Brass Ensemble - Level 5 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1500207

By Elton John. By Bernie Taupin and Elton John. Arranged by David J. Miller. 20th Century,Classical,Pop,Rock. 7 pages. Sterling Music Editions #1076285. Published by Sterling Music Editions (A0.1500207).

Sir Elton John's Funeral for a Friend opens his 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. This instrumental track continues seamlessly into his radio hit Love Lies Bleeding. The music was written as the answer to what he would like to have performed at his own funeral. This piece has been previously covered live by both Dream Theater and Metallica; and we now present the version covered by Barclay Brass! In our live performance at the link below, we segued into Billy Joel's Piano Man, his hit from the same year. It was our intention to bring together these two great rock pianists with a suite of music from 1973.

The synthesizer colors lend themselves perfectly to the sound of a brass choir. Each group of instruments are featured as the mood of the music changes from somber, to angry, to hopeful. This arrangement (complete with the 16 seconds of wind as heard on the album) works as an opener, closer, or anywhere on a concert to create a shift in the flow of your program. To hear how this arrangement works live, click on the link below!

For more brass arrangements by David J. Miller, visit the Barclay Brass YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@TheBarclayBrass/videos.

Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.808659

Composed by Joseph E. Howard and Ida Emerson. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Pop,Traditional. Score and parts. 23 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #2070943. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808659).

Prerecorded wax cylinders were first marketed in 1889. Ten years later, when this Howard and Emerson tune was published, those cylinders were referred to as records, and Arthur Collins made the first recording of Hello! Ma Baby. The lyrics tell the tale of a guy who has a girlfriend he knows only through the telephone. This was one of the first songs to deal with the telephone (that medium, too, being still pretty new). The chorus was kicked back into the spotlight in 1955 when a certain movie frog sang and danced his way across a Warner Brothers cartoon background. The current version used the 1899 sheet music as its source, but is a completely original arrangement that enhances the ragtime feel of the music. This is an infectious piece that is fun to play and a toe-tapper for the audience.

Completed in 2016, this arrangement’s performance time runs about 3 minutes, 20 seconds. Contact the arranger, Les Smith, at lessmith@ufl.edu. If you like this novelty number, be sure to check out Sweetwater's Funeral March of a Marionette, Goodbye! So Long! I'm Headin' Home! Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey, Somebody Stole My Gal and Teddy Bears' Picnic. For more arrangements by Les, enter Sweetwater Brass Press (without the quotation marks) in the search box.  (Also, purchase of this piece entitles you to your choice of another of his arrangements at no charge; send a copy of your purchase receipt directly to him at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.)