Music of the Spheres was commissioned by the Yorkshire Building Society Band and first performed by them at the European Brass Band Championships in Glasgow May 2004.The piece reflects the composers fascination with the origins of the universe and deep space in general. The title comes from a theory formulated by Pythagoras that the cosmos was ruled by the same laws he had discovered that govern the ratios of note frequencies of the musical scale. (‘Harmonia’ in Ancient Greek which means scale or tuning rather than harmony - Greek music was monophonic). He also believed that these ratios corresponded to the distances of the sixknown planets from the sun and thatthe planets each produced a musical note which combined to weave a continuous heavenly melody (which unfortunately we humans cannot hear). In this work these six notes form the basis of the sections Music of the Spheres and Harmonia.The pieces opens with a horn solo called t = 0 a name given by some scientists to the moment of the Big Bangwhen time and space were created and this is followed by a depiction of the Big Bangitself as the entire universe bursts out from a single point. A slower section follows called The Lonely Planet which is a meditation on the incredible and unlikely set of circumstances which led to the creation of the Earth as a planet that can support life and the constant search for other civilizations elsewhere in the universe. Asteroids and Shooting Stars depicts both the benign and dangerous objects that are flying through space and which constantly threaten our planet and the piece ends with The Unknown leaving in question whether our continually expanding exploration of the universe will eventually lead to enlightenment or destruction.

La fresque Music of the Spheres (?La musique des sphères?) souligne la fascination qu?éprouve le compositeur pour les origines de l?univers. L?orchestration est proche de la musique de film. Le climat musical est ample sonore et contrasté.

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.

for Brass Ensemble and Percussion. Par GLORIEUX FRANCOIS. François Glorieux was born in Belgium in 1932, and acclaimed throughout Europe, the USA, Latin America, Canada, Japan, China, the Middle East and Africa. He is one of the most widely accomplished and versatile musicians traveling the international circuit today: pianist composer conductor, commentator, entertainer, honorary professor of chamber music at the Royal Music Conservatory of Ghent and guest professor at Yale University (USA). His particular art was the rare one of improvisation presented in five languages. Glorieux practices all musical styles and has been highly considered by great artists such as André Cluytens, Arthur Rubinstein, Yves Nat, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Enrique Jorda, Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos, but also Michael Jackson, Stan Kenton, Stéphane Grappelli, Paul McCartney, Toots Thielemans, Jacky Collins, Annie Girardot, Dionne Warwick, A.C. Jobim, and so on. / Date parution : 2022-11-29/ Répertoire / Ensemble de Cuivres

Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Percussion-Landscapes is a work structured around two main ideas. On the one hand the music freely paints some of the superb landscapes I’ve seen during several of my trips around the world. Listeners should however not be influenced by this programmatic framework and are encouraged to build their own ‘mind pictures’.On the other hand Landscapes constitutes a test piece for each section of the brass band. Indeed each musical landscape highlights a particular register. A small group of soloists is given the opportunity to fully display its skills in dialogue with the rest of the band (the tutti) hence the name ‘concerto grosso’. Landscapes also relies on the band’s different soloistmusicians when it comes to express highly complex musically and technically challenging passages.

Jubiloso est une œuvre de commande pour le 30ème anniversaire du Brass Band japonais Utsunomiya Brass Society en 2008. Utsunomiya est la capitale de la préfecture de Tochigi au Japon. Elle se trouve à environ 100 km au nord de Tokyo à une heure de la capitale japonaise par la ligne de train à grande vitesse (Shinkansen Tohoku). Fondé en 1978 le Brass Band d?Utsunomiya est un ensemble talentueux et polyvalent que Philip Sparke a dirigé à plusieurs reprises en tant que chef invité. À l?occasion du 30ème anniversaire les musiciens formulèrent le souhait de marquer l?événement par une marche brillante et pétulante qui pourrait devenir une sorte d?indicatif musical.Ils confièrent la mission à Philip Sparke qui leur composa Jubiloso une marche idéale pour une ouverture de concert.Jubiloso s?inscrit dans la lignée des marches Slipstream et The Bandwagon : un style « broadwayien » des mélodies fortement syncopées un trio cantabile assez conventionnel et quelques surprenantes mesures irrégulières qui viennent troubler le rythme régulièrement cadencé de la marche.

Ireland is a multi-faceted country that has developed a popular and distinctive musical culture. The first movement of Dublin Pictures reflects Irish festivals where there is dancing and traditional beer flowing. More tranquil in its feel the second movement illustrates the landscape that can be seen from the Ha’penny Bridge a bridge that crosses the River Liffey in Dublin. This movement highlights the wide range of the orchestra’s sound colours as the musicians’ voices combine with the wind and percussion to accompany the soloist. The lively and joyful rhythms of the last movement take the listener to Temple Bar the famous tourist quarter of the city well knownfor its vibrant nightlife. The music’s energy and virtuosic motifs are in contrast to the previous movement and provide a spirited and festive finale.Marc Jeanbourquin wrote this piece in three movements for Azimuts Brass in 2011. He then arranged it for Concert Fanfare or Brass Band

Par GLORIEUX FRANCOIS. François Glorieux was born in Belgium in 1932, and acclaimed throughout Europe, the USA, Latin America, Canada, Japan, China, the Middle East and Africa. He is one of the most widely accomplished and versatile musicians traveling the international circuit today: pianist composer conductor, commentator, entertainer, honorary professor of chamber music at the Royal Music Conservatory of Ghent and guest professor at Yale University (USA). His particular art was the rare one of improvisation presented in five languages. Glorieux practices all musical styles and has been highly considered by great artists such as André Cluytens, Arthur Rubinstein, Yves Nat, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Enrique Jorda, Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos, but also Michael Jackson, Stan Kenton, Stéphane Grappelli, Paul McCartney, Toots Thielemans, Jacky Collins, Annie Girardot, Dionne Warwick, A.C. Jobim, and so on. / Date parution : 2022-11-29/ Répertoire / Ensemble de Cuivres