Brass Quintet Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 1 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1402823

Composed by Daniel Alomia Robles, Jorge Milchberg, and Paul Simon. Arranged by Alan Frazer (arranger) & Peet du Toit (orchestrator). Folk. 10 pages. Peet du Toit #986049. Published by Peet du Toit (A0.1402823).

This song started out as an Andean folk melody that Paul Simon came across in 1969 when he played a week-long engagement at a theater in Paris along with the South American group Los Incas, who played an instrumental version of the song called Paso Del Condor. Said Simon: I used to hang around every night to hear them play that. I loved it and I would play it all the time, and then I thought, Let's put words to it.
The Peruvian songwriter Daniel Robles recorded this song in 1913, and copyrighted it in the United States in 1933 during his travels in America. When Simon recorded it with his added lyrics, he thought it was a traditional song, as that's what Los Incas told him. When Robles' son filed a lawsuit, Simon had to give Robles a composer credit on the song, with his estate getting those royalties.

In discussing the song, Simon always talks about it as being based on a traditional Peruvian song, and we've never heard him mention Robles. This wasn't the first time Simon got tangled over songwriting credits on traditional melodies: Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair / Canticle was based on a folk song, but his arrangement came from a singer named Martin Carthy. Simon was always clear on his influences, but legal misunderstandings were a problem in these cases.
Los Incas, who were the group that introduced Simon to the song, provided the instrumentation when they recorded it in Paris with Simon. Their leader, Jorge Milchberg, played a charango, which is an Andean string instrument made from the shell of an armadillo. Simon played acoustic guitar, and other members of Los Incas played flutes and percussion. When Simon brought the track to America, he added his lyrics. This was one of the easier songs to record for the Bridge Over Troubled Water album, since the backing track was already mixed together - it was just a matter of adding the vocals.
The title translates to English as The Condor Passes. The lyrics Robles wrote to the song in 1913 are about returning home to his native Peru.
Los Incas leader Jorge Milchberg got a composer credit on this song along with Simon and Robles. Milchberg later became the head of the group Urubamba and remained friends with Simon, who toured with them and produced their first American album. >>
The Wainwright Sisters covered this for their 2015 Songs in the Dark album. Lucy Wainwright Roche explained to The Sun: I chose 'El Condor Pasa' because it was one of the first songs I ever learned to play on it guitar and it has a childlike quality to it, but it also has a darkness and sadness that fit in well with the album.
Paul Simon performed this on both Sesame Street (in 1977) and The Muppet Show (in 1980).

Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1489511

Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Historic,Patriotic,Pop. 38 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066374. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489511).

In 2022 the United States Air Force celebrated 75 years of air and space dominance since its creation in 1947.  The festivities and ceremonies surfaced throughout the nation all year.  This composition was crafted as one of those celebratory creations.  “Legacy of Valor” was originally composed for brass quintet and rock band, with two vocalists singing a stirring account of legacy handed down from one generation to another.  The lyrics are here:

In my youth, I knew a man
Who loved to talk about his history;
Unfolded his mystery!
He made me laugh about some things,
And we cried about some others,
And we prayed as we talked about his fallen brothers.

As I grew, I though a lot
About that man who told me stories—
His woes and his glories.
Something firm about his voice
Inspired my skill to make a choice,
To recall our defenders’ valiant sacrifice.

As I wanted to be like this man,
As I pondered and dreamed
Of becoming what I can,
I hoped to see the day, without delay,
To defend, like my friend!

When I took the oath,
I remembered that man!
How proud he would be
Of his brand new Airman!
I answered the call.
I’ll give it my all!
I will not falter!  I will not fail!
I’m a guardian of the tradition of honor!
Fly, fight, and win!

When I hold my little boy,
And think of freedoms he’ll enjoy,
I ponder his destiny.
Yes, it’s hard when I deploy!
But distance cannot destroy
What I love; what I fight so very hard to save!

Generations come and go.
I wish they all could know
How it feels to serve America.

The piece was difficult for the singers, but they practiced hard, and the USAF Heartland of America Band premiered it during an Independence Day concert tour in June and July 2022, including the grand patriotic concert at Mount Rushmore.

A casual comment from one of the singers lingered: “You write for singers like they’re horns!”  It is true that most of my compositional experience is with brass instruments.  This double brass quintet instrumental rendition of “Legacy of Valor” is indeed a much more musically gratifying composition.  It is the way it was supposed to be all along!

Released in 2023 for the 76th birthday of the Air Force, this work and its message are appropriate for any patriotic event, including joint performances between any two brass quintets, civilian or military, American or global.  Many stirring meanings can be communicated and celebrated through “Legacy of Valor”!

Brass Quintet Baritone Horn TC,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1273084

By Keith Terrett. By Duke Ellington/Barney Bigard. Arranged by Keith Terrett. 20th Century,Jazz,Standards. 11 pages. Keith Terrett #865274. Published by Keith Terrett (A0.1273084).

An arrangement of C Jam Blues for Brass Quintet. The extra parts are not necessary, but are provided if you have extra players such as a Bb Piccolo Trumpet & Bb Trombone/Euphonium in TC.

