Par CURNOW JAMES. An important part of our Essentials of Musicianship Series, Scale Studies for Band is designed to be used as an instructional aid during your normal daily practice. Written so that the scale studies can be interlaced at appropriate times into your rehearsal, they enable you to address the scale and key considerations of your next piece just before starting that piece. For instance, if the next arrangement you will rehearse has a section in the key of G Major, you can take a moment and review the study in that key (Study Number 7). It’s amazing how many wrong notes can be avoided by reviewing the key signature in an interesting and exciting manner, before diving into theperformance piece rehearsal. In the long run, this “key signature review” approach can actually save more rehearsal time than it uses. In addition to the full band aspect of Scale Studies, you may find value in quickly and easily administered “playing tests” using these materials. However you choose to use them, the Scale Studies from the Curnow Music Press Essentials of Musicianship Series will be valuable indeed! / Niveau : 2 / Etude / Educatif

Par BLANKEN JOHN. John Blanken has created a swinging arrangement of the famous Scottish traditional tune Scotland the Brave. The usual version with bagpipes is the best known and there is a similarity in Swingin’ Kilts owing to its long, drone-like tones in the accompaniment. The theme has been rhythmically adapted but it is still easily recognisable. Swingin’ Kilts holds a challenge for every brass band. It makes demands in terms of timing and technique which give this work the bravura feel that will keep the audience as well as the musicians swinging in their seats. / Niveau : 3 / Musique légère originale / Répertoire / Concert Band ou Harmonie

Mile after Mile. Par EIDE KAI. This song performed by Jahn Teigen represented Norway at the Eurovision final in 1978. The result was zero points, but after that, the song soon became very popular in Norway and is one of the biggest hits of his career. This arrangement may easily be a hit on your next concert and will for sure receive more than zero points from you audience. Feel free to invite the audience on a sing-along! / Date parution : 2023-07-31/ Répertoire / Concert Band/Harmonie

Par HANNICKEL MIKE. This one is just right for the 'encore march' at your next young band concert, or anywhere a bright march is appropriate. Some carefully chosen accidentals keep things interesting, but there are no more than one or two for any given instrument, keeping the technical demands easily within the abilities of a Grade 1 band. If your school mascot happens to be the Eagle, you may wish to keep this 'spirit' march in the folders year around for use at assemblies and rallies as a peppy 'mascot' tune. / Niveau : 1 / Marche / Répertoire / Concert Band

Par DE HAAN JACOB. The Book of Urizen is a work for concert band, solo soprano, and a male narrator in which sound collages of religious expressions are used. The piece is inspired by the compelling visionary poem of the same name (which the poet illustratedhimself) by the Englishman William Blake (1757-1827), who occupies a unique position in western literature and the visual arts. He was not just a poet and a writer, but he was also a graphic artist, a painter, an illustrator, a spiritualist, areligious visionary, and a mystic philosopher. For the performance of this work, a professional sound system, including two microphones and a CD player, is needed. The three sound collages are three separate tracks on the enclosed CD and can beplayed easily at the right moment. The Book of Urizen bears resemblance to Genesis and Exodus, of which the contents form the basis of the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faith. Blake adhered to the principle that all religions are in fact one, and that deities reside in human beings. In The Book of Urizen this is represented in “The Net of Religion, ” which is spanned over the earth by Urizen. The sound collages, compiled by Jacob de Haan in the studio, find their origin inJerusalem, the Holy City, where the afore-mentioned faiths “come together. ” In the first movement of this composition, The Vision, Urizen prepares his vision of the world, and he presents this to the “Eternals. ” His vision is rejected, and Urizen locks himself up in his own abstract world. When he does emerge again, he is confronted with rage by the gathered Eternals. Urizen flees the wrath of the Eternals, “the flames of eternal fury, ” and enwombs himself in his own world. Whenthe Eternals see Urizen in his “stony sleep, ” they wonder if this is death. The blacksmith Los is torn by grief because of the isolation of Urizen. It brings him to rouse his fires, prepare his forge, and to give Urizen’s world concrete form. In the second movement, The Creation, Urizen’s world, but also man, woman, and child are created. Los is horrified with the appearance of Urizen’s body. He mourns and pities Urizen, and from his blood a female form comes into being, with thename Enitharmon. The Eternals, fearful of the female form, decide to erect a tent to obstruct their view to eternity. Enitharmon and Los beget a son, called Orc. Los baptizes him as a child of the “fallen world. ” Orc is fed at Enitharmon’s breast, which makes a girdle of jealousy restrict Los’ chest. He takes the child to the top of the mountain and chains him down. The cries of Orc awaken Urizen, who explores his world creating instruments of scientific measurement to do so. Los encircles theface of Enitharmon from the sight of Urizen and Orc. She then populates the earth by giving birth to an enormous race. The Web, third movement of The Book of Urizen is now available: DHP 1125252 / Niveau : 5 / Pièce de concert / Répertoire / Concert Band ou Harmonie

Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. This hymn was commissioned by “Antwerpen 93”. And this city, on the banks of the river Schelde has been nominated “Cultural Capital of Europe” for 1993. The work-group “animatie” took the initiative and commissioned a hymn, which -as the finale to a grand open-air event on 27th March- was premièred by hundreds of musicians from all over Europe. Philippe Langlet (France) was the conductor at this majestic occasion. Musically speaking the piece can no doubt be labeled easy. Indeed it is meant to represent a hymn, playable by all in different instrumental combinations. Consequently a variable instrumentation was chosen and a type of music, which by native is easily accessible anduncomplicated. The conductor is free -in the instrumentation- to score this piece according to his own taste. It is perhaps advisable to use the sharp brass in the forte parts, in order to make the range in the sound of the orchestra as colouful as possible. The percussion parts are not absolutely essential, so that the hymn can also be performed without percussion. / Niveau : 2 / Musique pour célébration / Répertoire / Fanfare

A Musical Space Adventure. Par HANNICKEL MIKE. Names like Mercury, Gemini, Soyuz, Sputnik, Apollo, Salyut, Eagle, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Mir have kindled the imaginations of millions. This new beginning band piece by Mike Hannickel honors all the brilliant and dedicated space visionaries who stayed here on Earth, but whose efforts made space exploration a reality. The simplest of rhythms, careful scoring and easily achieved instrument ranges are hallmarks of the Curnow Music Press Great Foundations Series, which is carefully designed to get your beginning band off to an exciting start. This composition limits the upper brass range to a sixth, while the low brass parts encompass a range of only a fifth. The basicflute part avoids difficult finger combinations, and an optional “advanced” flute part (playable simultaneously with the easier part) gives those who are progressing more rapidly a bit more challenge. You have the same choice of difficulty levels for your percussion section, with a basic part and a slightly more difficult “advanced” part. / Niveau : 0.5 / Répertoire / Concert Band

From 'Harry Potter and the Philisopher's Stoine'. Par WILLIAMS JOHN / ROGERS SCOTT (Arr.). Hedwig's Theme is the easily recognizable melody that musically binds together all of the Harry Potter films. Composer John Williams has used the tune as a leitmotif, setting it in different moods according to the situations in the movie, yet always reminding the listener of it’s connection to the main characters of the film. The melody is intervalic, with many interesting dissonances. Normally, this would make the tune difficult for young players, but their familiarity with this particular melody gives them easier access to these dissonances and unusual intervals. / Date parution : 2023-07-31/ Répertoire / Concert Band/Harmonie