Par HESKETH KENNETH. In Danceries , by Kenneth Hesketh, the melodies themselves are a mixture of old and new. Where the old occurs it has been adapted in mood and composition and is often interspersed with completely new material. The contemporary harmonies and rhythms bring a breath of new into these themes and add drama to the suite. The first movement, Lull Me Beyond Thee , is gentle and lilting, almost a barcarole, this movement is very much a reverie. The original tune had the name Poor Robin's Maggot , a rather disconcerting title. Maggot, however, in seventeenth-century parlance meant whim or fancy. The second, Catching of Quails , is a colourful, buoyant scherzo on an original melody. The thematic material is shuttled around the band to contrast with full-blooded tuttis. The last few bars fade to almost nothing, before a final surprise! My Lady's Rest is a tender pavane, also on an original melody, with Moorish leanings. Beautiful solo passages, expressive contrapuntal writing and warm tuttis provide an opportunity to show off the most lyrical of playing. The final movement, Quodling's Delight is a clever combination of the 17th century melody, Goddesses , with an original contrasting melody, creating a rousing and exuberant finale to the work. / Niveau : Assez Facile / Répertoire / Brass Band

Par ARNOLD MALCOLM. Written in 1966, Arnold drew on a more personal inspiration for these dances rather than folk music. Transcribed by Ray Farr, the music depicts the fishermen, farm workers and tin miners native to Cornwall going about their lives - it also includes a brief visit to the local Methodist chapel for a Sunday morning sevice!/ Répertoire / Brass Band

Elegy For Band. Par SPARKE PHILIP. The initial idea was for a millennium piece, which it is, but rather than add to the many celebratory pieces that have understandably been written to salute the 3rd millennium, Philip Sparke thought it would perhaps be appropriate to think about the aspects of life that are constantly with us (such as faith and philosophy) rather than the exciting changes that the year 2000 has undeniably wrought. This calm meditative work will bring a moment of serenity and reflection to any concert. / Niveau : 4 / Musique pour célébration / Répertoire / Brass Band

Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. Arsenal was composed for the 50th anniversary of the ‘Harmonie van het Spoorwegarsenaal’[railroad arsenal], based in Mechelen (Belgium). Rather a stately concert march, it has beautiful themes and a broad melody in the trio. It was premiered in the Mechelen Cultural Center on the 11th of May 1996 during the solemn ceremony, opening the anniversary year and conducted by the composer. In the mean time, Arsenal has been recorded several times by such renowed performers like the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, the Black Dyke BB etc. / Niveau : 4 / Marche de concert / Répertoire / Brass Band

Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. Since most of the bands competing in the 4th Section of the Dutch National Championships have many young players, this piece is stylistically youthful especially in the opening and closing sections. An arpeggio pattern appears numerous times in all registers and is the basic musical element of the main melody, alternating with a second theme that has a slightly different melodic character. The middle section is conceived like a chorale, introduced and developed stepwise: firstly with short patterns and gradually in increasingly long snippets, until it’s played in its glorious entirety at measure 216. No real solo passages are included but rather small chambercombinations, thus offering the opportunity to various players to display their technical and performance skills. The finale recaptures musical material from the first section of the piece and provides a majestic conclusion. / Niveau : 4 / Pièce de concert / Répertoire / Brass Band