Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Derek Bourgeois
Championship section testpiece - duration 11.00
Click on "MORE DETAILS" to listen to an audio extract of this work or to view the Solo Cornet part.
Commissioned with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain for the finals of NATIONAL BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, on the 3rd October, 1981.
COMPOSER’S NOTE The dictionary definition of Blitz is any sudden, overwhelming attack, particularly from the air. It is a shortened form of the German word Blitzkrieg, literally meaning a lightning war. The piece is a test of skill, nerve and stamina, culminating in an aural “Blitz” of great ferocity.
The tempo markings in this piece are intended merely as a guide to performers. The composer is particularly anxious that they should not be considered inviolate.
PERCUSSION Three players are required to play the following instruments:
Four timpani (at least two of which need to be chromatic); one pair of cymbals; suspended cymbal; side drum; tenor drum bass drum; tam-tam woodblock five temple blocks; whip; xylophone.
The solo comet part is intended for 3 players. The repiano comet part requires two players.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: James Curnow
Set as the First Section Test piece for the 2018 Regional Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.
Level of Difficulty = 5 Duration 12.38
Theme and set of five variations.
Brass Metamorphosis, as is implied by the title, is a set of variations based on an original theme. The composition opens with a diminution of the main theme that is very incisive and unrelenting. This motif returns throughout and gives cohesiveness to the entire composition.
The first variation is presented in a rondo form and is based on the first five notes of the main theme. The second variation is slow and intense, and is based upon the first three notes of the main theme and motivic development of these notes.
The third variation is an agile scherzo based on two new themes derived from the original theme. The main theme occasionally appears, intertwined with the melodic material of this variation. Variation four is slow and expressive in nature and uses as its melodic material the half-step between notes three and four, seven and eight and ten and eleven of the main theme.
After a brisk accelerando, the Coda is introduced by a reiteration of the opening motif, which leads to the unusual presentation of a fifth variation. This variation in very majestic in nature and builds to a final statement of the beginning motif, which draws the composition to its conclusion.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: James Curnow
Set as the First Section Test piece for the 2018 Regional Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.
Level of Difficulty = 5 Duration 12.38
Theme and set of five variations.
Brass Metamorphosis, as is implied by the title, is a set of variations based on an original theme. The composition opens with a diminution of the main theme that is very incisive and unrelenting. This motif returns throughout and gives cohesiveness to the entire composition.
The first variation is presented in a rondo form and is based on the first five notes of the main theme. The second variation is slow and intense, and is based upon the first three notes of the main theme and motivic development of these notes.
The third variation is an agile scherzo based on two new themes derived from the original theme. The main theme occasionally appears, intertwined with the melodic material of this variation. Variation four is slow and expressive in nature and uses as its melodic material the half-step between notes three and four, seven and eight and ten and eleven of the main theme.
After a brisk accelerando, the Coda is introduced by a reiteration of the opening motif, which leads to the unusual presentation of a fifth variation. This variation in very majestic in nature and builds to a final statement of the beginning motif, which draws the composition to its conclusion.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Gareth Wood Difficulty level: First
Duration 14.48
This work has been selected as B Grade set work for the 2022 Australian Brass Band Championships.
This is the First Section Test Piece for the 2013 Regional Events of the British Brass Band Championships.
Try clicking on MORE DETAILS, then on DIFFICULTY LEVEL to learn more about this work.
You can buy a full performance CD of this work and the other four Region Test Pieces on this site. The CD is called "REGIONALS 2013" - type this into the CD QUICK SEARCH to find.
This four movement work was written for Cory Band in their 125th anniversary year and can be heard on the band’s CD, Triumphant Brass ( which can be purchased on this site ). It is a fun piece which shows off the technical wizardry of the modern day brass band.
The first movement is a celebratory fanfare. A strong melody played by the trombones, the thread which runs through the whole work, makes its first appearance. The second movement is reflective and it is the trombones again that state a strident, angular theme which is taken up by the whole band. The crux of the work is the third movement, a melody played on the euphonium honouring the great Welsh folk melodies. The finale is a rollercoaster ride on the very edge of brass band technique.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Paul Lovatt-Cooper
Set as the CHAMPIONSHIP SECTION Test Piece for the 2011 National Finals - and now as the CHAMPIONSHIP SECTION test for Butlins Mineworkers Contest 2016
Duration 13:40
Programme Notes
Breath of Souls was commissioned by Weyland and Yvonne Roberts. It was composed especially for the 100th National Brass band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert haIl on October 15th 2011.
