Symphonic Band-A fantasy on the 3-voice organum “Alleluia: Nativitas” composed by the 12th century master Perotin. The work uses great blocks of Perotin's polyphony juxtaposed and superimposed at multiple tempos and embroidered with some new materials echoing the Gothic style. The work was originally written for the North Hills High School Band. 2+Picc.2.3+Eb Clar+BCl+ContraBCl.2.AATB Saxes: 4.4.4.2 Euph.3: Perc(6).Organ/Synth.Pno

Par BALAZS ARPAD. With its energetic impetus and imposing instrumentation, Concertino is certainly outstanding in the oeuvre of Árpád Balázs. Among his compositions for concert band, it is by far the most engaging and exacting work. Passing away and a will to live are simultaneously present in Concertino, which Árpád Balázs composed in memory of his beloved father. Its structure brings Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies to mind: its solemn opening, which returns at the end,is followed by a slow and a fast movement. The funereal music of the slow movement evolves from a motif of Bach's St. Matthew Passion with enormous intensification equal to the lament in Grieg's Peer Gynt. It is difficult to imagine a dramatic incandescence with a higher degree of heat. The heartbeat-imitating timpani features significantly at the beginning and the end of the funereal music. The fast movement represents resolution, resignation and regainedgaiety. This part, pulsating like a waltz and echoing the modulation technique of Richard Strauss, is followed by the solemn return of the opening chords.Whether playing or listenting to this tremendously soul-stirring music, you will all encounter a dramatic experience./ Répertoire / Concert Band

Homecoming is a distinctly American piece of music which ventures emotionally from doubt to hope and finally to celebration. The most simple wind instrument of all the human voice echoes meaningful homecomings wherever home may be and from whatever circumstance one returns. Written for the soldiers of the U.S. Army TRADOC Band Homecoming seamlessly flows between traditional styles that originated in the U.S. from post-minimalist concert music to jazz. As the music grows into a waltz rhythm welcoming smiles dance with it to the end as loved ones are reunited.

Five States of Change est une commande de l?institut Kunstfactor pour la 4e division des Championnats néerlandais de Brass Band en 2011. Cette œuvre est dédiée à Jappie Dijkstra et au Music Information Centre (MUI) d?Arnhem aux Pays-Bas en hommage à leur rôle exceptionnel dans le développement du répertoire pour Orchestre à Vent.Le compositeur écrit : 'L?idée de cette composition m?est venue alors que je lisais un article sur un aspect de la philosophie chinoise connu sous l?abréviation de Wu Xing* qu?il est impossible de traduire littéralement mais qui peut signifier par exemple cinq éléments cinq phases ou cinq états de changement. Toutechose dans l?univers est le fruit d?un cycle de création (ou d?engendrement) et de domination (ou contrôle). Ce concept est essentiel à tous les éléments de la pensée chinoise y compris les sciences la philosophie la médecine et l?astrologie et en termes simples il représente les multiples rapports cycliques qui existent entre cinq éléments liés à l?univers et à toute chose dans l?univers donc à l?homme.Évoquons le cycle de la création : Terre - Métal - Eau - Bois - Feu - (Terre) etc. La terre contient des minéraux source de métal le métal peut être fondu et se liquéfie l?eau arrose et fait pousser les arbres le bois brûle et produit du feu le feu produit des cendres une sorte de terre dans une dynamique cyclique perpétuelle.Parmi tous les cycles existants celui des émotions éveilla particulièrement mon intérêt : Méditation - Chagrin - Peur - Colère - Joie - (Méditation) etc. et je me suis dit que ce principe cyclique pourrait être à la source d?un puissant et émotionnel voyage musical. Five States of Change se compose donc de cinq parties égales qui reflètent assez librement ce cycle des émotions. J?ai essayé de faire en sorte que la musique se développe de manière fluide et naturelle avec un minimum de répétitions. Chaque mouvement s?ouvre à partir des éléments musicaux qui parachèvent le mouvement précédent tandis que

Balkan Dreams was inspired by Kees Schoonenbeek’s love of the gypsy music originating from Hungary and Romania. Although this is not authentic gypsy music it echoes the compelling and melancholic music heard by the composer full of dreams and promises. This piece will add a little exotic touch to your concert.

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

Gregorian chant is one of the earliest forms of notated music using free flowing rhythms and simple melody. In Old Churches composer Michael Colgrass uses these elements to create an aura of voices echoing in themonastery. Using easy graphic notation students have a fun and creative way to explore sound production along with the compositional process. (Includes score and parts.) (5:20)CD-ROM Now Available!Designed toenhance the musical experience the CD-ROM for Michael Colgrass' Old Churches includes video clips of the St. John's Abbey monks singing photos of various sacred spaces such as Ayer's Rock in Australia as well as ahistory of standard Western notation. In addition this CD-ROM enables students to explore graphic notation and composition with built-in notation software Finale Notepad®. Guaranteed to engage your students and provide addedinsight into this unique work.04002010/$14.99 (CD-ROM)04002702/$60.00 (Band set with CD-ROM)