2010 National Finals Testpieces

JM50243 (00) TERRA AUSTRALIS - Parts & Score

Category: Brass Band Catalogue - 2010 National Finals Testpieces
Composer: Martin Ellerby

Set as the Championship Section Test piece for the NATIONAL FINALS of the 2010 BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS of Great Britain.
Royal Albert Hall, Saturday 9th. October 2010.

Click on MORE DETAILS to view the Solo Cornet part.

JM50244 (00) TERRA AUSTRALIS - Score only

Category: Brass Band Catalogue - 2010 National Finals Testpieces
Composer: Martin Ellerby

Set as the Championship Section Test piece for the NATIONAL FINALS of the 2010 BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS of Graet Britain.
Royal Albert Hall, Saturday 9th. October 2010.

JM30963 (01) DIVERSIONS ON A BASS THEME - Parts & Score

Categories: Brass Band Catalogue - 2010 National Finals Testpieces, Brass Band Catalogue - Testpieces
Composer: George Lloyd

Previously set as a Championship Section Testpiece.

Now set as the 1st. Section Test piece for the NATIONAL FINALS of the 2010 BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS of Graet Britain.
Harrogate International Centre, Saturday 25th. September 2010.

Click on "MORE DETAILS" to view the Solo Cornet part.

Commissioned with funds provided by Bass North Limited for the finals of the Mineworkers’ National Brass Band contest 1986 held in the Winter Gardens, Blackpool on the 8th November 1986 and organised by the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation.

Composer’s Note:
This piece is a set of variations. Traditionally variations were what they said they were i.e. a given tune was treated in a variety of ways The pattern of Diversions on a Bass Theme is made the other way round; a number of tunes grow out of the first bar, played by the Basses, which provides the motif for the whole work.

JM48845 (01) DIVERSIONS ON A BASS THEME - Parts only

Categories: Brass Band Catalogue - Testpieces, Brass Band Catalogue - 2010 National Finals Testpieces
Composer: George Lloyd

Previously set as a Championship Section testpiece.

Now set as the 1st. Section Test piece for the NATIONAL FINALS of the 2010 BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS of Graet Britain.
Harrogate International Centre, Saturday 25th. September 2010.

JM42377 (01) DIVERSIONS ON A BASS THEME - Score only

Categories: Brass Band Catalogue - 2010 National Finals Testpieces, Brass Band Catalogue - Testpieces
Composer: George Lloyd

JM50105 (02) PSALMS and ALLELUIAS - Parts & Score

Categories: Brass Band Catalogue - Testpieces, Brass Band Catalogue - 2010 National Finals Testpieces
Composer: Philip Wilby

Set as the 2nd. Section Test piece for the NATIONAL FINALS of the 2010 BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS of Graet Britain.
Harrogate International Centre, Saturday 25th. September 2010.

Duration 9.45

Click on MORE DETAILS to view the Solo Cornet part and hear the associated audio extracts provided for this work.

If you enjoyed listening to the excerpts and want to hear the full performance, you can purchase the CD recording on this site - "WITHIN BLUE EMPIRES" with the Black Dyke Band conducted by Dr. Nicholas Childs.

Psalms and Alleluas was composed for Nicholas Childs and the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain in 2008. As the title suggests, it combines two con trasting musical styles. The lyrical Psalm melody appears in the central section and also forms the music of the ending. Essentially vocal in style, it needs performing with concentration on beauty of tone and sensitivity of phrasing. By contrast, the bustling energy of the ‘Breathless Alleluia’ is both rhythmic and quick Here the texture is built up of short punchy phrases, which often interlock between the various parts. Accuracy and con trol is a high priority here as the music relies heavily on precision of ensemble. Although the piece contains many of the traditional features of a test piece, it is also hoped that the music will be found to be interesting to rehearse and enjoyable to perform.

This work was selected for the 16th 2009 World Music Contest Section 2 held in Kerkrade, Holland

JM50245 (02) PSALMS and ALLELUIAS - Score Only

Category: Brass Band Catalogue - 2010 National Finals Testpieces
Composer: Philip Wilby

Set as the 2nd. Section Test piece for the NATIONAL FINALS of the 2010 BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS of Graet Britain.
Harrogate International Centre, Saturday 25th. September 2010.

JM50258 (03) WILLOW PATTERN - Parts & Score

Category: Brass Band Catalogue - 2010 National Finals Testpieces
Composer: Philip Harper

Composed in 2009 for Nicholas Childs and the Black Dyke Band

Click on MORE DETAILS to view the Solo Cornet part.

This piece tells the Willow Pattern legend through music. Several leitmotifs are used both for the different characters and also for some of the important emotions in the tale. Additionally, Knoon-se’s part is mainly played by the flugel horn, Chang by the euphonium, the Mandarin by the Eb Bass and the Duke Ta-jin by the trombone.

The Willow Pattern Legend
Once, in ancient China, there lived a wealthy and powerful Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter, Knoon-se. She had fallen in love with Chang, a humble accountant, which angered her father who imprisoned her in the Pavilion by the river with only the exotic birds for company. She learnt that the Mandarin planned to marry her to the pompous Duke Ta-jin and that the wedding would take place on the day the blossom fell from the willow tree, so she sent Chang a message: “Gather thy blossom, ere it be stolen”.

The Duke arrived by sea amid great fanfare when the tree was heavy with bud, and nights of magnificent banquets followed. After one such occasion when the Mandarin slept, Chang crept over the crooked fence and tiptoed into the Pavilion to rescue Knoon-se, but as they escaped the alarm was raised. They fled over the bridge with the Mandarin close on their heels brandishing his whip.

They managed to escape by boat to a secluded island where they lived happily for a time. Meanwhile, the Mandarin learned of their refuge and, intent on revenge, he ordered his soldiers to kill them. As Knoon-se and Chang slept at night, the men set fire to the pagoda in which they lived and the lovers perished in the flames.

However, the Gods, moved by the lovers’ plight, transformed their souls into two turtle-doves which rose from the charred remains, soaring above the Earth, symbolising eternal happiness.

Willow Pattern is dedicated to the memory of Jean Harper who passed away as I was completing the piece and who was a great collector of porcelain and china-ware.

NOTES ON PERFORMANCE
Mute Requirements:
Metal mutes – soprano cornet, repiano cornet, 2nd cornets, 3rd cornets (6 in total)

Cup mutes – all cornets and trombones (10 + 3)
Harmon mutes – soprano cornet, solo cornets, repiano cornet (6)

Percussion Requirements:
There are two parts for percussion on the score. The minimum requirements are as follows:
2 players
Timpani, 2 Large tom toms, 2 Wood Blocks, Triangle, Sleigh Bells, Whip, Clash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Hi-hat, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Tam tam (or susp. cym.)

For performances with extra resources, and to achieve closer authenticity, the full requirements are as follows:
3 players
Timpani, 3 Taiko Drums played with thick wooden sticks (or Large tom toms), 2 Wood Blocks, Triangle, Chinese Bells (or Sleigh Bells), Whip, Clash Cymbals, Chinese Cymbals (small clash cymbals – approx 12”), Suspended Cymbal, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Tam tam

Performance duration: approximately 12 minutes