SKU: HL.277282

UPC: 840126915006. 6.75x10.5 inches.

Program note:

Looking Up is a piece for large chorus and orchestra, and is in three sections, played without pause. In the 16th century, a variety of psalters in meter were printed in England, with the idea of making psalm-singing something that could happen easily at home, with the rhyming meter being an aid to memorization. These translations are wonderful exercises in brevity and sometimes clumsy rhymemaking, and were usually prefaced by a lengthy explanation as to their merits; the title of one of the first such volumes in English is: The Psalter of Dauid newely translated into Englysh metre in such sort that it maye the more decently, and wyth more delyte of the mynde, be reade and songe of al men. I thought it would be appropriate to set one of these introductions, and the first section of Looking Up sets the preface to Thomas Ravenscroft's psalter (1621), in which he writes: “The singing of Psalmes (assay the Doctors) comforteth the sorrowfull, pacifieth the angry, strengtheneth the weake, humbleth the proud, gladdeth the humble, stirres up the slow, reconcileth enemies, lifteth up the heart to heavenly things, and uniteth the Creature to his Creator.”

It begins meditatively, but eventually grows agitated and fervent, with a vision of the “quire of Angels and Saints” “redoubling anddescanting” - an ecstatic and terrifying vision of the skies opening up. Ravenscroft then encourages the use of instrumental musicfor worship, at which point, a long, acrobatic orchestral interlude with jagged edges antagonizes the choir, who sing a kind of private, anxious meditation on two pitches.

One of the most delicious biblical texts is an Apocryphal prayer known as the Benedicite or the Prayer of the Three Children (the same who were rescued by an angel after King Nebuchadnezzar tried to have them burnt in an oven for not bowing to his image). The text is repetitive, obsessive, and a gift to composers - each line is an invocation of an element of the natural world, followed by the phrase, “blesse ye the Lord, praise him & magnify him for ever.” In Looking Up, the setting begins with three solo voices, and then grows to include the whole choir, itemizing the whole of creation. The idea that these boys are spared from the furnace and then five minutes later are saying, “O ye the fire and warming heate, blesse ye the Lord...” has always felt very loaded to me, and the orchestra plays with this conflict between joyful praise and a more terrible (in the 16th-century sense) awefor the divine.

The text for the third, and shortest, section is taken from Christopher Smart's (1722-1771) A Song to David, purportedly written during his confinement in a mental asylum. This ode to King David points out how David, as the author of some of the Psalms, observes the whole world from the “clustering spheres” to the “nosegay in the vale.&rdquo.

SKU: HL.4008709

UPC: 196288190899.

The title of this work by Gauthier Dupertuis refers to the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, published in 1954.Lord of the Flies is intended to be a small symphonic poem describing different episodes of the book: the despair of the children stranded on the island, the use of the unifying conch and symbol of democracy, the adventures, and the formation of the camp and finally the savagery of the clan of Jack which undeniably leads to chaos. The finale is mysterious and half-tone, imbued with both the relief of having been rescued, and a deep sadness linked to the tragic events that have occurred on the island. All the main themes and elements developed in the work come from the idea “d-e-f”, exposed from the first bars. The orchestration is intended to be variable in geometry and avoids the main technical difficulties related to the instruments. However, the composer wanted to find as many colors as possible and avoided confining himself to too “simple” harmonies. Lord of the Flies: a piece perfect for bands with limited instrumentation.

SKU: BT.DHP-1063912-120

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

Paul Dukas (1865-1935) was a composer who had little self-confidence and was very self-critical. As a result of this he destroyed the manuscripts of all but seven large and five small works. Luckily kept what is now his best know composition, the symphonic scherzo L’apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). He also came very close to destroying the manuscript of his ballet music La Peri (The Fairy). This was however rescued by his friends. Thus we can still enjoy this magnificent fanfare which was originally used as an opener for the ballet. This magnificent transcription for fanfare band will make a great opening item for any concert.

In Paul Dukas’ ballet La Péri (De fee) is in stilistisch opzicht zijn bewondering voor Wagner (de romantiek) en het Franse impressionisme merkbaar: een interessante en unieke mix, want deze twee stijlen werden maar weinig gecombineerd.De populaire fanfare die voorafgaat aan La Péri is van oorsprong alleen voor koperblazers geschreven en pas naderhand aan het werk toegevoegd. Het gebruikte idioom is moderner dan dat in het ballet zelf. Deze schitterendefanfare wordt vaak afzonderlijk uitgevoerd en is geschikt als openingswerk voor diverse gelegenheden.

In den Werken des französischen Komponisten Paul Dukas (1865-1935) ist stilistisch die Bewunderung für Wagner sowie für den französischen Impressionismus spürbar, woraus sich ein interessanter, seltener Stilmix ergibt. Das Ballett La Péri enthält immense dynamische Abstufungen und fordert die Musiker dementsprechend stark. Die populäre Fanfare, welche dem Werk vorangeht, eignet sich in der gelungenen Blasorchesterbearbeitung von Wil van der Beek als Eröffnungswerk für viele Anlässe.

SKU: HL.4008705

UPC: 196288190851.

Lord of the Flies is intended to be a small symphonic poem describing different episodes of the book: the despair of the children stranded on the island, the use of the unifying conch and symbol of democracy, the adventures, and the formation of the camp and finally the savagery of the clan of Jack which undeniably leads to chaos. The finale is mysterious and half-tone, imbued with both the relief of having been rescued, and a deep sadness linked to the tragic events that have occurred on the island. All the main themes and elements developed in the work come from the idea “d-e-f”, exposed from the first bars. The orchestration is intended to be variable in geometry and avoids the main technical difficulties related to the instruments. However, the composer wanted to find as many colors as possible and avoided confining himself to too “simple” harmonies. Lord of the Flies: a piece accessible to most concert bands.

SKU: HL.48025263

ISBN 9783793142263. UPC: 196288146001. 9.0x12.0x0.651 inches.

The expanded new edition includes the parts of Offenbach's probably most popular work that have become accessible since 1999. The quartet La Barque à Caron (Charon's Boat), the entr’acte for scene 3 as well as two versions of the finale of scene 3 and finally the couplets of Amphitrite have been rescued from oblivion - numbers of both musical and scenic relevance which complete the widely performed, award-winning edition of Orphée aux Enfers as part of the Offenbach Edition Keck. Access to the critical report and further text and material is facilitated by replacing the previously separate CD-ROM supplement with online links. Indispensable for study and performance!

SKU: BT.DHP-1063912-140

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

Paul Dukas (1865-1935) was a composer who had little self-confidence and was very self-critical. As a result of this he destroyed the manuscripts of all but seven large and five small works. Luckily he kept what is now his bestknow composition, the symphonic scherzo L'apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer's Apprentice). He also came very close to destroying the manuscript of his ballet music La Peri (The Fairy). This was however rescued by his friends. Thus wecan still enjoy this magnificent fanfare which was originally used as an opener for the ballet. This fabulous transcription for concert band will make a great opening item for any concert.

In den Werken des französischen Komponisten Paul Dukas (1865-1935) ist stilistisch die Bewunderung für Wagner sowie für den französischen Impressionismus spürbar, woraus sich ein interessanter, seltener Stilmix ergibt. Das Ballett La Péri enthält immense dynamische Abstufungen und fordert die Musiker dementsprechend stark. Die populäre Fanfare, welche dem Werk vorangeht, eignet sich in der gelungenen Blasorchestertranskription von Wil van der Beek als Eröffnungswerk für viele Anlässe.