since then she has written pieces for The Dutch Brass Quintet The Dutch Brass Ensemble The Rotterdam Trombone Quartet and the brass band quintet Brass Ability. Atpresent she is the in-house arranger for The Rotterdam Philarmonic Brass Ensemble. Besides the customary attention for the real splashworks she endeavours to add value to the melodic function of the brass wind instruments in her music. Hercompositions and arrangements can be found on many diverse Cds.The composition the Lonesome Knight was based on a fairytale. The piece was written by Saskia Apon for the National Brass Band Championships 2001. Once upon a time there was aknight who went to fight and defeat the dragon that had been killing the people of his town. There is a short but intense battle between the two and the knight is triumphant. However whilst persuing the dragon the knight has travelled far awayfrom his home and now is lost. He roames around trying to find his way home but exhausted and weary he falls to the ground. He awakens startled by a Giant and a group of Goblins who are celebrating the death of the dragon. The knight joins inthe festivities but after a long evening is once more left alone. The sun rises the following morning and he sees a castle on the horizon. He enthousiastcally ventures towards the castle in the hope of meeting other people. However he becomesgreatly disillusioned when there is n

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.

Solo for Euphonium and Brass Band. Par OLSEN VADSTEN OYSTEIN. “Song for Frances” is a classic love ballad, written for concert band and brass band, with a soloist on euphonium. The piece always has the soloist in focus and gives him plenty of room to show off, both a warm sound and technical skills. In the first part of “Song for Frances”, the basic melody is clearly presented, while the rest of the piece is more of a written 'as if improvisation' with various melodic and technical 'whims'. The piece will be perfect for any euphoniumist looking for a challenge. / Date parution : 2023-07-31/ Répertoire / Ensemble de Cuivres

for Orchestra-Avskedsvariationer/Farewell Variations for Orchestra by Britta Byström (2005). Programme Note Farewell Variations sees the careful approach towards Haydn by Britta Byström. Although you have the title reference to the ”Farewell” Symphony Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 Byström’s approximations are being made in a subtle way similar to her free interpretation of literary works. You will not find any direct thematic connections between Byström and Haydn. Byström’s Haydn inspiration comes in form of the various titles which have been given to a lotof Haydn symphonies in the post-Haydn era. Byström wanted to go in sort of an opposite direction: To compose music based on ”Haydnish” symphonic titles. A kind of symphonic Haydn catalogue appears in the movements. Farewell Variations consist of fourteen variations of Byström’s own thematics. The work begins in sighing and broken phrases – like the shadow of a dance. The titles of the variations lead to the description of daily events starting with morning. A day of Haydn! The last variation farewell ends with the musicians playing on by on. As such there is no story but the titles are the main focus here. Byström says that she musically ”tried to capture some of Haydn’s ease and insights”. Tony Lundman           

Par MEYER RICHARD. Written to help students develop their spiccato bow stroke, this energetic piece is a joyful celebration from the very first measure. The left hand challenges are minimal, allowing the players to focus on controlling their bow on and off the string. A contrasting call-and-response 'B' section in minor mode briefly slows the pace down before the party resumes again. Over time, the overall tempo can be increased as the students become more and more proficient with this all important bow technique. Correlated to Sound Innovations, Book 2, Level 2. (2:30) / Date parution : 2022-10-12/ Répertoire / Orchestre à Cordes

Baritone-Claude T. Smith drew upon his years of experience working with bands all over the world to develop this creative ensemble techniques method that gives all you need to warm-up your group and systematically improve your ensemble.This powerful resource includes:Over 150 studies built around 32 technical exercisesVaried metersAll major and minor band keysCarefully notated articulations and dynamic nuancesLong-toneversion of the focus major and minor scale at the beginning of each exercise13 chorales in the full range of keysA wide variety of stylesAnd of course each exercise is full of the creativity of oneof the world's most respected composers.

Based on the success of his best-selling warm-ups for strings Michael Allen has teamed up with respected conductor and teacher Don Hanna to bring us this invaluable resource for full orchestra. Similarly this daily regiment isdesigned to prepare the orchestra for rehearsal or performance through a carefully paced set of short examples. Focus on tuning ensemble playing technique phrasing and special needs for strings winds and percussion are alladdressed.