Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Daniel Price
The 2009 Area/ Regional Second Section Testpiece.
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Programme note by Dan Price :
New World Sketches is a descriptive journey through the landscapes and images of America in the early part of the twentieth century. The images and caricatures chosen epitomize all that is the ‘New World’, and the musical language draws upon influences of sound and technique that American composers have introduced into the musical vocabulary.
1. Sidewalk The work opens with a busy street scene of 1930’s New York. The hustle and bustle of the city can be heard through percussive scoring of car hooters, trams and pedestrians going about their business. There is the sound of a Broadway show at figure B and a two bar glimpse of a “Tom andjerry” cartoon just before fig D where the music enters a change of both mood and neighbourhood, into a 1-larlem jazz club or speak-easy. A reprise of the main theme (seven bars before F) heralds a return to the side-walk which brings the first movement to a close. A two-bar quote from George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue adds to the authenticity of this “symphonic jazz” style movement.
2. The Deep South As the subtitle suggests, the second movement of New World Sketches evokes images of the 1890’s Deep South beginning with a simple spiritual. Played first on unaccompanied solo euphonium the melody is then joined by bass trombone, depicting a slave “work song”. At figure I the tempo increases and a resounding tubular bell announces the arrival of a steam locomotive. The style is marked ritmico; however care must be taken to ensure the ‘laziness’ in the melody is not lost. The train’s “love chime” whistle can be heard on back row comets and trombones.
3. Rodeo The final movement steers away from the jazz influences synonymous in America’s musical history and turns towards the music of Aaron Copland for inspiration. The opening unison tune, played on trombones and comets accompanied by extensive poly-chords (Ab Major superimposed on Bb Major), creates a ‘big country’ sound while the fast pseudo-Irish jig accompanied by ‘bodhran’ (played on floor tom) provides the energy and flair of a rodeo. Section B is a slightly morerelaxed folksong portraying images of cowboys at a camp fire or village folk dancing a cakewalk at a party. The folk song evolves rapidly in this middle section and the choral scoring represents that of a small church. The contrasting nature of the way the melody is scored is perhaps the preacher wizening us against the frivolities and sins occurring at the village dance. A reprise of the opening rodeo music and quote of the opening city motif brings the New World Sketches to a close.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Dan Price
Extended concert work or own-choice test-piece (4th Section) by Dan Price
Newton Wood Suite is a set of three musical sketches which take inspiration from geographical locations and historical periods in the life of English engineer Daniel Adamson. This work was originally written as a concert band item in 2013 to help celebrate the 125th Anniversary year of the Adamson Military Band.
The work is in three movements;
I – The Foundry,
II – Dewsnap Lane,
III – Work
Begins on the Manchester Ship Canal, each of which paints an evocative musical scene. Each of the movements also works independently and is available separately. Two percussion parts with percussion I playable as a drum kit part.
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You can buy the full recording of this work in the CD section of our site.
The recording is SPECTACULAR CLASSICS with the Black Dyke Mills Band, conducted by James Watson CD845
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Bramwell Tovey
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This work was commissioned as the testpiece for the 2005 British Open Brass Band Championships. The piece takes its inspiration from the VE Day celebrations of 1945, a day which gave rise to extraordinary public celebrations.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Thierry Deleruyelle
Grade 6.0 Duration 18.19.35
‘No Man’s Land’ was commissioned by the ‘Noordlimburgse Brass Band’. Thierry Deleruyelle has written this work in 2018, 100 years after the end of World War 1. This work is related to his first work written for brass band, Fraternity, which tells the story about the mining accident in Courières, France. Countries such as Belgium and Germany helped France. Eight years later World War 1 broke out. Instead of helping each other, no man’s land arose.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer / arranger: Darrol Barry
1. The Longboats 2. Hymn to Oden 3. Perilous Voyages, Rememberance & Coda. Duration 11.13
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