SKU: CN.R10004

A slow introduction gives way to the chirpy theme which is developed, inverted, and accents displaced across the bar line to give a 3/2 feel against the written meter. Restlessness leads to a tranquillo presented by the flute and clarinet, weaving a flowing counterpoint around the melody until the original slow introduction returns. A triumphant recapitulation of the main theme brings this wonderful piece to an end.

Originally composed for Brass Band in 1934 Comedy Overture is, despite its name, a serious piece of writing. The term Overture does not imply that there is anything else to follow; it is used in the 19th century sense of Concert Overture (like Mendelssohn's Fingal's Cave - in other words, a miniature Tone Poem). The 1930's was a period of Ireland's mature writing - yielding the Piano Concerto (1930), the Legend for piano and orchestra (1933), and the choral work These Things Shall Be (1936-1937). We are fortunate therefore to have both Comedy Overture and A Downland Suite (1932) written for band medium at this time. As with Maritime Overture (written in 1944 for military band) Ireland approaches his material symphonically. The opening three notes state immediately the two seminal intervals of a semitone and a third. These are brooding and dark in Bb minor. It is these intervals which make up much of the thematic content of Comedy, sometimes appearing in inverted form, and sometimes in major forms as well. The concept that some musical intervals are consonant , some dissonant, and some perfect is perhaps useful in understanding the nature of the tension and resolution of this work. The third is inherently unstable, and by bar 4, the interval is expanded to a fourth - with an ascending sem-quaver triplet - and then expanded to a fifth. The instability of the third pushes it towards a perfect resolution in the fourth or the fifth. The slow introduction is built entirely around these intervals in Bb minor and leads through an oboe cadenza, to an Allegro moderato brillante in Bb major. Once again, the semi-tone (inverted) and a third (major) comprise the main, chirpy, theme-inspired by a London bus-conductor's cry of Piccadilly. (Much of the material in Comedy was re-conceived by Ireland for orchestra and published two years later under the title A London Overture.) The expansion of the interval of a third through a fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh now takes place quickly before our very ears at the outset of this quicker section. Immediately the theme is developed, inverted, and accents displaced across the bar line to give a 3/2 feel against the written meter. But this restlessness leads to a tranquillo built around an arpeggio figure and presented by flute and clarinet. Ireland weaves his flowing counterpoint around this melody until the original slow introduction returns leading to a stretto effect as the rising bass motifs become more urgent, requesting a resolution of the tension of that original semitone and minor third. Yet resolution is withheld at this point as the music becomes almost becalmed in a further, unrelated tranquillo section marked pianissimo. It is almost as if another side of Ireland's nature is briefly allowed to shine through the stern counterpoint and disciplined structure. This leads to virtually a full recapitulation of the chirpy brilliante, with small additional touches of counterpoint, followed by the first tranquillo section-this time in the tonic of Bb major. But the instability of the third re-asserts itself, this time demanding a resolution. And a triumphant resolution it receives, for it finally becomes fully fledged and reiterates the octave in a closing vivace. The opening tension has at last resolved itself into the most perfect interval of all.

SKU: PR.465000130

ISBN 9781598064070. UPC: 680160600144. 9x12 inches.