Weyland has worked in science for many years and has always been fascinated by nature’s capacity to grow and rebuild regardless of Mother Nature’s catastrophic power. This is evident with the news of tsunami, forest fires, earthquakes and volcanic disasters around the world where animals, plant life and humans have overcome adversity and have demonstrated that unique regenerative quality.
With that in mind I wanted to compose a piece of music that was a celebration of life. Not only that, but a piece of music that from the very first notes heard in the percussion and comets, is bustling with activity, emulating that in life everything that is living has a soul and breathes - nothing stays still and everything keeps moving and growing. Just like life itself Breath of Souls also grows musically with each bar as you will hear many and various motifs and ideas grow and develop as the piece develops.
PERFORMING THE PIECE : Breath of Souls is relatively straight forward with the performance directions on the score. There are no mutes needed for the performance and some of the tempo markings give the conductor some freedom to choose a suitable tempo in which to shape their performance.
At rehearsal figure ‘R’ - the cadenza section, I have composed two cadenzas for each soloist to play, starting with the solo Euphonium, then Flugel, Soprano Cornet Solo Trombone and later in the E flat Bass and the Solo Horn. At the player’s (or conductor’s) discretion, the soloist chooses one cadenza to play from the choice of two. Both cadenza choices have been equally matched in terms of their difficulty but the soloist may prefer one particular cadenza to the other as it suits their style or range.
When performing each cadenza, even though the notes have been ‘scored out’ using crotchet quaver and semiquaver beams etc the soloist should play their choice of cadenza with freedom. However, each rhythmic device should be relative to its surrounding notes. For example the triplet quavers in the cadenza would be played slightly slower than the semiquavers and so on.
Breath of Souls is all about celebrating life and enjoying music making. It is dedicated to my close friend, composer Peter Graham in recognition for all his help, guidance and support he has given to me over the many years. Peter, thank you! Paul Lovatt-Cooper October 2011
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Paul Lovatt-Cooper
This is an extra full-size conductor's score for the Breath of Souls that was commissioned especially for the 100th National Brass band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert hall on October 15th 2011.
Section: C
Breath of Souls was commissioned by Weyland and Yvonne Roberts. It was composed especially for the 100th National Brass band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert hall on October 15th 2011.
Weyland has worked in science for many years and has always been fascinated by nature's capacity to grow and rebuild regardless of Mother Nature's catastrophic power. This is evident with the news of tsunami, forest fires, earthquakes and volcanic disasters around the world where animals, plant life and humans have overcome adversity and have demonstrated that unique regenerative quality.
Speaking about the piece composer Paul Lovatt-Cooper commented: "With Breath of Souls I wanted to compose a piece of music that was a celebration of life. Not only that, but a piece of music that from the very first notes heard in the percussion and cornets, is bustling with activity, emulating that in life everything that is living has a soul and breathes - nothing stays still and everything keeps moving and growing.
Just like life itself Breath of Souls also grows musically with each bar. You will hear many and various motifs and ideas grow and develop as the piece develops.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Paul Lovatt-Cooper
This is a study score for the Breath of Souls that was commissioned especially for the 100th National Brass band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert hall on October 15th 2011.
Section: C
Breath of Souls was commissioned by Weyland and Yvonne Roberts. It was composed especially for the 100th National Brass band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert hall on October 15th 2011.
Weyland has worked in science for many years and has always been fascinated by nature's capacity to grow and rebuild regardless of Mother Nature's catastrophic power. This is evident with the news of tsunami, forest fires, earthquakes and volcanic disasters around the world where animals, plant life and humans have overcome adversity and have demonstrated that unique regenerative quality.
Speaking about the piece composer Paul Lovatt-Cooper commented: "With Breath of Souls I wanted to compose a piece of music that was a celebration of life. Not only that, but a piece of music that from the very first notes heard in the percussion and cornets, is bustling with activity, emulating that in life everything that is living has a soul and breathes - nothing stays still and everything keeps moving and growing.
