SKU: ST.C129

ISBN 9790570811298.

As I sit myself down to write this brief foreword, I ask myself can there be music more stirring than these old Cornish folk melodies? Though not Cornish myself (I confess to being born a little further up the road, in Bristol), I feel I have spent sufficient time in these 'ere parts to resonate with the sturdy brass band tradition that continues to permeate this incomparably beautiful, rugged county. One can almost detect a French 'accent' when listening to the piano music of Debussy, and likewise, speaking as a lapsed brass player, there is undoubtedly something of the Cornish twang about Trelawny when played on a cornet or euphonium. Then again, one gets a different, yet entirely convincing effect upon hearing these melodies rendered on woodwind instruments; hence, with a little gamesmanship on my part, I am pleased to see my collection of these fifteen delectable ditties come to fruition in the form of arrangements for treble clef brass instruments (in B flat and E flat), trombone and tuba (bass clef), horn in F, flute, clarinet and bassoon. While many will find themselves humming the likes of Going up Camborne Hill, Lamorna or The Helston Furry Dance even before they have turned to the first page - for these are indelibly intertwined with Cornish culture – I wonder if I might draw your attention to The Cornish Squire, The Pool of Pilate and Cold Blows the Wind Today Sweetheart, which are quite simply sublime melodies, perhaps needing that extra bit of help in bringing them to mind nowadays. In the best tradition of musical hand-me-downs, Cornish folk music works equally ideally sung and played, and only by doing so on a regular basis can such traditions hope to continue forward with vigour and authority. A legitimate way of achieving this is to revitalise the harmonic scheme of these ancient tunes and bring them up to date for a modern audience; after all, it was such an approach that fuelled the imagination of Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams in decades past, while skilfully paying homage to the underlying charm and, for want of a better word, simplicity, of the original music. But this is only a start – for without an energetic response from younger generations, Cornish folk music is destined to wither on the vine in much the same way as is happening with the Cornish dialect. So, put your instrument to your lips and proceed, not with caution, but with enthusiasm and a smile, for your great grandparents (and perhaps even their grandparents) would surely raise a glass if they could hear you doing your bit to ensure the survival of this splendid heritage.
Timeless Cornish melodies, cooked up for hungry clarinet players
Grades 1–4
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP1218.

SKU: BT.YKM570800353

SKU: ST.C143

ISBN 9790570811434.

Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (1865-1936) trained under Rimsky- Korsakov and became the most illustrious Russian composer and conductor immediately succeeding Tchaikovsky. Glazunov’s close affinity with the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, of which institution he would later become Director for more than two decades, placed him ideally to assist in the Institute’s transition to the Petrograd Conservatory in the immediate wake of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. For the last six years of his life, Glazunov left the USSR, feeling hemmed in by propagandist restrictions and at the same time out of kilter with the Modernist movement.

He lived in exile for a time, touring the USA, before eventually settling in Paris, though his stoical brand of Russian Romanticism never waned. Despite being partly remembered for having taught Shostakovich, Glazunov was never known as a revolutionary composer, more inclined to align himself with 19th century ideologies than with the thrusting new compositional paths forged by Prokofiev and others. Indeed, the nationalistic movement so successfully espoused by Balakirev found a new energy in Glazunov’s hands, and he discovered an opulence of scale which leaned more in the direction of Borodin.

There can be no doubting Glazunov’s technical mastery, which successfully drew together contrapuntal, lyrical and virtuosic skills, and which were admired by the likes of Liszt. Glazunov steered a steady course at a time when it was most sorely needed; one need only hear the marvellous Violin Concerto in A minor to experience the full power and authority of his writing, though he possessed an enviable touch with more intimate forms too, such as those readily to be heard in these three charming Miniatures Op.42, originally composed for piano.
Clarinet and Piano
Transcribed by Mark Tanner
Grades 6 & 7 (Trinity Grades 6 & 7 syllabuses)
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP1360.

SKU: PR.144407370

ISBN 9781491131688. UPC: 680160680016.

Ethereal and meditative, Lauren Bernofsky’s SOLITUDE is a 5-minute poem infused with both warmth and poetic desolation. Originally composed with the B( Clarinet in mind, this publication also includes an ossia part for A Clarinet. SOLITUDE has been recorded by clarinetist Jessica Lindsey on her Albany CD, “Set No Limits (Music by Women Composers)”.

SKU: ST.C501

ISBN 9790570815012.

Close Encounters for Clarinet in B flat & Piano draws on historic themes connected to the medieval closes (also know as wynds or vennels) of the Scottish burgh town of Lanark, situated in the rural Clyde Valley. Often named after prominent resident business owners, these otherwise unremarkable narrow lanes are given life by the records of their occupiers or through local tales.

Aside from the more self explanatory titles, ‘Luminare’ describes the astronomical interests of electrical pioneer David Hunter; ‘Jumbo Jive’ relates to the legend of an inebriated circus elephant escapee who became stuck in the arch of Wide Close; ‘Amber Sky’ connects the India Ale trade of Brewery Close with an occasional, evocative dusk light that cloaks the town before sunset.

Close Encounters comprises five fascinating and contrasted short movements each set within its own very vivid sound world. The colourful harmonic language is drawn from a number of musical influences including flavours of Jazz, the silver screen and the French impressionists, all adding up to music that is both engaging to play and to listen to. The five movements are set at a comfortable technical level for the intermediate to advanced clarinettist, cover the entire range of the instrument, and the set would make for an intriguing addition to any clarinet recital.

- Paul Harris (composer & clarinettist)

SKU: ST.C241

ISBN 9790570812417.

Clarinet in B flat & Piano (or Backing Tracks)
Arranged by Mark Goddard
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP658.

SKU: PR.414411540

UPC: 680160089864.