SKU: CN.R10265
It's waltz time. A first-rate piece that features the most elegant of all musical styles. Features a solo clarinet with the whole band getting involved in the rapture of the waltz.The Pirates of Penzance was the 5th collaboration by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan and was launched at Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York, after first securing the British copyright with one performance in Paignton, Devon, England. The story hinges on the fact that when Frederic was a little lad his parents instructed Ruth, his nursery-maid, to apprentice him as a seafaring pilot. Being slightly hard of hearing, Ruth unfortunately mis-heard the instruction. When Frederic became 21 he was eligible to become a fully-fledged pirate, but to general consternation declares he will devote his live to piracy's extermination. Soon, on meeting a group of sisters on their way to the beach Frederic implores them to join him in his attempt to rescue himself from his dilemma and is over-joyed when Mabel, in spite of her sisters' misgivings, responds sympathetically - influenced perhaps by Frederic's attractive good Looks - singing beguiling waltz, 'Poor Wandering One' and going even further by encouraging him to 'Take heart fair days will shine, hake any heart, take mine'!
SKU: CN.S11265
SKU: CN.S11295
Greek Folk Dances captures the excitement of two dance styles the composer encountered while on holiday in the Greek Islands - the Hasapiko and the Syrto. The first is slow and dramatic dance that plods along showcasing the solo clarinet, while the second is a blazing fast fire dance that alternates between 4/4, 3/4 and 7/8.The inspiration for these dances came from my first proper cruise in 2007, when we traveled around Greek islands and spent a week on the island of Corfu. Traditional music was all around us and we had the chance to watch and take part in some dancing. I began to formulate mu own ideas into two of the dance styles I had encountered - the Hasapiko and the Syrto. The Hasapiko is a butcher dance where the dancers put their arms around each other's shoulders and move in a slow side to side motion, dragging the insides of their feet on the ground. The music often speeds up, but not necessarily. The Syrto is much faster, again with arms around shoulders. Often a solo dancer breaks away, doing acrobatic dance tricks in the middle of the circle. I observed solo fire dancing among flames sprayed onto the ground using some flammable liquid. I have tried to capture some of the excitement of this. The Syrto can be in 3/4 time or 7/8 time, or a mixture of the two. I have used all three options in a gradual speeding up process charging towards a hugely energetic ending.
SKU: CN.R10299
Holst's masterful military band orchestration of J.S. Bach's Organ Fugue in G Major BWV 577. Michael Brand's new edition expands/doubles some of Holst's original parts to make the piece playable by today's modern concert band.When Holst was commissioned to write 'Hammersmith' for the BBC Wireless Military Band in 1928 he felt rather out of practice in orchestrating for the medium. For some years he had had the idea of arranging some Bach fugues for brass and military band so he set himself the task of scoring the Organ Fugue in G Major BWV 577 (from Preludes, Fugues and Fantasias). He, rather than Bach, called it 'Fugue a la Gigue.' The piece made an ideal exercise and Holst's brilliant dovetailing of the counterpoint between different instruments shows his mastery. The piece is technically demanding and the characteristic unison clarinet writing suggests the orchestral conception of a large wind ensemble rather than a band. It was this conception which the composer carried forward into 'Hammersmith.' 'Fugue a la Gigue' was published for military band in 1928 by Boosey & Hawkes and shortly afterwards for orchestra, but with only short scores, as was customary at the time. This edition has the full score of Holst's original orchestration with optional added parts for full concert band.
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