SKU: A0.733009

A promise to stand by... this phrase indicate loyalty, steadfastness, being a man of one's word, knowing that integrity and honor are the enduring qualities by which we will be judged; not fame, fortune, influence, or other worldly measures. It is no surprise, therefore, that this phrase was incorporated by Lou Fortunate and Msgr Herman Kucyk, of blessed memory, into the alma mater of Divine Child High School. When I was approached by Mr. Bush and the Divine Child Band Boosters about the possibility of writing a piece to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the band program I was excited, flattered, and--most of all--humbled that I should be chosen out of many worthier candidates, in my estimation. Divine Child has had, for the longest time--since the beginning, it seems--a vibrant and thriving fine arts program involving music (both vocal and instrumental), theatre, and the visual arts as well as literature and poetry. I began to conceive of a work that would pay homage to each of these arts musically and be a celebration of all that Divine Child has to offer. One of my favourite composers, Gustav Mahler, famously said, a symphony must be like the world; it must contain everything. In the 1988 vice-presidential debate, Lloyd Bentsen famously said to Dan Quayle, Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy. A voice in my head said, Benjamin, you're no Gus Mahler. As the discarded drafts in the recycle bin took on a life of their own, I eventually dismissed the idea as impractical, and even vainglorious. I settled upon a more general idea to make the music about the band program. Most every student in the band program goes through the rigors of marching band and performs at the Falcon football games where they become intimate with the Three School Songs: the Falcon Fanfare, the Fight Song, and the Alma Mater. Taking the latter piece as my inspiration, I meditated upon the mission of the school: a promise to educate us in body, mind, and spirit. Divine Child High School stands by her promise, recruiting some of the best teachers in the area to guide us through the tumultuous adolescent years. We students, too, have a promise: to strive to be worthy of this gift, and to accept it and use it for the betterment of society. In band class, under Leo Tallieu, I learned to listen; to contribute to the group; to consider my part in relation to the whole ensemble; to show leadership when needed; and to be a role player when needed. And so, my conception of the piece changed. I wanted to use melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic devices that would be familiar to all DCHS band students, but to use them in a new and different way; to recontextualize them. As time went on, Bob Bush asked me if I would be able to work in a tribute to two band students who had tragically died in the last few years: Blaise H.

SKU: A0.533692

Biblicals: Concerto for Solo Piano in Five Movements (1998) was commissioned from the
composer by an anonymous benefactor for pianist Kathleen Supové in tribute of her tireless
support of new music.
The work is in five movements, each inspired by a different biblical quotation which is
quoted in the score before each movement. If possible, these passages should be printed in
the program or read aloud before the performance of the work. Each movement is
programmatic only in an internal sense. While the movements do not attempt to directly
portray the action of the passage in a storybook sense, they do attempt to capture the overall
affect of the verse. The form of the work is as a concerto for solo piano drawing on a title
that has been used in the past by numerous composers. Likewise, although the work does not
involve an orchestra, I have titled it concerto because it contains elements of a concerto solo
part and because of the virtuosity required to perform the work. The work explores a widerange
of styles from quasi-lyrical to highly chromatic. Throughout, the work has a rhythmic
intensity which should be observed by the performer.
The first movement, Hovering Over the Waters, makes use of an irregular rhythmic pattern
introduced in the opening measure and used throughout the work. Irregular and nervous
rhythms using chromatic intervals pervade the entire movement.
The second movement, Baldhead, is a forceful and loud movement making use of the clash
between diatonic and pentatonic clusters. It is relentless in its pounding energy, irregular
rhythms, and volume. This movement is dedicated to American composer Daniel Pinkham
on the occasion his 75th birthday in 1998. The connection of this movement to Pinkham
comes in the superimposition of pentatonic and diatonic clusters, a technique used so well in
one of my favorite Pinkham works, Blessings for Organ (1978).
The third movement, Forgiven and Free, presents a tranquil scene involving the building of
chords, standard and otherwise, through the adding of tones one at a time. Brief chromatic
melodies appear and then disappear quickly.
The fourth movement, Under the Sun, makes use of a motive involving four chords over a left
hand bass consisting of a major-tenth chord. This motive appears throughout the movement,
constantly breaking in and interrupting the action. A variety of irregular rhythmic motives
appear throughout as a contrast to the main motive with its strict rhythm. Quotes of nursery
rhyme tunes are hidden throughout the movement as well in various forms.
The fifth movement, The Seventh Angel, is a fast and furious tarantella. As the movement
flies by a variety of musical ideas emerge and then disappear into the main motive again.
The music continues to get faster and faster and finally the movement ends with a furious
progression from the bottom to top of the piano and then a thunderous unison chord in the
lower register.

