Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1093770 Composed by F. Leslie Smith. Folk,Holiday,Traditional. Score and parts. 57 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #697853. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.1093770).      The dictionary defines revel as “a time or instance of carefree fun.� The verb tipple refers to the imbibing of spirits. A tippler is one who drinks beer, wine, whiskey or other such spirituous liquids. So a tipplers revel would be a gathering of folks who, in the words of Dolly Parton’s “Two Doors Down,� are “laughing and drinking and having a party.�      This Tipplers Revel is a compilation of traditional drinking songs. It begins and ends with that bane of school trips, faculty sponsors, bus drivers and chaperones, “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.� And between those two bookends come “Rye Whiskey,� “Little Brown Jug,� “Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl,� “Jimmy Crack Corn,� “Beer, Beer, Beer (An Ode to Charlie Mops, The Man Who Invented Beer),� “Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight,� “Wein, Weib und Gesang [Wine, Woman, and Song],� “Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes,� “There Is a Tavern in the Town,� “Good Night, Ladies,� “How Dry I Am,� and brief quotes from about a half dozen other melodies associated with quaffing.      For the most part, this arrangement’s time signature is 4/4 and should be played at about 120 BPM. There are, however, two sections of 3/4 time, one of which is marked “tempo di valse,� and the opening and ending few measures should be played rather slowly.      The music should be well within the normal range of the group. Possible exceptions: trumpets play their A above the staff a couple of times.      There are quite a few 16th notes in the allegro sections. (And one could make the argument that at least two sections ought to have been written in 6/8 time. But they weren’t.)      Completed in 2022, performance time runs about 6 minutes, 43 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge. He would like to receive your suggestions, comments, corrections and criticisms. For more arrangements by Les, enter Sweetwater Brass Press (without the quotation marks) in the Sheet Music Plus or Sheet Music Direct 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.)  

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1027894 Composed by William Elsom. Contemporary. Score and parts. 46 pages. Will Elsom #3053855. Published by Will Elsom (A0.1027894). Programme Notes Boudicca became the Queen of the Iceni upon the death of her husband, Prasutagus. The Iceni had lived in relative peace with the Romans, with Prasutagus living as a client king, paying tribute to Rome. The Romans refused to accept a woman as the ruler, and sought to assume total control. To demonstrate its superiority, a Roman Legion attacked the Iceni, captured Boudicca and made her watch as her daughters were raped. She sought revenge, allying the Iceni with the Trinovantes under her command, and wreaked havoc, destroying many Roman settlements. Boudicca was only stopped when Rome sent one of the best generals of the time, Seutonius Paulinus. Seutonius has been depicted offering Boudicca surrender with honour and her life, but when she rejected this, his tactical acumen proved superior, and all the Iceni and Trinovantes were wiped out. 1 – Boudicca Unites the Tribes The piece opens with the initial statement of Boudicca’s theme. Figure 3 depicts Boudicca’s reign as the leader of the Iceni, interspersed with a sadder theme depicting her lonely widowhood. Figure 4 sees the tribes called together with a drinking song and Figure 5 is the war cry, as Boudicca gives a rousing speech, first to her own warriors then to the Trinovantes. The second time bar before Figure 7 sees the tribes fall into a restless sleep. Amid early morning mists, Figure 7 sees restless horses, with distant fanfares heard, signalling the coming of the Romans. The Romans main theme is at Figure 8, with a constant fanfare over the top, signalling the confidence of the leaders. Figure 10 sees the Iceni and Trinovantes coming slowly out of hiding, and Boudicca’s theme growing in volume until the death chords signify the tribes have prevailed. 2. The Bards Sing The tribes sing a hymn to an unnamed Pagan God. At Figure 13, the Euphonium develops Boudicca’s theme depicting Taranis, the Bard of the Iceni, singing wistfully of happier times. He then makes an impassioned speech for peace, before cutting off in mid sentence. He then sits quietly (Figure 16) fearing the future. Figure 17 gives a euphoric and hopeful rendition of the hymn, as if Taranis has not been heard. 3 – Epping NB: It is my piece, and I say Epping is as credible as anywhere as the site of the final battle, and will not enter into any correspondence on the matter! A fanfare awakens the two tribes. Figure 18 sees the tribes prepare for a final battle, and the repeated section depicts two victories at Verulanium (St Albans) and Londinium (London – then a small barracks). At Figure 20 Taranis has a vision, and tries to change Boudicca’s mind about another attack. Boudicca listens to him, but tells him the die is cast, and there is no going back. Death or Glory… The war cry ensues at Figure 21, but at Figure 22 it is the Romans’ theme heard, and the death chords (Figure 24) signify that it is the two tribes that are being slaughtered this time. Brave souls (Repiano and Flugel at 24) fight on in vain to allow Boudicca to escape. At Figure 25 Boudicca prays, but realising all is lost, at Figure 26 drinks poison. As she dies, the last thing this brave British heroine hears is the sound of the Roman’s theme, signifying Seutonius’ total victory.   William Elsom, December 2004

