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 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 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 1 - Digital Download SKU: A0.931293 Composed by Ari Pulkkinen. Arranged by Alessandro Macrì. Contemporary. Score and parts. 12 pages. Music Macri Editions #6679229. Published by Music Macri Editions (A0.931293). Ari Pulkkinen (born 15 January 1982) is a Finnish video game composer, musician and sound designer. His Angry Birds theme is perhaps his most famous work.Pulkkinen was born in Helsinki. At the age of 6 he started studying piano and composed his first song at the age of 12. He was interested in the computer music demoscene and started making music with tracker software under the name ArtZ. He won many music competitions and made his first big public album to accompany a freeware game named Starfight VI: Gatekeepers in 1999. Ari has never studied music composition academically.In 2003 he was hired as in-house audio director to game development company Frozenbyte Inc. Where he made the original soundtracks and sound design for video games Shadowgrounds, Shadowgrounds: Survivor and Trine. In his spare time Ari earned diplomas in Professional Audio Design and Producing and Further Education for Producers and Leads of the Finnish Game Industry with Adulta, and Music Technology with Sibelius Academy. After quitting Frozenbyte in 2008 (though he continues to have a professional relationship with them), Ari started his own sound production company AriTunes. Since then he has made original soundtrack and sound design for over twenty projects, including video games such as Angry Birds, Dead Nation, Trine 2, Outland and Super Stardust HD. Ari releases his music through his own label AriTunes.On 2 September 2011 in Video Game Heroes Concert, Angry Birds Theme was played by London Philharmonic Orchestra. This is the first time Ari's music was played by a full live orchestra.On 4 October 2011, Ari won the Best Finnish Game Developer in 2011 Award due to his contribution in the Finnish game industry.

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.700463 Composed by Various. Arranged by Kenneth D. Friedrich. Christian,Gospel,Praise & Worship,Sacred,Spiritual. Score and parts. 22 pages. KFS Publishing #4758333. Published by KFS Publishing (A0.700463). Volume ten of ten in a large collection of arranged hymns, spirituals, and spiritual songs for trombone or euphonium and bass trombone or tuba duet. Difficulty level: 2+ to 4List: There Is A Balm in Gilead, There Is A Fountain, This Is My Father's World, This Is the Day, To God Be the Glory, Trust and Obey, We Gather Together, Were You There, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, What Wondrous Love Is This,  and  When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder

Brass Ensemble - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.983164 Composed by Craig Wadley. 20th Century,Concert,Contemporary. Score and parts. 52 pages. Wadley Publications #3043833. Published by Wadley Publications (A0.983164). This Brass Quintet won the 1996 Fine Arts Festival Music Award at Illinois State University, an international competition.   Songs of the Warrior, a Brass Quintet in three movements, utilizes thematic material derived from a twelve-tone row, presented in three contrasting styles.  While the piece stands on its own as absolute music following traditional formal structures, the titles of each movement do suggest a setting befitting the mood or atmosphere evoked by the music.   I. The Cannon’s Mouth Following a slightly modified version of the classical sonata allegro form, this movement presents the thematic material in a freely atonal setting, Much use is made of variations of ancient two note war-horn calls, which would command soldiers to advance into direct combat with an enemy.   II.  Amidst the Fallen The second movement evokes images of the aftermath of battle and the horrors left on the field of war.  Dynamic and rhythmic elements in the music produce a classic arch form.  Melodic and harmonic structures are developed throughout the movement.   III.  Revelry A complete departure in style from the previous movements, Revelry features upbeat modal harmony and foot-tapping rhythms.  Thematic material borrowed from the earlier movements is transformed to conform to the desired atmosphere.  The form of the movement is best described as a hybrid rondo and variations.  The light-hearted mood is perhaps a reflection of the joy found when a soldier returns to his home.   This quintet presents three stylistically distinct movements, yet all are based on the same thematic sources.  The first movement is somewhat cerebral and demands much virtuosity from the performers.  The second is darker, with some almost lyrical melodic lines.  The final movement is nothing if not bombastic.  All-in-all, Songs of the Warrior provides a little something for everyone, from Berlioz to Schoenberg, with a little Bernstein on the side.

Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.945066 Composed by Anonymous. Arranged by Kent S. Burchill. Contemporary,Easter,Folk,Sacred. Score and parts. 32 pages. WINDCREST #6247961. Published by WINDCREST (A0.945066). This arrangement of WERE YOU THERE? has been written for large brass ensemble. The performance duration is slightly more than five minutes at the suggested tempo. The percussion instruments, while optional, will provide an added dimension to the performance.  This selection will find performance opportunities whenever brass ensemble or small brass band music is featured.  This arrangement will also provide a quality music experience for any church wishing to enhance their Easter service with a larger brass ensemble. In addition, the arrangement also represents an example of how spirituals can be rendered instrumentally, portraying written text melodically and harmonically.

Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1123447 Composed by Nathan Grocholski. Classical,Contemporary. Score and parts. 65 pages. Nathan Grocholski #724258. Published by Nathan Grocholski (A0.1123447). The basis of this piece was centered around the complex emotions of cats in which we observe in our every day lives. With regards to this piece especially, there were three cats that I based this composition on, and their names are Storm, Zany and Tremor. Each miniature is a representation of a certain type of emotion that each of these cats is known for expressing. The first movement is for my favorite cat, Storm, and is titled, “Precious Storm.� Going back to my earliest memories of writing songs, I re-translated an old tune that I used to sing into a brass quintet miniature and dedicated to him, for he is the best cat. The second miniature is titled, “Mouse on a String,� and is supposed to portray the same energy that one would see from a cat in chase of a toy mouse being constantly propelled around the air from one end of a string, which is one of Storm’s favorite things to do. The third movement is called “Zany the Scaredy-Cat,� which is exactly the type of cat that Zany is. Always fearful and skittish, Zany sneaks around the house to avoid human contact at all costs. The fourth movement is titled “You Stuck, Zany?� This is named after a short video clip in which Zany finds herself stuck in the fireplace and struggling to get out. Once she frees herself, she runs away as fast as she can. The fifth movement is called “Passive-Aggressive Tremor� for the final cat, Tremor. Tremor likes to instigate conflicts with the other cats, but once the tension arises, he backs away, which can also be heard within the intense build ups and anti-climatic drops within the music as well. Finally, the sixth movement is called, “King Tremor,� in which is the boldest sounding of all the pieces, for when it does come to conflict, it is usually Tremor who comes out on top, outsmarting the other two cats.

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: A0.767275 Composed by Claudio Monteverdi. Arranged by Mike Lyons. Baroque,Renaissance. Score and parts. 17 pages. Lyons Music Services #3218689. Published by Lyons Music Services (A0.767275). 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. Here, the song is describing One woman amongst the others, honest and beautiful. Now, there's flattery for you! There is a subtitle to this song Concertato nel clavicembalo - Conducted from the harpsichord. Obviously, this is not possible in this transcription. The continuo part has been incorporated into the rests of all of the parts, without swamping the leading voices. 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 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.990299 Composed by Timothy Lee Miller. 20th Century,Contemporary. Score and parts. 66 pages. TLM Music Publishing #595979. Published by TLM Music Publishing (A0.990299). A challenging little suite for brass quintet about a confused little duck. The tonalities are based mostly on twelve-tone techniques.

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.773392 By Regina Spektor. By Regina Spektor. Arranged by Max Stannard. Contemporary,Pop. Score and parts. 40 pages. Max Stannard Music #2162919. Published by Max Stannard Music (A0.773392). This song by Regina Spektor features in the sound track of Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It was used at the end of the film and during the credits and contains lyrics which are mournful yet full of hope. This emotional and lyrical song has been arranged as a Tenor Horn solo, with a brass band accompaniment. This requires expressive playing and some silky runs to be delivered by the soloist. Duration: 3mins www.maxstannardmusic.com @MStannardMusic  .

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.767271 Composed by Claudio Monteverdi. Arranged by Mike Lyons. Baroque,Renaissance. Score and parts. 27 pages. Lyons Music Services #3218677. Published by Lyons Music Services (A0.767271). 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. The second of these is O Teseo, Teseo mio which translates as O Theseus, my Theseus. The young man is pleading with his lover to tell him that she wants him and he is referred to as Theseus in order to fit in with the common mythology of the time. Just as the women have Arianna, Daphne and Clorinda, so the men have Theseus, Clovis and various other mythological fantasies. As with all things madrigalian, the lyrics are rife with double entendres.

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.767272 Arranged by Lyons Music Services. Baroque,Renaissance. Score and parts. 15 pages. Lyons Music Services #3218681. Published by Lyons Music Services (A0.767272). 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. This third song of Arianna's Lament is about a loss of belief or trust in one's lover. (TBH, I wouldn't trust him either!) As with all things madrigalian, the lyrics are rife with double entendres. Monteverdi uses some very close dissonances to describe death and release.