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.

The composer depicts five little paintings which were hanging on the wall of the spare room of his grandparents' house when he used to stay there as a young boy. Each painting had its own place and story. Even a replica of Rembrandt's Night Watch was there and his eyes were always focussed on the person with the drums. Imaginative music of high educational value. Playing together articulation and playing in tune are familiar but useful ingredients of this varied piece.

The enchanting town of Killarney in County Kerry Ireland has been an inspiration to many artists saints and scholars over many centuries. It lies in the heart of the beautiful Killarney National Park and near Ireland’s highest mountains. There are many places of interest to be found in Killarney and the surrounding area such as churches and other historical buildings as well as a varied landscape with waterfalls lovely valleys and gorgeous lakes. The town also has many great restaurants nice crafts shops and lively pubs where traditional Irish music is often heard. A visit to Killarney inspired Johan Nijs to describe his impressions in this composition. The typicalsounds of Irish music echo throughout the work.

Have your Drummers been patiently (or impatiently) standing at the back of the band while you rehearsed this espressivo piece? Reward their equanimity with this fiery and percussive addition to Paul Curnow’s impressive and growing catalog of works for Concert Band. This enticing new composition lies well within the command of a solid Grade 2 band while bringing the smoldering energy of Latin music to your concert stage. Written as a celebration of cultural diversity and infused with easy syncopation and lots of interweaving rhythm there is certain to be a special place for FIESTA DE SAN PEDRO on your next concert and in cross-cultural teaching.Spicy hot!

Have your Drummers been patiently (or impatiently) standing at the back of the band while you rehearsed that expressive piece? Reward their equanimity with this fiery and percussive addition to Paul Curnow’s impressive and growing catalogue of works for Concert Band. This enticing new composition lies well within the command of a solid Grade 2 band while bringing the smoldering energy of Latin music to your concert stage. Written as a celebration of cultural diversity and infused with easy syncopation and lots of interweaving rhythm there is certain to be a special place for Fiesta de San Pedro in your next concert and in cross-cultural teaching.

The word ‘tsunami’ is of Japanese origin. When you look it up in a dictionary you will find that it means ‘a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption’. A megatsunami is the superlative of this awesome expression of power that nature can create and has catastrophic consequences. When Carl Wittrock completed this composition not many such big earth movements had occurred but since then we have become all too familiar with the disastrous consequences which a tsunami may have. On the 26th of December 2004 a heavy seaquake took place near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Tidal waves 10 meters in height ravaged the coastal regions ofmany countries for miles around. The tsunami took the lives of thousands of people and destroyed many villages and towns. There are more areas which run the risk of being struck by a tsunami such as the island of La Palma one of the Canary Islands. This island is based on oceanic crust at a fracture zone and as such is one of nature’s time bombs. The consequences of a natural calamity like a megatsunami are immense. In the case of La Palma the tidal wave will move in the direction of South America where it may reach 50 km inland destroying everything on its way. In his composition Wittrock describes an ordinary day which will have an unexpected ending. Right from the beginning there seems to be something in the air the music creating an oppressive atmosphere of impending disaster. Themes are interrupted broken off suddenly followed by silence suggesting the calm before the storm. Suddenly a short climax (glissandi in the trombone part) indicates the seaquake and the megatsunami is a fact. Hereafter follows a turbulent passage symbolising the huge rolling waves. After nature’s force has spent itself resignation sets in and the composition ends with a majestic ode to nature.

Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Par MOZART WOLFGANG AMADEUS. “Wonderful! But, aren’t there too many notes?” asked the emperor Joseph II. “No, all notes are necessary. This is new music, ” replied Mozart. This is a famous anecdote about the premiere of the opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), which took place on July 16, 1782 at the Burgtheater Wien (Vienna). It illustrates Mozart’s ambition and self-confidence. Throughout Mozart’s lifetime, Die Entführung aus dem Serail was his most successful work outside of Vienna. It is still a much-performed opera. Tohru Takahashi has made a lively arrangement of the overture in its original key, C major. It will sound even better if your band has Turkish percussioninstruments at its disposal. / Niveau : 5 / Répertoire / Concert Band

