The Billy Strayhorn Collection brings together 17 memorable pieces written, arranged or made famous by the man of whom Duke Ellington said '(He) was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head'. A shy man who realised early on that his dream of a career in classical music was unlikely to become a reality because of his race, Strayhorn found a father figure and a lifelong employe…

Par BEATLES THE. The Beatles were undoubtedly one of the most influential bands ever, with clear similarities still noticeable in many hits of the nineties. Almost anyone who has picked up a guitar has probably learned to play something from the enormous repertoire of songs written by the legendary Lennon and McCartney combination. This guitar workshop is a powerful learning tool that will help yo…

Par SPARKE PHILIP. To A New Dawn was commissioned by the United States Continental Army Band - Captain Timothy J. Holtan, Commander and Conductor. The brief was for a piece to celebrate the 3rd Millennium and it was the composer’s aim to provide a work which, as well as looking forward to the challenges of the new century, also contained moments of reflection about the last one. After a bright int…

'What's important in music that's based on a poem - on the emotion inspired by a poem - is the music and power of emotion it harbours within itself?. These words, written in 1949 by poet Pierre Reverdy, would make a deep impression on composer Betsy Jolas. She'd just sent the writer her Six mélodies for mezzo-soprano and piano composed on poems from his masterwork Plupart du temps. The songs were …

Inspired by the Valley of Fire state park in the southwest United States that boasts stunning red sandstone formations created more than 150 million years ago. Located in Nevada's oldest state park in the Mojave Desert, at certain times of the day, when reflecting the sun's rays, these brilliant sandstone formations create the visual illusion of actually being on fire. An emotional composition tha…

Par CASABLANCAS BENET. Albumblatt für Arriaga, commissioned by the Trio Arriaga and lasting some 7:30 minutes, is the composer's fourth contribution to the classical violin, cello and piano ensemble, for which he has a special esteem. The work was written in homage to the composer Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, and at the same time as a token of gratitude and admiration for the Trio Arriaga, to whose me…

Orff-Schulwerk. Par ORFF CARL / KEETMAN GUNILD. Orff-Schulwerk has been translated and adapted for use in many countries and there are editions in numerous languages, with a comprehensive range of supplementary material. Those teachers using the various English editions will find here a rich and exciting source of traditional folk songs, dance melodies and original material from other countries, w…

Par PARRY BEN / L'ESTRANGE A.. Music For Special Occasions brings together 10 secular choral works in on volume, carefully selected to cater for a wide variety of performance contexts - whether joyful, reflective, or commemorative. Practically and flexibly arranged for Soprano and Baritone or Low Alto, this unique collection of best-loved classics and new pieces is a must-have resource for all sch…

New edition with completion by Christian Alexander of the young composer's first extended work- only the instrumental prelude was performed during Finzi's lifetime. The other three movements are settings of poems by John Masefield, Thomas Hardy and Wilfrid Wilson Gibson.Scored for baritone solo, small chorus (or SATB soli) and chamber orchestra, the wellspring of the Requiem's composition was the …

Par MC CARTNEY PAUL. A Leaf is Paul McCartney's second composition in the classical idiom. Completed in 1994, A Leaf was conceived for the intimate resources of a solo piano. McCartney gratefully acknowledges the invaluable contribution of John Fraser in bringing this work to fruition. Its seven linked movements are for the most part reflective in character, expanding into bravura passages which t…

Par BEDNALL DAVID. Composed for Matthew Redman and Colston's Girls' School Chamber Choir, this is a gentle and expressive setting of Salvator Mundi, ideal for upper-voice church choirs and cathedral choirs. The text is particularly associated with lent and its implorations for mercy lend it a solemn and penitential atmosphere. The dark key of Bb minor reflects this mood, and the long-drawn, expres…

For Wind Band and Pre-Recorded Soundscape L4. Par SHAPIRO ALEX. Ascent reflects the effort to get off the ground, literally or figuratively. It's a micro-overture that begins with the promise of upward transcendence, yet soon flies off into rogue disorganization. A raucous flock of notes finally converges into a united upward-headed murmuration, but the freedom of soaring through the sky brings an…

Par STING. A collection of 18 songs from one of the UK's most important, unpredictable and talented solo artists, all arranged for Piano, Voice and Guitar. Front-man, bassist, singer, songwriter, film star, activist and cultural critic, Sting's career has been built upon integrity and purpose. His singles reflect his life, times and surroundings in a way that is always candid and beautifully evoca…

Par BACH JOHANN SEBASTIAN. Without any doubt J.S. Bach’s cycle of the three Sonatas and Partitas BWV 1001-1006 represents one of the pinnacles of classical European music. According to C.P.E. Bach a contemporary voice stated that there was „nothing more accomplished in order to become a good violinist“ than his father’s works. The cycle reflects the entire harmonic and polyphonic musical universe …

Passionskantate. Par HOMILIUS GOTTFRIED AUGUST. He was without argument our greatest church composer, wrote the lexicographer E. L. Gerber a few years after Homilius's death in 1785. As a result of the destruction of the Kreuzkirche during the Seven Years War, the longtime Kreuzkantor, a pupil of Bach, performed his professional musical duties primarily at the Frauenkirche in Dresden. The Passions…