Following a celebrated series of wind ensemble tone poems about national parks in the American West, Dan Welcher’s Upriver celebrates the Lewis & Clark Expedition from the Missouri River to Oregon’s Columbia Gorge, following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Welcher’s imaginative textures and inventiveness are freshly modern, evoking our American heritage, including references to Shenandoah and other folk songs known to have been sung on the expedition. For advanced players. Duration: 14’.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Corps of Discovery to find a water route to the Pacific and explore the uncharted West. He believed woolly mammoths, erupting volcanoes, and mountains of pure salt awaited them. What they found was no less mind-boggling: some 300 species unknown to science, nearly 50 Indian tribes, and the Rockies.Ihave been a student of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which Thomas Jefferson called the “Voyage of Discovery,” for as long as I can remember. This astonishing journey, lasting more than two-and-a-half years, began and ended in St. Louis, Missouri — and took the travelers up more than a few rivers in their quest to find the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. In an age without speedy communication, this was akin to space travel out of radio range in our own time: no one knew if, indeed, the party had even survived the voyage for more than a year. Most of them were soldiers. A few were French-Canadian voyageurs — hired trappers and explorers, who were fluent in French (spoken extensively in the region, due to earlier explorers from France) and in some of the Indian languages they might encounter. One of the voyageurs, a man named Pierre Cruzatte, also happened to be a better-than-average fiddle player. In many respects, the travelers were completely on their own for supplies and survival, yet, incredibly, only one of them died during the voyage. Jefferson had outfitted them with food, weapons, medicine, and clothing — and along with other trinkets, a box of 200 jaw harps to be used in trading with the Indians. Their trip was long, perilous to the point of near catastrophe, and arduous. The dream of a Northwest Passage proved ephemeral, but the northwestern quarter of the continent had finally been explored, mapped, and described to an anxious world. When the party returned to St. Louis in 1806, and with the Louisiana Purchase now part of the United States, they were greeted as national heroes.Ihave written a sizeable number of works for wind ensemble that draw their inspiration from the monumental spaces found in the American West. Four of them (Arches, The Yellowstone Fires, Glacier, and Zion) take their names, and in large part their being, from actual national parks in Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. But Upriver, although it found its voice (and its finale) in the magnificent Columbia Gorge in Oregon, is about a much larger region. This piece, like its brother works about the national parks, doesn’t try to tell a story. Instead, it captures the flavor of a certain time, and of a grand adventure. Cast in one continuous movement and lasting close to fourteen minutes, the piece falls into several subsections, each with its own heading: The Dream (in which Jefferson’s vision of a vast expanse of western land is opened); The Promise, a chorale that re-appears several times in the course of the piece and represents the seriousness of the presidential mission; The River; The Voyageurs; The River II ; Death and Disappointment; Return to the Voyage; and The River III .The music includes several quoted melodies, one of which is familiar to everyone as the ultimate “river song,” and which becomes the through-stream of the work. All of the quoted tunes were either sung by the men on the voyage, or played by Cruzatte’s fiddle. From various journals and diaries, we know the men found enjoyment and solace in music, and almost every night encampment had at least a bit of music in it. In addition to Cruzatte, there were two other members of the party who played the fiddle, and others made do with singing, or playing upon sticks, bones, the ever-present jaw harps, and boat horns. From Lewis’ journals, I found all the tunes used in Upriver: Shenandoah (still popular after more than 200 years), V’la bon vent, Soldier’s Joy, Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy (a hymn sung to the tune “Beech Spring”) and Fisher’s Hornpipe. The work follows an emotional journey: not necessarily step-by-step with the Voyage of Discovery heroes, but a kind of grand arch. Beginning in the mists of history and myth, traversing peaks and valleys both real and emotional (and a solemn funeral scene), finding help from native people, and recalling their zeal upon finding the one great river that will, in fact, take them to the Pacific. When the men finally roar through the Columbia Gorge in their boats (a feat that even the Indians had not attempted), the magnificent river combines its theme with the chorale of Jefferson’s Promise. The Dream is fulfilled: not quite the one Jefferson had imagined (there is no navigable water passage from the Missouri to the Pacific), but the dream of a continental destiny.

SKU: CF.FPS150

ISBN 9781491152102. UPC: 680160909605.

The title is a play on words, but the composer had his own ulterior motives in mind when composing this piece. He wanted a piece that was fun to play, but that helped developing musicians work on their rhythmic skills. Matt Putnam uses the feel of action film soundtracks to create the mood of this interesting new piece. Interesting grooves in the percussion throughout add to the piece’s feel of mystery and thrill.
To understand my thoughts in writing this piece, I thought it best to define the two ideas that give the piece its title: ulterior motives and musical motifs. Ulterior motives occur when you believe that a person is doing something for some unknown or hidden reason. Often, they are used in action films or literature to increase the drama and tension of the story. Musically, a motif is a short rhythmic and/or melodic idea. When I wrote this piece, I must confess that I had my own ulterior motives: I wanted to create a piece that was fun to play, but I also wanted a piece that would help students develop their rhythmic counting skills. In this piece, I use a motif of a two eighth-note pattern which jumps from section to section to help me achieve my ulterior motive.Mimicking the mood of action films whose characters often have ulterior motives, the mood of the piece is suspenseful and exciting as the motif jumps from section to section throughout the ensemble. The motif keeps you guessing as it occurs on all four different beats of the measure sometimes ascending, sometimes descending, and occurs sometimes in the interval of a second and sometimes the interval of a third. Interesting grooves in the percussion throughout add to the piece’s feel of mystery and thrill.I have no ulterior motives when I say that I hope you enjoy playing Ulterior Motifs.