Brass Ensemble - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.883776 Composed by Phil Lawrence. 20th Century,Children,Instructional,Jazz. Score and parts. 36 pages. Phillip Lawrence #3820049. Published by Phillip Lawrence (A0.883776). Swing? A recent subject to hit the brass band discussion pages, how to and how to notate. I think to teach correctly would be the way. Many jazz charts for brass band have been notated in a variety of ways, a lot in the old dotted quaver/semiquaver fashion which either including a triplet bracket or not is confusing, misleading and plainly inaccurate. So, to a young band of the 9/14 years, my approach is to give them just 2 notes to start, the longer and the shorter i.e Doo-da! And build ever so slightly from there also giving them a chance to chant the title The Brass Band Boo-gie. So in a simple non-running around many notes, we have very few, but put together with other swing rhythms in the piece we get a swung piece, also inc, some quavers (8th’s) not to swing and play straight a reminder to change! The Brass Band Boogie.

Brass Ensemble - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.767318 Composed by Mike Lyons. Concert,Contemporary. Score and parts. 46 pages. Lyons Music Services #3465944. Published by Lyons Music Services (A0.767318). This is a brand new work for brass quartet, using brass band instrumentation: Cornet (doubling Flugelhorn), Tenor Horn, Baritone Horn and Euphonium.It was written as a submission for a new brass quartet (A4 Brass Quartet) comprising musicians from the RNCM, but didn't get selected. Each movement is based on the ensemble's name and contains a pun on A4. Each movement also has fourths involved in it somewhere.The first movement is called Aforethought (because it contains my initial ideas) and it uses a mixture of tonal and quartal harmonies. Melodies and harmony are based around fourths and fifths. It requires all players to be able to flutter-tongue. After the opening fanfare, there is a march-like melody on the cornet, accompanied by the rest of the ensemble. This is followed by a contrasting tune using intervals of a fourth. These ideas are developed over several keys until the first march-like melody returns. The fanfare idea closes the movement.The second movement is called Aforementioned. It takes its ideas from the first movement, but gives them a bluesy style. The cornet player changes to the flugelhorn for this movement which has a beautiful languid melody. The horn shares some of the glory towards the end.The third and final movement is called Aphorhythm (A4 rhythm) and is in 7/8 time. The jerky little melody plays with the pulse of the 7/8 and smoothly morphs into a steadier 'middle 8' section before reprising the opening music.Altogether, this is an enjoyable and exciting piece for brass quartet..

