Par SPARKE PHILIP. Salute to the Victor est en forme traditionnelle de marche et, en hommage à Victor Grieve, un passionné de la musique anglaise (en particulier celle de Sir Edward Elgar), contient une courte citation de Sea Pictures de ce dernier dans le trio. Salute to the Victor fut commandé par Helen, Alex et James Grieve pour les Golden Kangaroos (Hornsby Concert Band) de Sydney, Australie, en mémoire de leurs parents, Louise et Victor Grieve, fondateur et directeur. / Niveau : 4 / Marche / Répertoire / Brass Band

Fanfare For Billy. Par SPARKE PHILIP. It is a tradition at Marlow High School, Oklahoma, that the band members’ parents host a Band Banquet every May, at which the senior members of the band present a gift to the band director as a token of gratitude for his year’s work. In 2009, clarinet player Brenna Hensley had the idea to commission a new piece from composer Philip Sparke to present to band director Billy Daniel, which would be played at the Spring Concert later that month. Salute to a Hero was the result. The piece opens with a decorated fanfare played on cornets and trombones and, after a short bridge passage, this reappears, played by the full band. A central lyrical section brings a mood of calm, utilisingdifferent brass colours, before the fanfare returns to close the work. / Niveau : 3 / Ouverture / Répertoire / Brass Band

Par SPARKE PHILIP. La plupart des pays ayant institué la tradition des musiques militaires ont développé un style de marche caractéristique. Ainsi, il est relativement aisé de distinguer une marche américaine d’une marche militaire française ou une marche allemande d’une marche espagnole. À l’intérieur du cadre structurel rigide d’une marche, on réussit à percevoir même les plus subtiles différences de rythme, d’harmonie et de tempo qui caractérisent les traditions de chaque pays. Il existe un, ou plus exactement deux styles de marche typiquement anglais : celui des marches militaires représenté par des compositeurs tels que Kenneth J. Alford, et celui des marches cérémonielles ou de concert quiatteindra l’excellence avec les marches orchestrales d’Elgar et Walton, entre autres. Royal Salute (“Salut royal”) est une marche de difficulté moyenne qui perpétue cette grande tradition. On y retrouve des éléments typiques : des mélodies et contremélodies amples, et un trio nobilmente. / Niveau : 3 / Marche de concert / Répertoire / Brass Band

Par SPARKE PHILIP. Centennial Salute débute avec une majestueuse fanfare énoncée aux cuivres graves, puis reprise en tutti. Une ligne mélodique vient contraster par son expressivité, avant d’être rejointe par le thème d’ouverture pour cheminer conjointement vers un vivo passionné (une marche), suivi d’un trio. Le thème de la marche revient ; la trame s’amplifi e et la musique atteint son apogée, alors qu’éclate le contenu solennel des mesures initiales offrant une apothéose triomphale. / Niveau : 3 / Pièce de concert / Répertoire / Brass Band

Variations on a melody by Adriaen Valerius (1575-1625). Par SPARKE PHILIP. Dutch composer, artist and poet Adriaen Valerius is mostly remembered today for his collection of 79 songs for voice and lute or cittern, published posthumously in 1626. Philip Sparke has taken one melody from this collection that tells of the War of Independence with Spain. The beautiful slow melody is followed by a series of lively variations to form an extremely entertaining piece that will bring great joy to all who perform and listen to it. / Niveau : 3 / Pièce de concert / Répertoire / Brass Band

Par HOSAY JAMES L.. Liberate your brass band with the sounds of 1940’s swing! James L. Hosay has combined the styles of WWII era big-band legends Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington with the unmistakable sounds of Glen Miller to create a swingin’ swayin’ piece you are sure to love. Salute the veterans of WWII with this rip-roaring throwback to the 1940s. / Niveau : 3 / Musique légère originale / Répertoire / Brass Band

Par SPARKE PHILIP. A Bandsman’s Overture was commissioned by British Bandsman magazine to celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2012. It was premiered by Black Dyke Band, conducted by Dr Nicholas Childs, at a special anniversary concert held in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on July 1st. British Bandsman was for a period known as British Bandsman and Contest Field, following an amalgamation of two magazines. The then owner, John Henry Iles, celebrated this new title by commissioning Ord Hume to write the famous march, BB & CF. As a salute to this heritage A Bandsman’s Overture starts with the four notes, B(b)-B(b)-C-F, a motive which permeates an opening fanfare, which contrasts a busy opening with a more legato central section. This gives way to a bustling Vivo, based on repeated staccato notes. A change of key heralds a central cantabile melody, first on euphoniums and baritone and then played by the full band, which is followed by a short development section. This leads to a transformed reprise and a return of the opening fanfare, decorated this time by florid muted cornets. / Niveau : 4 / Ouverture / Répertoire / Brass Band

Par SPARKE PHILIP. A Bandsman’s Overture was commissioned by British Bandsman magazine to celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2012. It was premiered by Black Dyke Band, conducted by Dr Nicholas Childs, at a special anniversary concert held in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on July 1st. British Bandsman was for a period known as British Bandsman and Contest Field, following an amalgamation of two magazines. The then owner, John Henry Iles, celebrated this new title by commissioning Ord Hume to write the famous march, BB & CF. As a salute to this heritage A Bandsman’s Overture starts with the four notes, B(b)-B(b)-C-F, a motive which permeates an opening fanfare, which contrasts a busy opening with a more legato central section. This gives way to a bustling Vivo, based on repeated staccato notes. A change of key heralds a central cantabile melody, first on euphoniums and baritone and then played by the full band, which is followed by a short development section. This leads to a transformed reprise and a return of the opening fanfare, decorated this time by florid muted cornets. / Niveau : 4 / Ouverture / Répertoire / Brass Band