Scottish Dances is based on three Scottish traditionals: Cock of the North The Bonnie Bank's O'Loch Lomond and Marie's Wedding. I. Cock of the North's name is used for multiple things or events. For example for a locomotive to a famous it seems delicious liqueur and rallies to snowboard competitions. Furthermore is 'Cock O' the North ' a nickname of a famous Duke. (The 4th Duke of Gordon). In this composition Cock of the North (a Jig) is a traditional Scottish bagpipe tune regularly played on tattoos by Pipe Bands. Not infrequently the drummers sing the text. Auntie Mary had a canary Up the leg of her trousers While she was sleeping Iwas peeping Up the leg of her trousers. II. ' The Bonnie Bank's O'Loch Lomond ' is about a sad story that took place during an revolt against the British. In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie had to retreat. Two of his men were captured. One was convicted and executed while the other was released. The spirit of the executed soldier would arrive in Scotland via the 'low road' (underworld) before his companion who had still a long way to go. You'll take the high road And I'll take the low road And I'll be in Scotland afore ye But me and my true love will never meet again On the Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond III. In a Scottish wedding after the official ceremonies there is often danced. This is called a ceilidh. For this we use traditional Scottish music such as 'Marie's Wedding '. Mid dance we go back to the church where a lovely song in honor of the couple sounds. Marie's Wedding has been recorded by Van Morrison (among many others). Step we gaely on we go heel for heel and toe for toe Arm and arm and on we go all for Marie's wedding

Asteroids and comets have played an important role throughout the history of life on earth. It is quite probable that the dinosaurs have been exterminated by an asteroid's impact in the Gulf of Mexico. Huge tidal waves and fire storms wiped out all life. This is the year 2067 according to the Christian calendar. A collision has just taken place in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and caused an asteroid to enter the earth's power of gravitation. It is instoppably approaching the blue planet. As its peoples have been fighting each other continuously they missed the building of a global defence system against dangers coming from space. A scanner records the asteroid andimmediately sends a message to the President of the Anglo-American Union. The probability that the asteroid will hit the earth is judged 50% by the experts. Plans are made to shoot the celestial body with rockets live with hydrogen bombs or laser guns in order to throw it off its track but they fail. The asteroid's size seems to threaten the existence of mankind. Those in the know stare at the night sky in bewilderment. But for the time being there is still peace on earth....

Soliloquy for a Passing Century - Score-'All music be it 'abstract' or 'descriptive ' or 'popular' or 'serious ' must speak for itself. Words about it are irrelevant unless they be lyrics or narration. That being said I will attempt a few words about my piece because I was asked to do so and the very special nature of the event in which this first performance takes place. Therefore I offer a guide to the musical gestures and terrain that make up the work and hopefully helpcommunicate my music to the listener.'Remembrance Day' opens softly with a prologue evoking a distant nostalgic Lullaby. As it fades a sudden loud chime combines with high Clarinets in an anguishedsequence that cries out a musical pattern establishing and shaping the body of the work. The music alternates between elegiac thematic references and the pulsations and accents of chimes and tolling bells. A slight pause-thensubdued but menacing sounds from muted Trombones Tuba and Percussion. Over this is a variant of the Clarinets initial 'cry of anguish'- but this time in quiet grief-turning into a funeral cortege. The cortege proceeds to chantsand responses that grow in intensity changing to hymn-like swelling and embellishments. A sudden explosive interruption brutal and violent-the previous menacing muted trombone motif now unleashed. This leads to a full-blown andaffirmative chorale. Following this climax the work winds down diminishing in intensity. There are passing references to what was heard before. Now comes a last variation on the chant and a pianissimo echo variant in mutedTrumpets and then Woodwinds of the hymns and chorales. As this recedes comes the plaintive cry of anguish again-unresolved. Once again quiet pulsations a short silence-and the epilogue-a few fragments of the opening lullaby-somefinal pulsings-a few timpani beats-silence.I am honored to have been asked to write this work and I thank the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation for making this possible. I also hope that our children's

Claude Smith's contemporary approach to teaching technique tone and style is written in a variety of keys and meters and is divided into three sections: I. Scale Studies II. Etudes III. Chorale Studies. The etudes and choralesare in progressive order of difficulty so bands of all levels can find appropriate starting places and progress from there. It's the perfect way to begin every rehearsal.