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Categories: LIGHT CONCERT MUSIC, SALVATIONIST MUSIC Composer: Kevin Norbury
Comments by Kevin Norbury :
In his relatively short lifetime, Henry Purcell (1659 —1695) achieved stellar musical success and was known and admired internationally by his contemporaries. He is justifiably considered one of England’s greatest composers.
I thought long and hard before using this magnificent theme as the basis for a band piece because I think that Benjamin Britten has said just about everything possible regarding it in his The young person s guide to the arches tra. Bearing this in mind, I tentatively set about working on this composition. Once started though, the job became fin because the theme still yielded possibilities - even after Britten! The piece is basically a set of linked variations, much like Rachmaninov’s great Rhapsody on theme by Paginini. The music starts slowly and makes much use of crisply dotted rhythms — a Purcellian characteristic. The theme is heard twice before the music changes into a jaunty duple time variation based on the opening motif of Purcell’s theme. After this, the mood changes to a waltz-like variation in which clear references to the original theme can be heard. The slow movement follows, and is based on rising and descending scalic figures. This variation is an ‘A-B-A’ movement with two similar passages framing a more vigorous middle section which features antiphonal fanfare-like figures. Without any preamble, the last variation launches itself — a rumbustious dance which has a distinctive feel to it. The theme eventually reappears as a counter-melody to this dance music before a final triumphant treatment of the melody featuring a somewhat athletic bass line. The music accelerates at the Coda and disappears in a ‘puff of smoke’.
Programme note : This theme by Henry Purcell, made famous by Benjamin Britten in his ‘The young person’s guide to the orchestra has been given a new treatment by Kevin Narbury. It was written for the International Staff Band who premiered the work at the January 2005 Festival of Brass, at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Category: LIGHT CONCERT MUSIC Composer: Philip Sparke
Duration 3.20
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PATRONS' CHOICE III - Foden's Band conducted by Michael Fowles.
Category: LIGHT CONCERT MUSIC Composer: Kenneth Downie
This music was written to celebrate the distinguished work done by Leighton Rich as Music Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band. Leighton's Welsh origins and his past link with the Coldtsream Guards are expressed in the music.
Category: LIGHT CONCERT MUSIC Composers: Jonathan Bates, Samuel R. Hazo
Duration c. 3'30"
Ride was written by Samuel R. Hazo as a gesture of appreciation for all of the kind things Jack Stamp had done for him; ranging from his unwavering friendship to his heartfelt advice on composition and subjects beyond.
Ride takes its inspiration from a fifteen-minute drive by Samuel from a composer's forum to the home of Jack. It was whilst making this journey that Ride was written, capturing the exact moment in Samuel's life when Jack's generosity was equal to the beautiful Indiana countryside, blurring past his car window.
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