Just like life itself Breath of Souls also grows musically with each bar. You will hear many and various motifs and ideas grow and develop as the piece develops.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Jonathan Bates Difficulty level: Fourth
Set as the 4th. Section Test piece for the National Finals of the 2012 British Brass Band Championships.
Click on MORE DETAILS to view the Solo Cornet part.
A British Isles Suite is a musical exploration of poetry from around the British Isles. Each movement takes inspiration from a quote of literature, specific to the country the movement is about. The work is written in a symphonic style with a moderately paced opening movement, a slow and expressive second niovement, a lively two- part minuet and then a grand finale to close the suite.
Movement I Scotland “When chill November’s surly blast, make fields and forest bare” “Man Was Made To Mourn” - Robert Burns
This movement depicts an open landscape in the Scottish Highlands in the middle of a crisp winter, with desolate fields and empty trees. Musically, this portrays a bleak outlook, with sharp jagged rhythms throughout the band, keeping faithful to the traditional Scottish rhythmic patterns heard from the outset.
Movement II Wales “Though lovers be lost, love shall not” “And Death Shall Have No Dominion” - Dylan Thomas This second movement is warm and romantic in nature and features several soloists within the band all expressing their own personal love stories between one another. An adaptation of the Welsh National Anthem, Land Of Our Fathers brings this peaceful movement to a subtle close.
Movement III Isle of Man “Make us free as thy sweet mountain air” “Isle of Man National Anthem” - William Gill The 3rd and 4th movement are performed without a break and link together two countries in which dance forms the stable backbone of their culture. The opening motif of this movement is based around the Isle of Man, or Manx, National Anthem but it has been stylised into traditional Manx dance music (similar to English Morris Dancing). The movement opens with a duet from solo cornet and solo euphonium, which expands into a quartet before expanding furt her into a version for full ensemble. This links seamlessly into the following movement.
Movement IV Ireland “how do we tell the dancer from the dances?” “Among School Children” — William Butler Yeats The music is in full swing already from the preceding movement and a jaunty Irish jig transports the listener to a busy social gathering or party. As with a genuine Irish “Shin—Dig”, the music is full of excitement and bravura. As the movement closes the triangle is heard, signifying the last orders’ call and almost time to go home.
Movement V England “Be not afraid of greatness” Malvolio “Twelfth Night”- William Shakespeare The final movement pays homage to some of the great English composers. Following an opening fanfare from the cornet section and timpani, the first melodic line is presented with a striding homophonic accompaniment figure in the lower lines of the band. The melody line is based on Gustav Hoist’s transcription of In The Bleak Midwinter while the accompaniment is more reminiscent of the great symphonic marches of William Walton. The second melodic subject is heard in the horns and is based around the famous falling 7ths of Sir Edward Elgar’s Nimrod variation from his Enigma Variations. Jonathan Bates - 2012
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Jonathan Bates Difficulty level: Fourth
Set as the 4th. Section Test piece for the National Finals of the 2012 British Brass Band Championships.
Click on MORE DETAILS to view the Solo Cornet part.
Categories: TEST PIECES (Major Works), SUMMER 2020 SALE TITLES Composer / arranger: Andrew Jackman
Was 82.95 - SALE price £30.00
Duration approx.13mins.
Broadland Day was composed to celebrate Andrew Jackman's move to Norfolk in 1980. The music is an evocation of dawn till dusk on a day in high summer and is an attempt to write a piece of music of genuine symphonic breadth and depth for brass band.
The stillness of the broad in the opening bars slowly gives way as the sun rises over the reeds , awakening the birds, animals and insects. The flugelhorn solo leads into the second more active section where the pace of life on the broad gathers momentum as the day advances. The trombone solo signals the return of the opening music as dusk quickly deepens into nightfall. Stillness returns.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Kevin Houben
Grade 3 Duration 11:40
The Broken Sword is one of the five ceremonial swords kept in the Tower of London and is used during the coronation of a new king or queen. Legend has it that an angel broke off the tip of the sword in an effort to prevent an unjust killing. Composer Kevin Houben lets his music retell this intriguing legend. Broken Sword resembles a film score in many ways and will paint vivid images as the band plays its way through the legend. Many different moods create a contrast-rich work that makes for an exciting listening and playing experience every time!
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