SKU: BT.CMP-0624-02-010

Two timeless Christmas favorites by J.S.Bach are gloriously arranged for the Concert Band and ready for your interpretation. BREAK FORTH, O BEAUTEOUS, HEAVENLY LIGHT and JESU, JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING comprise the two contrasting movements (a Chorale and a Ballad). You know how valuable chorale style playing can be for the band’s tone quality, breath support, intonation, and phrasing. With thorough cueing throughout the arrangement, TWO BACH CHRISTMAS CLASSICS will work beautifully even if your group has instrumentation problems. Christmas music does not ordinarily leap to mind as a choice for spring festival use, but you may wish to consider it in this case. Great music isgreat music any time of the year! Magnificent!

SKU: FJ.B1673S

English.

Inspired by a trip to Australia, Balmages composed this programmatic work in honor of the fictitious, yet wildly popular drop bear. The ominous opening portrays the eerie feeling of walking about, not knowing if one of these horrific creatures will drop out of a tree and attack. Achievable aleatoric sounds add to the mystery as the drop bear finally reveals itself and panic ensues. Extremely creative and engaging!

About FJH Concert Band

Designed for high school groups and upper-level middle school groups. Independence is encouraged, but many lines are cross-cued. Usually includes an expanded percussion section. Grades 3 - 3.5

SKU: CN.S11042

This symphonic sketch for concert band is packed full different motives thrown around the ensemble hinting at the programmatic leitmotifs of Wagner. Every section of the ensemble gets a workout in this delightful 10-minute work.

A Symphonic Sketch for Concert Band. The resurgence of interest in George Lloyd's music must give us faith that such talent will ultimately prevail against sometimes unhappy circumstances. Lloyd was Cornish and showed precocious gifts at an early age - he had completed his first symphony by the age of nineteen. During the 1930s he completed two operas, one of which - The Serf - was produced at Covent Garden in 1938. He was set for a glittering career as a composer. The Second World War intervened and he was invalidad out of the Navy in a shell-shocked state, and having written very little serious music since 1937 went to Switzerland to recuperate, looked after by his wife, Nancy. Painfully, he began writing again - symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 - and then returned to England. He needed to earn a living and he set up a mushroom farm in Dorset. But slowly he began to compose again and drafted more symphonies in short score. By this time he was virtually unknown - despite being considered the equal of Walton, Britten, and other young stars of English music some 30 years earlier. Lloyd decided to embark on a series of recordings of his symphonies, and slowly popular acclaim enabled him to regain his position. The Forest of Arden was written in 1987 as a result of a commission by the Solihull Youth Wind Band. Although Lloyd's music feels instinctively written one should not be misled - it is carefully crafted, but the craft and structure are always subordinated to create a flow with a strongly melodic content. Instead of two or three themes, The Forest of Arden contains an abundance of ideas which can be described in two groups. The first group contains the opening rhythmic motif, quickly developed into a short rising quaver passage in the woodwinds, and later then a chromatic ostinato bass - only 8 bars at this stage but later expanded. The second group is broad and expansive, initially based on intervals of rising fifths introduced by euphonium, tubas, and baritone saxophone, immediately echoed by horns. Low brass and winds expand the theme into rising sixths and octaves. There is a hint of development, bit this is arrested as the music moves to a piu tranquillo section introduced by the alto saxophone which further develops the rising sixth theme. There follows a true development of the opening material, starting with the ostinato bass and gradually passing through different tonal centers until the rising fifths of the second theme group are heralded - fortissimo and poco piu largamente shortly before the end. The structure is almost Wagnerian (albeit on a much smaller scale), with themes being used as leitmotifs, but this is music which, even within the space of ten minutes is conceived on a grand design.

SKU: AP.49094

ISBN 9781470645984. UPC: 038081564388. English.