New Orleans-born clarinetist Barney Bigard is likely the originator of this tune, a simple blues riff in the key of C. Since Bigard was a veteran member of Duke Ellington’s Orchestra in 1941, Duke had a slice of the pie, too, and undoubtedly arranged the piece for the orchestra. Yet Duke referred to the number somewhat disparagingly as “one of our more or less trite things.�

The number was introduced in a Soundie short film. These three-minute features, produced to be shown on a jukebox-type player, illustrated the band miming to a pre-recorded performance. Entitled “Jam Session� the Soundie was filmed late in 1941 along with four other Ellington numbers. Duke introduces various band members, who then solo: Ray Nance (violin), Ben Webster (tenor sax), Rex Stewart (cornet), Joe “Tricky Sam� Nanton (trombone), and Sonny Greer (drums). The complete ensemble carries the tune to its finish with composer Bigard (clarinet) providing some improvised upper register piping.

“C Jam Blues� was formally recorded under that title in January, 1942, for RCA Victor Records. It continued be a staple of the Ellington repertoire, generally featuring a handful of the soloists in the band.

Co-composer Barney Bigard left Duke’s band in June 1942, and after a period of freelancing joined Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars in August, 1947. “C Jam Blues� was one of his nightly features with Satch’s ensemble along with “Tea for Two.� Despite playing the tune hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of times during his tenure with Ellington and Armstrong, he continued to perform it during his freelance years in the 1950s until shortly before his death in 1980.

In the late-1950s very simple words were added (“Baby, let’s go down to ‘Duke’s Place’,� etc.) which strangely took a three-member team of writers to assemble: songwriters William Katz and Ruth Roberts and record producer Bob Thiele. Clarinetist Barney Bigard was not included in the composer credits of the song version, although he was a member of Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars when they recorded “Duke’s Place,� featuring Louis on the vocal, with Ellington in 1961.

The piece typically features several improvised solos. The final solo continues in the upper register as the entire ensemble comes in and the music grows to a climax. The melody likely originated from the clarinetist Barney Bigard in 1941, but its origin is not perfectly clear.

It was also known as Duke’s Place, with lyrics added by Bill Katts, Bob Thiele and Ruth Roberts Western Swing band leader Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys recorded the song sometime between mid-1945 through 1947 as part of the Tiffany Transcriptions.

The 10-note occasional riff formed the basis of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band’s novelty song Intro Outro.

Need an anthem fast? They are ALL in my store! All my anthem arrangements are also available for Orchestra, Recorders, Saxophones, Wind, Brass and Flexible band. If you need an anthem urgently for an instrumentation not in my store, let me know via e-mail, and I will arrange it for you FOC if possible! keithterrett@gmail.com.

Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1489490

Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. Chamber,Classical,Historic,Patriotic. 38 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066354. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489490).

Three of these seven short pieces are worthy to open any brass quintet concert or recital.  Two fanfares are too short for a concert feature but work extremely well in a ceremony or celebratory setting.  The last two short pieces aptly serve contrasting special purposes, as explained below.

“Fort Pierre Fanfare” is about 40 seconds in duration, and was composed to open the feature concert at the South Dakota Bandmasters Association convention in 2022.  Offutt Brass, from the US Air Force Heartland of America Band, was invited to perform that concert.  Before the final piece of the concert, when gifts were exchanged between the sponsor and performers, beautiful presentation copies of the sheet music were presented to the sponsor.  In performance, staging directions on the music can be extremely effective or cringy, depending on how they are conveyed.  If there is any inkling that there may be a cringe factor, ignore them, and play the fanfare already on stage.

“Enduring Freedom Fanfare” is nearly a minute of music.  It was composed as a gift for the outgoing Commander of the US Air Force Heritage of America Band, Major Rafael Toro-Quiñones.  His leadership was strong and inspiring, and he held a place of high esteem among many of the fine military musicians that he led.  The Change of Command ceremony was toward the end of the Covid-19 shut-downs, so the work was not performed at the ceremony.  Chief Remley, from the command’s satellite location in Nebraska, hand-delivered some finely printed presentation copies to Major Toro-Quiñones.

“Noble Eagle Fanfare” is slightly over a minute in length, and, like “Enduring Freedom Fanfare,” was composed as a gift for another outgoing Commander of the US Air Force Heritage of America Band, Captain David Neil Regner.

“Pilgrims’ Fanfare” was composed on what many Americans acknowledge as “Pioneer Day,” 24 July 2023.  Not only honoring the thousands of pioneers that settled the western United States, but also the pilgrims that voyaged across the ocean to settle in the new continent.  It is about 15 seconds in duration and is effective for any occasion in need of a magnificent fanfare.

“Flightline Fanfare,” as its title implies, was composed for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the dedication of the newly renovated flightline at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.  Unfortunately, the ceremony itself was altered last-minute, and the 15-second fanfare was not used.  However, like “Pilgrims’ Fanfare,” it is very handy for any event demanding a splash of pomp.

“American Interlude” is a soft 75-second underscore for an MC’s moving speech or dedication.  It was originally composed as a smooth segue between two moving patriotic pieces of different keys in a concert setting, but can be used in any similar appropriate situation.

“Troop 184” is dedicated to my childhood BSA Scoutmaster, Gerry Nielson, who molded me in significant ways into the man I am decades later.  It is functional music, akin to a fight song, and can be easily marched to.  Words may be crafted as a customized hiking ditty, or it can be featured before or after ceremonies as prelude or processional music.  The duration can also be customized, as there is a written optional repeat, lengthening the tune from 45 seconds to a minute and a half.