Brass Ensemble - Digital Download SKU: A0.808697 Composed by George Job Elvey. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Christmas,Holiday. Score and parts. 28 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #4999815. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808697).     Henry Alford (1810–1871), Church of England cleric and man of many talents, wrote the words for Come, Ye Thankful People, Come in 1844. Fourteen years later, Alford’s hymn was set to a melody composed by George J. Elvey (1816–1893). Elvey had named the tune St. George’s, Windsor after the chapel in Windsor, England, where he was organist. The first verse of the hymn rejoices in the harvest and calls for celebrants to Come to God's own temple, come; raise the song of harvest home! As such, the hymn gained popularity in the United States as a celebration of Thanksgiving.    In keeping with the song’s celebratory and triumphal nature, this arrangement uses a fanfare as the recurring motif. The fanfare opens the piece, followed by a rejoicing, exultant first statement of the melody. In the second statement, the fanfare figure returns and forms the structure for the section. The third statement is styled as a kind of rondo; the fourth and last, grandioso. The fourth statement also changes key twice--F to B-flat, then to E-flat--includes a walking bass part and ends with, again, the fanfare. The piece should be played Allegro moderato, about 120 bpm, and there are no really tricky rhythmic figures. Most notes are well within the normal range of the five instruments-Trombone’s highest are a couple of high F notes; Trumpet 1, high A notes. So most players will have little or no trouble.     This arrangement was completed in 2019, and performance time runs about 3 minutes, 44 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; contact him directly at lessmith61@bellsouth.net. For more arrangements by Les, enter Sweetwater Brass Press (without the quotation marks) in the SheetMusicPlus 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: A0.808684 Composed by Irving Berlin (1888–1989). Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Holiday,Jazz,Patriotic. Score and parts. 42 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #3582931. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808684). Irving Berlin’s composition Alexander’s Ragtime Band was not only his first hit, it was also one of the most popular songs ever. It first gained widespread recognition when Emma Carus sang it in Chicago in 1911, and then it really took off when Al Jolson performed it in New York. It’s no wonder the popularity of Alexander’s has been so long-lived. Both words and music are absolutely bouncy and upbeat. The lyrics proclaim the Ragtime Band to be the best . . . in the land and invite the listener to come on and hear the group, even to meet its leader! The tune is energetic and lively, a salute to the toe-tapping Dixieland style that even then was developing in New Orleans.  This arrangement takes the natural exuberance of the melody and raises it a couple of notches. Wide open and sprightly, it features the trombone, but also gives each of the other parts a chance to shine, too. In addition to several iterations of the well-known chorus, it also includes the seldom-heard verse and even throws in a few true ragtime licks, quotes from Scott Joplin and Percy Wenrich. The tempo is a bouncy, cut-time 76, with some fairly tricky rhythms and one ritardando near the middle. Trumpet 1 plays a couple of notes above its staff, one A and one B. Trombone plays F above its staff several times and one brief G. Tuba’s lowest note is F below the staff. This arrangement was completed in 2018, and performance time runs about 4 minutes, 33 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, would be very interested in your comments; contact him at lessmith@ufl.edu or leave a review on the SheetMusicPlus website. 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: A0.732379 Composed by Words: C. F. Alexander / Music: H. J. Gauntlett. Arranged by Thomas Quigley. Christian,Christmas,Concert,Sacred. Score and parts. 14 pages. Thomas Quigley #6495533. Published by Thomas Quigley (A0.732379).  An attractive, rhythmical accompaniment with well - chosen harmonies makes this a most appealing arrangement. With well-designed instrumental parts it is really enjoyable to perform and is an excellent choice for Christmas, either in a Church or concert setting. Highly recommended!

Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1049261 Composed by Friedrich von Flotow. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Classical,Pop,Romantic Period. Score and parts. 18 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #653628. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.1049261).      The first performance of "Martha, or The Market at Richmond," a romantic comic opera by the German composer Friedrich von Flotow, took place in Vienna in 1847. Subsequent presentations were performed in a number of other languages, including Hungarian, Czech, English and Italian. Two of the most memorable arias from Martha are “The Last Rose of Summer” and “Ach! so fromm.” “Last Rose” was, of course, based on the poem by Thomas Moore. “Ach! So fromm,” known more familiarly by its Italian lyric, “M'appari, tutt'amor,” was an original composition by Flotow, a piece he had composed for an earlier opera and inserted into Act 3 of Martha as Lyonel’s tenor solo.      In 1955, The Crew Cuts, a Canadian pop singing group, recorded a song titled “Mostly Martha.” Written by Dorcas Cochran (words) and Ralph Sterling (music), it charted in early 1956. As so many pop song writers have done, Sterling borrowed the melody from a piece of classical music: “M’appari.” While “M’appari” and “Mostly Martha” share the same melody, the words and sentiment are quite different. Lyonel laments that Martha has left him, while The Crew Cuts jauntily proclaim, “Mostly Martha, Mostly Martha. What has she got? She's got the most.”      This brass quintet arrangement takes a middle ground. It follows closely the basic structure of Flotow’s operatic aria but does so in a sort-of up-tempo manner and with a great deal of variation in the accompaniment. It’s not really The-Crew-Cut-style “She’s got the most,” but it’s certainly more positive than Lyonel’s song of longing. The piece starts with a suggested tempo of 90 bpm, changes to 80 at section C, and speeds up to 92 at the end. All instruments get a turn playing the melody, and there are no really tricky rhythmic patterns. There are, however, grace notes, rallentandos, an “a piacere” and a number of fermatas. All notes are, for the most part, within normal playing range of each of the five instruments, with two exceptions: near the end Trumpet 1 has an A above its staff, followed two measures later by a high B-flat.      Completed in 2022, performance time runs about 2 minutes, 45 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. 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 to 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 - Digital Download SKU: A0.808693 Composed by Edward White. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Contemporary. Score and parts. 39 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #4760441. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808693).     On a visit to the Isle of Wight, British composer Edward George White came across an ancient steam locomotive bearing the sobriquet Puffing Billy. Inspired, White wrote the similarly titled Puffin’ Billy in 1952. The tune was recorded by a group labeled Melodi Light Orchestra and was included in the Chappell Recorded Music Library, a collection of tunes that could be used as incidental music in various types of productions. Both British and U.S. producers made use of the library; two stand out. One was BBC’s Children’s Favourites, which adopted Puffin’ Billy as theme music in 1952 and continued its use for 14 years. The second was Captain Kangaroo, a new 8 a.m. weekday children’s program launched by CBS-TV in October 1955 starring Bob Keeshan as the title character. Each episode opened and closed with Puffin’ Billy and would do so until 1974, making it White’s most recognizable composition.       This brass quintet version follows the 1952 Melodi Light Orchestra recording pretty closely. It retains the key signatures of the original-G to B-flat, then back to G-and the tempo (cut time; half note = 112). Trumpets’ highest note is their A above the staff; trombone has one F above the staff. Tuba’s very last note is G below the staff. The rest is pretty much within normal playing range. Trumpets get somewhat of a workout with chromatic runs in sections E and F. Most will find this an easy piece to play.   This arrangement was completed in 2019, and performance time runs about 2 minutes, 54 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (e.g., treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; contact him directly at lessmith61@bellsouth.net. For more arrangements by Les, enter Sweetwater Brass Press (without the quotation marks) in the SheetMusicPlus 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: A0.808712 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: A0.808706 Composed by Fred Fisher. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Folk,Holiday,Jazz,Patriotic,Traditional. Score and parts. 40 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #6215233. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808706).      Orville and Wilbur Wright made their famous flight in late 1903; this song was published seven years later: Fred Fisher’s music with Alfred Bryan’s lyrics. The words form a narrative of a young man attempting to get his girlfriend to go up with him in his flying machine. And, that would take much more daring on her part than one might realize today. The year 1910 was still early days for aviation; most airplanes were still made of wood, wire and fabric and looked liked giant gliders. Supposedly, the Josephine of the song was Josephine Sarah Magner, reputed to be America’s first female parachutist. Magner married Leslie Burt Haddock, whose aviation career started in balloons, and made her first jump in 1905. During the next dozen years, she made more than 500 jumps. Pretty daring!     