Categories: TEST PIECES (Major Works), Howard Snell Music Composer / arranger: Howard Snell
Set as the Second Section Testpiece for the 2006 Regionals. Duration 16.27
See the notes of the full original version for details of the movements of this Suite. This work was set as a Second Section test piece in the UK Area contests, in a cut version, which is NOT sanctioned for concert performance. The choice was rather advanced for that Section: it would truly be a big test for a 1st section contest and could be fairly used in the Championship.
Click on "MORE DETAILS" to both view the Solo Cornet part and listen to the THREE audio extracts provided.
If you enjoyed listening to this extract, you can buy the full recording of this work on the CD section of our site. If you want to perform this work with your band, you can of course purchase the score and parts here right now, by clicking on "BUY NOW".
The recording is REGIONALS 2006 , - CD is DOY CD206
This work was commissioned by Richard Evans for the JJB Leyland Band, to be performed during the year 2000. It was originally scored to include a second Band, in order to enable its use with other sometimes technically lesser Bands. The original work is in seven movements, but for this Suite I have chosen three, and re-scored them for a single Band. As Richard Evans specified that the work should mirror aspects of the history of banding, I chose a variety of representative subjects, to be treated in differing styles, to be demanding and enjoyable to play on the one hand, but to be immediately accessible to a banding audience on the other.
1. SCHERZO : The CRYSTAL PALACE Gathering for the National Championships in the Crystal Palace in London was not only a great day out for bandsmen, their families and supporters, but brought the astonishing skills of these mostly amateur musicians to the notice of Britain’s finest establishment musicians. I see the Bands and their followers descending on London in trains and charabancs, then displaying their virtuoso abilities in this most astonishing of buildings.
2. DREAM-NOCTURNE. As if in a trance, a single unending musical line passes around the ensemble to celebrate those players who possessed, and still possess, the beauty of sound and expressive phrasing to enthrall the listener.
3. ODYSSEY. The way forward now beckons. The music passes through conflict, struggle and turmoil on its way to release, resolution and finally to triumph. Banding’s greatest strength is that it allows everyone, regardless of station or status, to exercise the arts and crafts of music and to enjoy epic moments along the way.
Howard Snell May 2005 N.B. September 2005. For the 2006 Regional Contests of the Besson National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, the Music Panel has asked 1. that the vibraphone part be totally omitted. For the first and third movements this is simply a matter of leaving out the relevant passages: the part is marked. For the second movement I have produced an alternative Glockenspiel part to be played instead of the original for Vibraphone. 2. The Music Panel has also asked for a cut to be made in the second movement as follows : play up to one bar before letter F, Then cut to one bar before J. There is no problem with the join, in spite of the different scorings of the two otherwise similar passages. The dynamic for the Timpani entering one bar before should be mf crescendo to as in the Repiano Cornet part. This Cut is not sanctioned for concert performances. 3. The metronome marks are for guidance only.
Categories: TEST PIECES (Major Works), Howard Snell Music Composer: Howard Snell
This work was commissioned by Richard Evans for the JJB Leyland Band, to be performed during the year 2000. The requirement was for a Second Band to be included, possible of a lower standard. Richard Evans’ concept envisaged a strong educational element.
Richard Evans’ request was that the work should mirror aspects of the history of banding while also looking forward.
1. FANFARE. In this movement the work is introduced.
2. TOCCATA: CONTEST DAY. The gathering together of players and audience for a contest day is treated in a busy, sometimes jazzy manner.
3. PASTORALE: ‘A GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND’. Looking back to the third and fourth decades of the nineteenth century and the rapid birth of brass bands and banding, this short Intermezzo invokes the popular picture postcard view of the past. Images of warfare appear briefly as a reminiscence of Britain’s continuing military domination of the world, with Trafalgar and Waterloo still echoing on the horizon.
4. MUSIC FOR A SILENT FILM: AN OLD MAN REMEMBERS PETERLOO. The reality of ‘England’s green and pleasant land’ was somewhat different. On August 19th 1819 the Stalybridge Band was playing at a political meeting in St Peter’s Fields in Manchester, later to become the site of the Free Trade Hall. The local Magistrate, sent in the cavalry. Shots were fired into the crowd, 11 people were killed and 500 injured. I present the scenes as follows
the holiday crowd in St Peter’s Field entertained by the Band
the unprovoked attack by the militia
the flight from St Peter’s Field
the funeral wake
the lament
5. SCHERZO: THE CRYSTAL PALACE. Only a few decades later brass bands were regular visitors to the greatest concert halls in the country. I see the Bands and their followers descending on London in trains and charabancs.
6. DREAM-NOCTURNE. As if in a trance, an unending musical line is passed around the ensemble to celebrate the players who possessed, and still possess, the sound and phrasing to enthrall the listener.
7. ODYSSEY. The way forward now beckons. The music passes through conflict, struggle and turmoil on its way to release, resolution and finally to triumph.
Categories: TEST PIECES (Major Works), Music of BRUCE FRASER Composer: Bruce Fraser
3rd. Section testpiece for the National Finals in the Harrogate Conference Centre in September 2007.
You can listen to extracts of this work on your computer, by clicking on the "MORE DETAILS" button on the right - this will reveal the three audio extracts for you to sample this work.
IMPERIUM (The highest Roman power)
Three of Rome’s most powerful rulers 1. Pompey 2. Cicero 3. Julius Caesar
IMPERIUM
This suite represents the raw power of three of Rome’s great rulers and is inspired by Robert Harris’s book of the same name, which is about Cicero. Further reading of Conn Iggulden’s EMPEROR series gave a greater insight to the characters of the three men, which I have attempted to depict in these three musical portraits. What is particularly interesting, from a musical point of view, is the Roman strategy in battle, where they could split into smaller effective units at a moment’s notice.
Pompey – was a great general and conqueror who ruled Rome just before Julius Caesar’s rule. As Caesar approached Rome with his conquering army, Pompey fled to Greece and eventually lost to Caesar there. Fleeing to Alexandria, he was executed by the Egyptians, who presented his head to Caesar.
Cicero – was a consul of Rome. He was also a politician and a great orator. His was a complex character, full of devious plots and counter plots.
Julius Caesar – was a great general and a natural leader of men. He conquered much of Northern Europe, including Britain and returned to evict Pompey from Rome and chase him to Egypt, where he met and married Cleopatra. He eventually returned to rule Rome, where he was assassinated on the famous Ides of March by a group which included his long time friend Brutus.
Percussion requirements:-
Timpani:- Three timpani.
Percussion 1:- Suspended Cymbal, Large Tom, Snare Drum.
Percussion 2:- Bass Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Tam, Tam, Glockenspiel, Tambourine.
IMPERIUM was selected as the 3rd Section Test Piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain held in Harrogate on Saturday 29th September 2007.
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works) Composer: Sullivan Arranger: Neville Buxton
Set as the Second Section Test Piece for the 2013 Butlins Mineworkers Contest.
Written before teaming up with W.S. Gilbert, the first performance of "In Memoriam" was in 1866 at the Norwich Festival. Just before Sullivan started the composition, his father passed away. Sullivan turned his grief to the completion of this overture. It is also thought that the work was initially inspired by a poem of the same name by the Lord Tennyson Alfred. The overture enjoyed much success during Sullivan's lifetime, although sadly is seldom heard today. This arrangement of the work is the 2013 set test piece for the Butlins Mineworkers Open Brass Band Festival, 2nd section.
To view 