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 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.767274 Composed by Claudio Monteverdi. Arranged by Mike Lyons. Baroque,Renaissance. Score and parts. 37 pages. Lyons Music Services #3218685. Published by Lyons Music Services (A0.767274). As part of my continuing project to transcribe Monteverdi's madrigals onto winds, here is the 6th book. In this book we see a much greater development towards dramatic representation. In a way, this book is divisible into two Scenes with a number of single items in between. The vocal lines are all much more complex and we can also see the beginnings of monodic writing appear in the semi-recit sections of some of the songs. Also clearly developing are delineations of the voices into soloists and chorus. Several songs in this book are almost akin to arias, with clear soloistic writing for the higher voices (Cantus/Tenor). The first four songs form a kind of introductory 'scena', which Monteverdi calls Lamento d'Arianna. A little later, there is a set of 6 songs which he grouped together under the title Sestina. Song number 5 sits between Lamento della Ninfa and Sestina as a stand-alone song. Zephyrs turn and bring good weather A zephyr is a kind of fickle wind that can bring clouds or sunshine. As with all things madrigalian, the lyrics are rife with double entendres. Monteverdi uses some very close dissonances to describe death and release.

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.817619 Composed by James Bland. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Folk,Spiritual,Traditional. Score and parts. 28 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #424503. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.817619).      James Alan Bland, composer of “In the Evening by the Moonlight,” was a prolific song writer.  He is said to have created the words and music for more than 600 compositions.  Born in 1854 to a free African American family in Flushing, New York, he made a name for himself as musician, composer and minstrel performer.  Among his compositions were “Oh, Dem Golden Slippers,” “In the Morning in the Bright Light” and “De Golden Wedding.”  His most famous song by far was “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny,” which the State of Virginia used as its official anthem for over 50 years.      Bland, in keeping with his persona as a minstrel, wrote the lyrics to “In the Evening by the Moonlight” in dialect.  Years passed and sensitivities changed, but the song’s poignant melody and basic sentiment survived.  Latter day recordings, such as those by Bing Crosby and the Ray Charles Singers, dropped the dialect and objectionable terms.  One of the most notable versions was by singer, pianist and civil rights activist Nina Simone, released in 1960 on the album Nina at Newport.      This brass quintet version begins with the group instrumentally humming along under an eight-measure Horn in F introduction.   The first statement of the melody initially takes the form of a partial call-and-response between a Trombone/Horn duo and Trumpet 1, then switches to an exchange between Trumpet 1 and Tuba.  Next, the melody is repeated but in a rhythmic pattern reminiscent of the 1880 tune “Here Dem Bells”; Tuba plays counterpoint.  Third time around, the melody is presented almost exactly as Bland wrote it and as Hitchcock’s Music Store published it in 1880.  Finally, the tempo slows and the melody is presented as so many have sung it around campfires at YMCA, 4-H and other youth camps all over the country:  softly and tenderly.  The arrangement ends with a brief recapitulation of the introduction.      There are no really difficult or tricky rhythms in this arrangement.  Trumpet 1’s highest note, which occurs in Section D, is A above its staff; Tuba’s lowest, G below the staff.  Otherwise, there are no exceptionally high or low notes.  The piece opens in the key of F major then, about halfway through, changes to G major.  Tempo opens with a suggested MM of 104, speeds up to 120, slows to 66, increases again to 122 and finally slows to 66.      Completed in 2022, performance time runs about 4 minutes, 22 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge.  He would also like to receive your suggestions, comments, corrections and criticisms.  Contact him directly at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.  For more arrangements by Les, enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation marks) in the SheetMusicPlus or Sheet Music Direct 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.)

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.808680 Composed by Unknown. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Christmas,Folk,Holiday. Score and parts. 30 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #3377131. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808680).      First published in Flowers for Children, Volume 2 in 1844, Lydia Maria Child’s poem, The New-England Boy's Song about Thanksgiving Day, describes a sleigh trip to Grandfather’s house to commemorate the national day of thanks and the anticipation of the tasty food that will be consumed in celebration thereof. Why were they in a sleigh in a New England late November? Because the Little Ice Age was still extant in the early 19th Century and there was snow on the ground! Later, maybe in the 1870s, the poem was set to a tune, the composer of which is unknown. As years passed, the words were changed to Grandmother’s house, the song was adapted to a Christmas carol and the title changed to the first line of the poem, Over the River and Through the Woods.