Haunted Sleigh Ride is based on Jingle Bells but shifted to a minor key, transforming a winter favorite into an eerie adventure into the snowy unknown. We may not be laughing all the way. Brian Beck's setting is jam-packed with various style and dynamic markings as well as accidentals in every part, challenging musicians, and engaging audiences. Shifting a piece from major to minor (or vice versa) will instantly illuminate a melody and breathe new life into a piece. What was happy is now sad, what was dark is now vibrant, and, in this case, what was cheerful is now spooky. Correlated to Sound Innovations for Concert Band, Book 2, Level 4. (2:20) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

SKU: BT.GOB-000536-140

‘God rest ye merry, Gentlemen’ is an ancient English carol. It was first published in 1833, but it can be traced as far back as the 15th century, which makes it one of the oldest carols known.

‘God rest ye merry’ is a Middle English salutation. In this manner, people wished one another greatness and might.
In modern English, the first line of this carol would read ‘May God keep you mighty, gentlemen’.

Andrew R. Mackereth has not kept to the original words in his up-tempo arrangement of the carol. It is still clearly recognizable, but the arranger has taken a good many liberties. Sometimes a particular note is held longer, at times motifs follow oneanother in various parts. If you listen carefully, you may even be able to detect a motif from another well-known song.

‘God rest ye merry Gentleman’ is een oude Engelse carol. De eerste officiële publicatie was in 1833, maar de sporen leiden tot ergens in de 15e eeuw. God rest ye merry Gentleman is daarmee één van de oudste carols.

‘God restye merry’ is een oude groet. Men wenste elkaar kracht toe.
Wanneer we de titel naar ‘onze’ tijd zouden vertalen, dan luidt die ‘May God keep you gentleman strong’.

Andrew R. Mackereth heeft zich in dit ‘up-tempo’arrangement niet aan de tekst gehouden. Het lied komt wel zeer duidelijk naar voren maar de arrangeur heeft zich de nodige vrijheid gegund. De ene keer wordt een noot langer aangehouden, een andere keer zijn het motieven die elkaarin diverse stemmen opvolgen. Als u goed luistert kunt u zelfs een motiefje uit een ander zeer bekend lied herkennen.

SKU: BT.GOB-000904-140

Noel is based on the famous English Carol The First Noel.
The age of this song is not clear.Some scientists argue that tis song is from early thirteenth century, others say that it's from the sixteenth century.
The first publication was in 'Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern', compiled by William B. Sandys. (London, 1833).
The exact origin is unknown. By Norman influences on the text, with the result that the spelling of the song is not certified (Noel, Nowell), an individual will sometimes claim that France is the cradle of this song, but in general assumes that the First Noel 'for the first time somewhere in England sung.

'Noel' is gebaseerd op de zeer bekende Engelse Carol 'the First Noel'.
Over de 'leeftijd' van dit lied is men het niet eens. Zo zijn er geleerden die beweren dat het al vanaf begin dertiende eeuw gezongen werd, anderen zeggendat het lied vanaf de zestiende eeuw bestaat.
De eerste publicatie plaats was in een verzamelbundel: 'Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern', bijeengebracht door William B. Sandys. (Londen, 1833).
Over de exacte herkomstis men het wel eens, deze is onbekend. Door Normandische invloeden op de tekst, wat tot gevolg had dat de spelling van het lied niet eensluidend is (Noel, Nowell), wil een enkeling nog wel eens beweren dat Frankrijk de bakermatvan dit lied is, maar over het algemeen wordt aangenomen dat 'the First Noel' voor het eerst ergens in Engeland gezongen is.

SKU: BT.DHP-1216336-215

English-German-French-Dutch.

From the beginning of the Middle Ages, we have known performance practices in which the duration of the notes can differ from the actual notation. In some cases, binary written melodies were performed in a ternary way. This isalso the case in the present-day shuffle: the written quavers are performed in a long-short system in which the ratio is 2:1. In other words, the performance practice is based on a triplet feel. In this composition, allingredients of the shuffle are featured: a vigorous swing rhythm, a walking bass, the successions of thirds in the accompaniment and the frequent use of triplets. To make sure that the binary written rhythms in the accompanimentsare performed in the correct ternary manner, Peter Kleine Schaars has notated the melody themes in triplets as much as possible. Thus, this composition is a very useful exercise for the swing development of your ensemble.Additionally, the work is a treat to listen to, so your audience will really appreciate this up-tempo big band like composition. All ternary rhythmic cells 17 till 24 pass in revue, furthermore much attention had been paid to acorrect performance of cell 4 in swing feel.

