Cat No. JM74980
Price £85.00
Composer: Hindmarsh Paul
Category: TEST PIECES (Major Works)

Grade 6
Duration 13m

Processional
MICHAEL TIPPETT
Danse des Amis
BRAMWELL TOVEY
Midsummer Song
EDWARD GREGSON
Scherzettino
MICHAEL BALL
Collage
ELGAR HOWARTH
Birthday Fugue – Finale PHILIP WILBY

Devised by Paul Hindmarsh to celebrate the centenary of Sir Michael Tippet in 2006, this unique collaboration between five leading creative voices in brass band music of recent years also celebrated the 60 th and 70 th birthdays of two of its contributors, Edward Gregson and Elgar Howarth. Philip Wilby pays birthday tributes in his dramatic fugal finale. The theme is taken from Tippett's opera The Midsummer Marriage, and it also appears in his Birthday Suite for Prince Charles (1948), scored predominantly for wind.

The work was written for Foden's Band and Bramwell Tovey to perform at the 2006 RNCM Festival of Brass in Manchester (UK). The same artists have also recorded it for NMC. Variations on a theme of Michael Tippett is a demanding work that has technical and musical challenges appropriate to Championship Section brass band competitions, while also possessing considerable audience appeal. It was selected as the set-test for the 2017 Norwegian Brass Band Championships.