SKU: A0.978843

A Fanfare for three Bb Trumpets & Timpani. This was arranged from an old melody of unknown origin, for Eb Cavalry Trumpets and Kettledrums of the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars Band, a former Northern Irish Regiment within the British Army; whose Colonel in Chief was HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Winston Churchill was a young officer in the regiment, before the amalgamation of the 4th & 8th Hussars, to form the ’Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars’’. All cavalry regiments of the line, have a team of Cavalry Trumpets, who under the ’Trumpet Major’, play at 11am each day outside regimental headquarters, for the Regiment. Traditionally the fanfare ’stables’ would be played first; followed by another fanfare of the ’’Trumpet Major’s’’ choice. In cavalry regiments there is often a drum horse, on which the two timpani are positioned and played. An example would be the Queen’s Own Hussars, who for many years had a fine old drum horse, trained not to panic when the kettledrums were being played fortissimo! During the day, one trumpeter is on duty, and plays various trumpet calls throughout the day to signal important happenings in the regiment’s daily schedule of events. For example, Reveille is at 0630, Mess call at 0700, Mess call 1230, Guard mount 1800, Officers dress for dinner 2000, finishing with last post at 2200! There are also trumpet calls for fire, war and mucking out the horses! One morning when I was on trumpet duty in Germany at the tender age of 18, I woke up late, and just managed to play the ’’Reveille’’ trumpet call out of my bedroom window, in an effort not to be ’charged’ for missing a call! The equivalent in the Infantry would be the bugle, which is also used as a method of signaling to the regiment. This fanfare works well for three Bb trumpets and timpani. Eb cavalry trumpets are often written in the key of C, and harmonically there is no third on chord V due to the harmonics of the instrument, and the fact that they have no valves; giving a bare sounding chord. The trills in the first part are lip trills, on Bb trumpet, simply play a lip trill using the valves 1 & 3. The most famous Eb cavalry trumpeters in the British Army, are undoubtedly the trumpeters of the household cavalry, who perform in spectacular golden uniforms, complete with riding hats, at the state opening of parliament. Don’t forget Eb cavalry trumpeters are musicians from the band,(they could be clarinettists),assigned to trumpet for two to three years, not so good for your embouchure!! So when you hear a mis-pitched note in future, you know that the trumpeter could be a bassoonist, doing his or her very best.

SKU: LO.KK375

UPC: 000308003444.

SKU: A0.999344

GRACE DARLING: One of my full length family plays in the TYNE ONSTAGE series of original musicals. With Drama, Comedy and Song they offer a new source of material to any Producer, Director or Teacher in the Performing Arts looking for original stories with great songs, covering a wide range of musical styles.

GRACE DARLING was known as the ‘Heroine of the Farne Islands’ off the Northumberland coast where she lived with her family in the Longstone Lighthouse. She became a household name when in 1838 along with ther father William Darling rowed out in a North Sea gale to rescue 9 passengers from the capsized paddle steamer Forfarshire. Honoured by royalty, her fame was short-lived as she died of Tuberculosis in 1842 aged only 27. This musical is based partly on her life which I’ve interwoven with a love story.

This album includes the Piano & Vocal Score along with the full Libretto.

For full information please see my website:-
https://www.tynemusic.com/grace-darling

P.S. Sorry, but there are no band parts or orchestral scores as the costs involved would have made these musicals too expensive. So the price is reflective of this and leaves each of the numbers open to interpretation by your M.D. or Arranger

SONG TITLES

 1)   Overture & Ballet Sequence
 2)   Be Fishermen
 3)   Keeper of the Light
 4)   Who’ll Buy my Fish
 5)     Kittens & Kings
 6)     Springtime
 7)   Take One Girl
 8)   Melody
 9)   How Can I Tell
10)   Over my Head
11)     Reminiscing
12)   Only the Sea
13)   For One Moment
14)   I Care Nothing for Fame
15)   Man of my Dreams