SKU: HL.14020992

ISBN 9780711936805. 9.0x12.0x0.185 inches.

Unusually for him, Davies starts his Bassoon Concerto not with slow music but with speed and brilliance: the opening is a Presto, initiated by the strings, and only at the entry of the soloist does the tempo relax to that of a real introduction. Out of this grow a big dancing Allegro. The slow movement begins and ends with a simple song, around fantastical ornamentation from the soloist. The finale is again a recitative and dance, with a slow coda. The whole work is an immense show of stamina, poetry and athleticism for the bassoon, set against an orchestra coloured by low wind (alto flute, clarinet in A, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, horns). Bassoon part with piano reduction of the orchestral score.

SKU: M7.DOHR-88809

ISBN 9790202098097.

On the workWritten originally for swing band in the 1970's in a work called A Minor Excursion I chose a rather bland tune for this suite. What originally brought this work alive was the improvisation and variation of the tune. Therefore this suite is a set of variations on the opening movement and I did this in homage to the original work. For me it's the following movements which make the work. The Prelude is just a simple statement of the theme with a small middle eight section which hints at the work's origin as a jazz piece. The rest of the movements grow from the opening and explores the Prelude in various ways. This is really jazz meets symphonic development. The theme can be clearly heard in all the movements but as the work reaches its conclusion the theme becomes more and more fragmented. The first performance was given on 20 November 1993 at Saint Edmund's Church, Village Way, Beckenham, Kent by the Bromley Oecumenical Singers and Orchestra, conducted by Tomas Creagh-Fuller. (Adrian Connell)Duration: 15 minutes.

SKU: HL.1295434

ISBN 9798350106435. UPC: 196288170181. 6.75x10.5x0.029 inches.

The joyful traditional French carol, translated long ago into English as “Sing We Now of Christmas,” is set a cappella with simple optional percussion. The limited French along with English text makes it a quick learn, and the percussive “rum pum pum” is shared by all the voices, building to a buoyant “Noel” at the finale. An excellent and mature work for the holidays.

SKU: HL.287141

UPC: 888680901950. 5.0x5.0x0.149 inches.

A simple bossa nova chorus giving way to jazzy swing verses gives this Perry Como favorite a breath of fresh air. With an optional, accessible flute part, this breezy arrangement contains elements of singing in a round, giving the piece a spontaneity that will keep your audience humming along!