Gustav Holst: A Moorside Suite Context Gustav Holst’s A Moorside Suite is the composer’s only work for brass band. Commissioned by the BBC and the National Brass Band Festival Committee in 1927, A Moorside Suite was used for the final of the 1928 National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, Read more…
Gilbert Vinter: Spectrum Context Gilbert Vinter (1909-1969) was most known for his work as a conductor and as a composer of brass band music. Vinter was a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral when he was a young boy. He later took up the bassoon. He conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Read more…
Edward Gregson: The Plantagenets Context Composed for the 1973 National Brass Band Championships, Edward Gregson’s The Plantagenets has stood the test of time in the banding world. Subtitled ‘A Symphonic Study for Brass Band’ The Plantagenets is still to this day one of Gregson’s most ambitious symphonic-inspired works. Unlike many Read more…
Philip Sparke: Cambridge Variations Context Commissioned by Philip Biggs and Richard Franklin for the All England Brass Band Championships in 1992, Philip Sparke’s Cambridge Variations was most recently used at the 2016 Brass Band Regionals for the Championship Section. As the title suggests, the work is set in a form Read more…
Philip Sparke: Pantomime Context Commissioned by euphonium player, Nicholas Childs, in 1986, Philip Sparke’s Pantomime has remained a staple work for the instrument. The work is influenced by the Commedia dell’Arte tradition, with the music encapsulating a number of different characters. The Music Pantomime has been arranged with both Read more…
Philip Sparke: Year of the Dragon Context Born and raised in London, Philip Sparke studied composition, trumpet, and piano at the Royal College of Music. Known as being one of the leading brass band and wind band composers, Sparke has won a notable amount of awards. Some of these include the Read more…
Paul Lovatt-Cooper: Vitae Aeternum Context Paul Lovatt-Cooper was born in Alderney, 1976. His parents were both Officers in the Salvation Army, so Lovatt-Cooper was quickly immersed in the family tradition of brass banding. Whilst at school, Lovatt-Cooper began learning the drums, and after he started proving his talents for percussion, was Read more…
Malcolm Arnold: Padstow Lifeboat Context Malcolm Arnold was born in Northampton, England in October 1921. He took up playing the trumpet at age 12, and after studying and practising intensely for five years, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music. Whilst at RCM, Arnold Read more…
Eric Ball: Journey Into Freedom Context Composed to be used as the Championship test piece for band competing at the Royal Albert Hall in 1967, Eric Ball’s Journey Into Freedom is one of his most popular works. The work has endured the test of time, being used twice more for Read more…
Eric Ball: Torch of Freedom Context Eric Walter John Ball was born in Gloucestershire in October 1903 and was the eldest of 16 siblings. He learned to play the piano and organ and by 1919 Ball started to work in the Salvation Army musical instrument department in London. Ball is Read more…