Al vanaf het begin van de middeleeuwen kennen we uitvoeringspraktijken waarbij de lengte van de noten anders kan zijn dan de daadwerkelijke notatie. Zo werden in sommige gevallen binair uitgeschreven melodieën ternair uitgevoerd.Dat is ook het geval bij de hedendaagse shuffle: de geschreven achtsten worden uitgevoerd in een lang-kortsysteem waarbij de verhouding 2:1 geldt. Oftewel de uitvoeringspraktijk is gebaseerd op een triolenfeel. In deze compositiekomen alle ingrediënten van de shuffle aan bod: een stevig swingritme, een walking bass, oplopende tertsenreeksen in de begeleiding en veelvuldig gebruik van triolen. Om ervoor te zorgen dat de binair genoteerde ritmieken in debegeleidingen op de juiste ternaire wijze worden uitgevoerd, heeft Peter Kleine Schaars de melodiethema’s zoveel mogelijk uitgeschreven in triolen. Hierdoor is deze compositie een zeer bruikbare oefening voor de swingontwikkelingvan uw ensemble. Daarnaast is het werk een feest om naar te luisteren en zal het publiek deze uptempo bigbandachtige compositie zeker waarderen. Alle ternaire ritmische cellen 17 tot 24 passeren de revue, daarnaast is er veelaandacht voor een juiste uitvoering van cel 4 in swingfeel.

Seit Beginn des Mittelalters sind uns Aufführungspraktiken bekannt, bei denen die Dauer der Noten von der tatsächlichen Notation abweichen kann. In einigen Fällen wurden binär geschriebene Melodien ternär gespielt. Dies ist auchbeim modernen Shuffle der Fall: Die notierten Achtelnoten werden in einem Lang-Kurz-System“ im Verhältnis 2:1 ausgeführt. Mit anderen Worten, die Aufführungspraxis basiert auf einem Triolengefühl. In dieser Komposition sind alleZutaten des Shuffle enthalten: ein kräftiger Swing-Rhythmus, ein Walking Bass, eine Abfolge von Terzen in der Begleitung und die häufige Verwendung von Triolen. Um sicherzustellen, dass die binär geschriebenen Rhythmen in denBegleitungen ternär ausgeführt werden, hat Peter Kleine Schaars die Melodiethemen so weit wie möglich als Triolen notiert. Daher eignet sich diese Komposition zum Üben des Swings. Darüber hinaus hört sich das Stück so schön an,dass Ihr Publikum von dieser schnellen Big-Band-ähnlichen Komposition begeistert sein wird. Die ternären Rhythmus-Einheiten 17 bis 24 kommen alle vor, außerdem wurde ein Schwerpunkt auf die korrekte Umsetzung der Rhythmus-Einheit4 im Swing-Stil gelegt.

Si nous remontons au début du Moyen ge, nous savons que, selon certaines coutumes d’interprétation, la durée des notes pouvait différer de la notation. Parfois, des mélodies écrites en binaire étaient même interprétées enternaire. C’est le cas de ce shuffle contemporain : les croches écrites sont jouées selon un système long-court où le rapport est de 2:1. Autrement dit, en pratique, l’interprétation est fondée sur un ressenti ternaire. Tous lesingrédients du shuffle sont présents dans cette composition : un rythme de swing vigoureux, une basse walking, les successions de tierces dans l’accompagnement et l’emploi fréquent de triolets. Pour s’assurer que les rythmesécrits en binaire dans l’accompagnement soient interprétés en ternaire, Peter Kleine Schaars a, dans la mesure du possible, noté les thèmes de la mélodie en triolets. Cette pièce forme donc un exercice très utile pour permettre votre ensemble d’apprendre le swing. En outre, son écoute est un vrai plaisir, et votre public appréciera pleinement cette pièce de style big band au rythme enlevé. Toutes les cellules rythmiques ternaires 17 24 sont passées enrevue et une grande attention a été portée l’interprétation correcte de la cellule 4, donc avec un ressenti swing.