This arrangement is quirky and an absolute delight to play (and to listen to)! The first half is set in the song’s native ¾ time. The takeoff is the introduction, followed by the chorus, then the verse and again the chorus as the melody loops, rolls and spins through the five instruments. A middle section briefly quotes two other aerialist tunes-He flies through the air with the greatest of ease and Up in the air Junior Birdmen-and serves as a transition to cut time. A swing version of the chorus brings us in for a landing and final fade.     The arrangement begins in the key of C major and changes to G major during the transitional section. Suggested tempo is 76 bpm throughout. The arrangement comprises 202 measures: Horn in F plays the most notes, followed by Trombone and Tuba, while Trumpets get off relatively lightly. All notes are well within the normal playing range of the instruments; Trumpet 1 does, however, play A above its staff several times.     Completed in 2021, performance time for Come, Josephine in My Flying Machine runs about 3 minutes, 45 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; 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: A0.817619 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 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1028133 Composed by Arwyn Bailey. Christian,Gospel,Jewish,Sacred,Spiritual. Score and parts. 113 pages. Galactic Publishers Limited #3382201. Published by Galactic Publishers Limited (A0.1028133). Hope PrevailsThe composition consists of six movements and is for a Brass Quintet with guest instrumentalists of Oboe, Violin, Viola and Soprano voice.The piece explores the moods that many encounter as they go through life from loneliness through to elation. the composers brother experienced these extreme emotions and it resulted in him taking his own life. This piece is dedicated to his memory.The MP3 contains a very short extract from each movement that is a direct download from computer composition software and is therefore not of great quality.The composer is looking for a group to record this piece. Please get in touch if you wish to be part fo a collaborative project perhaps as a school, college, university or other group.The Struggle of the night - 4:09 in length:The first movement commences with sonorous chord sequences and quickly moves to a lively section. The piece incorporates the tune of the Welsh National Anthem along with the hymn tune Cwm Rhondda. The movement moves between the despair and loneliness of the night that one can feel, even when sleeping next to a close partner, and the racing desperation of the mind, whereby patriotic affiliations will calm the soul at these times.  the movement finishes with the tune of Land of my father's resonating but even this is of no comfort, and the troubled mind lies awake and the movement finishes with a flurry of discord.The Solitude - 5.34 in length:The movement begins with a haunting melody led by the Oboe. the Horn soon joins in as do other instruments of the quintet. A simple Gregorian type rhythm and chant passes through the quintet with the Oboe leading the movement.Crescendos and attacked notes give the piece a rise and fall showing the mood of the soul that alternates between a calm and a peak of mood as sleep is hard to come by and a restless state is invoked.It appears that the oboe will be leading the soul into peace yet, at the last moment, the quintet joins in with chords of attack and crescendo followed by a sharp diminuendo to end the piece.The soul has sought solace, yet, all they find is loneliness.Brad's Broadcast - 3:01 in length:The restless soul awakes after a restless night.  The world is full of voices, advice, motivation and answers.In this lively movement, the soul searches for solace and finds sense from some sources, yet, the cacophony of contrary advice and the nature of some disciples of business and life coaches becomes confusing. there are some real gems of advice available, but, the noise of others drowns out the sense and sanity.The soul manages to find some humour in the forums and media, they smile, but the relief is short lived.The movement ends with all voices descending away in a glissando and silence is restored.By His Own Hand - 4:26 in length:This movement reflects the desperation of the soul. they have sought solace, humour has passed them by, they do not feel that they can continue to live.The piece starts with a cadenza played by a viola.  A violin soon duets in this Jewish styled lament.Throughout the movement the brass are spartan, reflecting the confusion of the soul. The ability to cling onto the world and to continue living is a losing battle.The waves of the lament increase in their presence, but not velocity, for the depressed souul is reaching the point of no return and of no choice.They will soon depart from the world by their own hand. The end ofthe movement is a descent and a unifying discordant sound as the soul leaves.Dreaming of Heaven - 2:31 in length:The soul is now rising and an ancient Celtic tune accompanies the soul in the form of a Soprano voice singing words of hope and light.The soul's path is lit and the ancient bell of.

Brass Ensemble - Digital Download SKU: A0.931894 Composed by S.R. Thomas. Standards. Score and parts. 49 pages. S.R.T. Music #6863057. Published by S.R.T. Music (A0.931894). Camaraderie is composition for medium to early advanced brass ensembles. This number is in common time and is written in the key of concert Bb Major and g minor. The arrangement can be flexible using 2 Trumpets, 1 F-horn with a choice of Trombones, Baritone and/or Tuba. There is also an optional piano part if so desired.