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.940770 Composed by Nick Walkley. Christian,Concert,Contemporary,Spiritual. Score and parts. 31 pages. Nick Walkley #3422709. Published by Nick Walkley (A0.940770). This is a meditative arrangement of a well known Norwegian hymn. The arrangement sets three verses of the melody 'bookended' by a mirrored introduction and coda. It was originally written for trumpet sextet and performed by the cornet section of the Band of the Welsh Guards, before being expanded to military (wind) and brass band formats.In the hymn, one sings of a hopeful final journey to a place without worry or sorrow. The arrangement reflects the mood of these three verses, with increaing tension and movement through ascending lines as the journey progresses towards a final resting place. The hymn is regularly used at funerals and memorial services. The text was originally old German and translated to Norwegian by Bernt Støyland in 1905. Translated to English, the text reads as:I know a castle in heaven above,shining as bright as the sun;you'll find no sin nor sorrow there,and never a tear is shed. I am a weary traveller;may my path lead mefrom here to my Father's land;God, bless me on my way. We thank you for eternityGod the Father, one in three.For you are gentle and mild to us in Jesus Christ! Amen. Note to conductors:The opening and closing sections require precision in the start and release of notes for the chord progression to function. Attention to detail should be paid to each individual crescendi, diminuendi and articulation. This is excellent training for even the best of bands!An optional vocal part is provided in both Norwegian and English, but the arrangement functions with or without it. Cues are written for important lines should players be missing, otherwise many of the parts are doubled across the band. Therefore this arrangement should be playable by bands from approximately 2nd/3rd division upwards even if some players are missing.

Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.808688 Composed by Henry Clay Work (1832-1884). Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Children,Folk,Holiday,Patriotic. Score and parts. 31 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #4111581. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808688).     Henry Clay Work, Civil War era song writer and abolitionist, composed Kingdom Coming in 1862. Chicago’s Root & Cady published it in April of that year, Christy’s Minstrels premiered it and it became enormously popular.    The lyrics to Kingdom Coming, also known as The Year of Jubilo, were written as though slaves in the Confederacy were celebrating their upcoming freedom. However, the song was actually released eight months before President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Interestingly, Kingdom Coming also gained popularity in the South. A Southern edition was published in August in 1864, and the song remained a favorite in the former Confederacy for some years.     Kingdom Coming has been used as theme or background music in a number of film, television and radio settings. Almost certainly its most popular iteration in modern times was the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra’s 1952 recording under the title Doodletown Fifers.    This arrangement is a show-off piece for each member of the quintet. It moves along at a brisk pace of about 108, begins in the key of C and changes to A-flat, then B-flat. The first time through the melody, all instruments perform ensemble. Each succeeding repetition features an instrumentalist, starting with tuba and working up to Trumpet 1. The piece ends with another ensemble version.    There are no exceptionally out-of-normal-playing-range notes: Trumpets 1 and 2 both play their B-flat below the scale several times, and Trumpet 2 plays G below the scale; Horn in F also plays its G below the scale; Trombone’s range is G at the bottom of the scale to D above the scale; Tuba’s lowest note is A-flat below the scale. Trumpet 1 will probably triple tongue its repetition of the melody, and some triple tonguing may be called for near the end of the piece for Trumpets 1 and 2 and Trombone.    This arrangement was completed in 2018, and performance time runs just under 4 minutes. The arranger, Les Smith, would be very interested in your comments; contact him at lessmith@ufl.edu. For more arrangements by Les, enter Sweetwater Brass Press (without the quotation marks) in the SheetMusicPlus search box.

Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.808712 Composed by F. Leslie Smith. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Children. Score and parts. 37 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #6656487. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808712).     Gremlins, trolls and hobgoblins. All are imaginary or supernatural, products of folklore. The first is a mischievous elf. The second, a product of Scandinavian imaginations, is a rather unattractive dwarf (or maybe a giant) that dwells in caves or on mountains. The third is a small, hirsute and naughty household spirit. In other words, these are just the types of beings that show up on your doorstep on October 31 evenings threatening to play tricks unless you provide treats.    This composition exemplifies not only these creatures, but also the witches, skeletons, ghosts, vampires, black cats and other scary beings that populate Halloween. Written in the key of C minor with a 6/8 time signature, it rolls along at a suggested tempo of 96 BPM. Based primarily on the traditional melody, The Hearse Song (the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out), it also quotes the composer’s own The Eerie Night and Chopin’s Marche Funèbre. And like the worms of the song, the melodies work their way sinuously in and out among the five instruments. Most notes are well within normal playing range: Trumpet 1’s highest is five A notes above its staff; Tuba’s lowest, G below the staff. There are no tricky rhythmic figures. It’s just a fun piece for Halloween . . . or any time of the year.    Completed in 2021, performance time for Gremlins, Trolls and Hobgoblins runs about 3 minutes, 33 seconds. The composer, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge. He would also like to receive your suggestions, comments, corrections and criticisms. Contact him directly at lessmith61@bellsouth.net. 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.)

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.982221 Composed by Jaret Reddick. Arranged by Shawn Postell. Contemporary. Score and parts. 54 pages. Encore Music LLC #6267095. Published by Encore Music LLC (A0.982221). The Theme from Phineas and Ferb Today Is Gonna Be A Great Day is written for a flex-ensemble; whether a traditional woodwind quintet, brass quintet or any other combination of five instruments with percussion (or without), here's a grade 2.5 version perfect for your ensemble looking for something fun and familiar.

Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.767197 Composed by Claudio Monteverdi. Arranged by Mike Lyons. Baroque,Renaissance. Score and parts. 15 pages. Lyons Music Services #3074157. Published by Lyons Music Services (A0.767197). Monteverdi's third book of madrigals of 1592 is one of the earliest steps towards the writing of opera as we know it. In this collection of songs, Monteverdi, for the first time, starts to bring small groups of songs (2 or 3) to form a 'Scena - a collection with similar words or on a similar theme or by the same poet and keeping them as a little group within the book of madrigals. The 8th song, Vattene pur crudel is a song about the a man losing his lover, albeit temporarily, as he refuses to follow her.As with all of Monteverdi's vocal music, it translates really well onto instruments. The individual madrigals are available separately. This flexible arrangement is equally playable on woodwind ensembles as on brass.Flexible quintet parts are supplied as follows:Part 1 in Bb,Part 2 in Bb, Part 3 in Bb/Eb/F, Part 4 in Bb/Eb/C(Bass clef) and Part 5 in Bb/Eb/C(Bass clef)Other parts may be requested free of charge.

Brass Ensemble - Digital Download SKU: A0.1006832 Composed by Eddie Hurt. 20th Century,Contemporary. Score and parts. 96 pages. Eddie Hurt #3006787. Published by Eddie Hurt (A0.1006832). This composition was inspired by a cruise of the Mediterranean and visits to Italy, Croatia, and Greece.   I was struck by the age and endurance of the structures and the history of the region.  The hard work and thought that went into the construction of theses incredible buildings  that have survived 1000s of years was amazing.  I describe my musical style as neo polyphonic.  I write each part as a spate melody or counter melody and the harmonization is what occurs naturally as they entwine.    They are usually impressionistic in nature reflecting  some action or scene.  The First movement is my impression of walking on the ancient roman roads. I found them uneven and I I was wobbling all over the place. To me it sounds  like a old wagon with different sized wheels going down the road with other traffic.  The second movement. Is  inspired by the great Cathedrals you find all through Europe.   They are huge open and full of history.  As you wonder through them you can feel the history and the devotion in them.  The third movement  evokes the fast ride of a cavalry unit scouting enemy territory and having a skirmish with and enemy then riding off..  It was inspired by all the history of conflict between the countries  of the Mediterranean.

Brass Ensemble - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.831281 Composed by Thomas Morley. Arranged by Gary Fladmoe (ASCAP). Renaissance. Score and parts. 12 pages. Gary Fladmoe #3483789. Published by Gary Fladmoe (A0.831281). A setting for brass quintet of a five-part Renaissance choral motet. Duration: 1:30. Playable by early intermediate musicians. Both Bb and C trumpet parts are included. Can be used as a showy opener in either a concert of church setting.