Brass Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.808675 Composed by Alexander Borodin (1833–1887). Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Broadway,Holiday,Musical/Show,Romantic Period,Wedding. Score and parts. 19 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #3130463. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808675).      The defeat of Igor Svyatoslavich, a Rus’ prince, in his 1185 campaign against invading Cuman (Polovtsy) tribes was immortalized in the Russian epic, The Lay of Igor’s Campaign. Seven centuries later, Alexander Borodin started work on an opera based on that old tale. Borodin died before finishing, but Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov completed Prince Igor, and it was performed for the first time in 1890. Sixty-three years later the Broadway production Kismet opened featuring songs adapted by Robert Wright and George Forrest from the music of Borodin. Arguably, the most popular of the show’s songs was Stranger in Paradise, which was based on the Gliding Dance of the Maidens from the Polovtsian Dances of Prince Igor.      This beautiful brass quintet arrangement of Gliding Dance of the Maidens was adapted from the orchestra score. The key is A major, time signature is 4/4 and tempo marking is Andantino at the opening, slowing to a suggested quarter note = 63 at measure 15. Trumpets, Horn in F and Trombone all play a few grace notes. Highest notes for Trumpets are their G-sharp just above the staff; for Trombone, E above the staff. While not particularly challenging technically, the key to playing this piece is interpretation and feeling.     This arrangement was completed in 2017, and performance time runs about 2 minutes, 38 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; 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: A0.808703 Composed by Guy d'Hardelot (1858 – 1936). Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Holiday,Romantic Period,Spiritual,Wedding. Score and parts. 18 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #6072651. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808703).      This song is a great piece to play for a general concert. But it really shines in matrimonial settings. The fact is: No wedding is complete without the performance of Because.     Helen Guy, the daughter of an English sea captain and a French singer, was born at Château d'Hardelot in France. She entered the Paris Conservatory at age 15, and in her early 20s composed a musical setting for Victor Hugo’s Sans toi, which gained some popularity. She composed over 300 songs using the name Guy d'Hardelot. She was also a noted piano accompanist. After marrying W.I. Rhodes, she settled in London and taught singing. As a composer, she is best remembered for Because (Parce Que), for which she wrote both the music and the French words. It was first published in 1902 with English lyrics by Edward Teschemacher and has since been recorded many times by many different artists.     This arrangement was derived from the 1902 Chappell & Co. score in C major for piano and voice. For the most part, however, the musical setting is original and different. Throughout most of the piece, Horn in F carries the melody with Trombone and Tuba providing an arpeggio accompaniment. Trumpets 1 and 2 play a syncopation figure for the opening and the end but during the majority of the arrangement they provide an antiphonal response to the melody. The opening is marked Poco Adagio with a suggested metronome setting of 76, but the tempo does vary rather frequently. All notes are well within the range of each instrument; e.g., B-flat Trumpets’ highest note is G at the top of their staff, while Tuba’s lowest note is A below the staff. All-in-all, this arrangement is a beautiful and poignant setting for an old favorite, a real crowd pleaser.     Completed in 2020, performance time for Because runs about 3 minutes, 22 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; 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 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 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.808695 Composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Holiday,Patriotic,Romantic Period. Score and parts. 44 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #4819845. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808695).     Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov composed his third opera, The Snow Maiden, during the period 1880-1881. Based on Alexander Ostrovsky’s play of the same name, The Snow Maiden uses fairy-tale characters to portray the opposing forces of nature, winter versus summer. Act 3 contains the Dance of the Skomorokhi.  Skomorokhi were traveling performers in old Russia and, in connection with this composition, the term is usually translated as tumblers or clowns. Rimsky-Korsakov also included this selection as one of four movements he compiled into a concert suite based on the opera. Dance of the Tumblers has become one of his most frequently performed and best known pieces.    Light and uplifting, Dance of the Tumblers is vibrant, energetic and addictive. It takes the form of, as one commenter wrote, a classical sonata-structure, complete with development section, invigoratingly intensified reprise, and a veritable whirlwind of a coda. This brass quintet arrangement retains the original key signature of C but adjusts register to make the melodies accessible and playable. As a result, most notes are well within the normal playing range of the five brass instruments. Trumpet 1’s highest note is its A above the staff. At measures 132 and 133, Trumpet 2 has the option of playing some high notes (including one C above its staff) an octave down. Tuba plays mostly in the lowest register, with quite a few low F notes and one low E. Most instruments have some octave jumps, but all have a lot of notes to play in a very short time: many, many sixteenth notes. The score is marked Vivace, and the audio sample moves along at a pretty fast clip. But of course, the speed at which performers actually play the piece is up to them, a matter of interpretation.     This arrangement was completed in 2019, and performance time runs about 3 minutes, 38 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; 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 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.)