60 Progressive Duets for Horns-The early stages of learning any instrument are undoubtedly the most important. A good teacher is of course essential but it is also vital to have stimulating pieces to play which complement your choice of teaching method and are carefully tailored to introduce learning and playing skills in a structured manner. As in the book of Starter Studies the duets in Starter Duets introduce new musical elements in a logical order to facilitate the speedy growth of the „complete musician“ with the obvious benefit of allowing teacher and student (or two students) to play together and therefore experience the benefits of ensemble playing in the learning process.The early stages of learning any instrument are undoubtedly the most important. A good teacher is of course essential but it is also vital to have stimulating pieces to play which complement your choice of teaching method and are carefully tailored to introduce learning and playing skills in a structured manner. As in the book of Starter Studies the duets in Starter Duets introduce new musical elements in a logical order to facilitate the speedy growth of the „complete musician“ with the obvious benefit of allowing teacher and student (or two students) to play together and therefore experience the benefits of ensemble playing in the learning process.

London is one of the largest busiest and most vibrant of capital cities and hosts millions of visitors from around the world every year who come to enjoy its many attractions and rich history. From the daily Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace to the annual Trooping the Colour which celebrates the Queen's official birthday ceremony plays an important part in London life and symbolises the city for many tourists. A London Intrada celebrates this love of ‘Pomp and Circumstance’.

Super Studies brings this series to a close with 26 more advanced studies which introduce such things as double and triple tonguing lip flexibility breath control and finger strength. By the time you have mastered the studies in this book you will be a ready to face any advanced solo work

In this exciting suite Philip Sparke sets out to capture the essence of his hometown London with each of the three movements depicting one of the many characteristics of this fascinating city. Skyline shows the frantic lifestyles of Londoners with millions of diverse people with different hopes and needs. Autumn shows the changes that take place in London during the different seasons and Downtown portrays the exciting nightlife of the West End.

from Hymn of the Highlands - Euphonium Solo-The Summer Isles are a group of islands located off theNorth West coast of Scotland which are famous for theirwildlife. This piece written for solo euphonium and brassband reflects the natural beauty and relaxing atmosphereof the islands. The wonderful melodious nature of theeuphonium is displayed in this piece and the openingtheme is followed by melodic interplay between thesoloist and cornets. This piece will surely be enjoyed byany audience.

Manhattan was commissioned by the United States Army Band for their solo trumpet player Woodrow English and first performed by them in Carnegie Hall New York in November 2003. The two movement work demonstrates both the lyrical and technical abilities of this outstanding player. The ‘theme’ is a weekend in New York and the opening bluesy movement Saturday Serenade describes the city on a Saturday night perhaps in a smoke-filled jazz bar. While writing Sunday Scherzo the composer pictured an early morning jog in Central Park.This vivaciously rhythmic second movement ends with an even quicker coda bringing the work to a brilliant close. Each movementcan also be played individually when a shorter solo is required. Manhattan is a major new work in the solo trumpet repertoire. Version for Concert Band Manhattan was commissioned by the United States Army Band for their solo cornet player Woodrow English and first performed by them in Carnegie Hall New York in November 2003. The two-movement work demonstrates both the lyrical and technical abilities of this outstanding player. The 'theme' is a weekend in New York and the opening bluesy movement Saturday Serenade describes the city on a Saturday night. While writing the second movement Sunday Scherzo the composer pictured an early morning jog in Central Park. This vivaciously rhythmic second movement ends with an even quicker coda bringing the work to a brilliant close. Eachmovement can also be played individually when a shorter solo is required.

Sword Dance from Hymn of the Highlands-Strathcarron is a movement from Philip Sparke’s Hymn of the Highlands in which each movement reflects a different location in the beautiful Scottish highlands. Stratcarron named after a village at the head of Loch Carron near the Isle of Skye takes the form of a sword dance which alternates between fast and slow tempi.

Morning Song features the horn quartet mostly in a soloistic role - indeed there is an accompanied cadenza towards the end of the piece - but there are moments where the horns assume their conventional brass band role as harmonic support or playing the counter melody. This expressive composition shows all the versatility of the horn quartet and gives them the chance to be in the spotlight.

Meditation on 'Quem Pastores Laudavere'-Carol of the Shepherds is based on the hymn tune 'Quem Pastores Laudavere' which dates back to the 14th century and is widely known throughout the Christian world. Although the melody has been set to a number of different texts in different countries it was originally a carol celebrating the Christmas story in particular the visit of the Angel Gabriel to the shepherds.

The Ukrainian Bell Carol is part of a large choral work entitled Shchedryk by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych (1877-1921). The tune is an adaptation of an old 'shchedrivka' a song traditionally sung on Ukrainian New Year's Eve (January 13th) which hopes for good fortune in the year to come. The tune has since been the inspiration for at least four different Christmas carols of which Carol of the Bells is the most famous. Philip Sparke has sourced the original Ukrainian melody to create this stirring arrangement. The Ukrainian Bell Carol is part of a large choral work entitled Shchedryk by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych (1877-1921). The tune is an adaptation of an old 'shchedrivka' a song traditionally sung on Ukrainian New Year's Eve (January 13th) which hopes for good fortune in the year to come. The tune has since been the inspiration for at least four different Christmas carols of which Carol of the Bells is the most famous. Philip Sparke has sourced the original Ukrainian melody to create this stirring arrangement.

Claude Debussy wrote his two books of piano Preludes late in life between 1909 and 1913. The 12 short pieces in each book display a rich variety of styles moods and emotions almost a summing up of his compositional output and each has its own evocative title. The Girl with the Flaxen Hair is the 8th Prelude in the 1st book and popular for its emotional depth despite its technical and harmonic simplicity. Indulge your band with this delightful arrangement.

Manhattan was commissioned by the United States Army Band for their solo cornet player Woodrow English and first performed by them in Carnegie Hall New York in November 2003. The two-movement work demonstrates both the lyrical and technical abilities of this outstanding player. The 'theme' is a weekend in New York and the opening bluesy movement Saturday Serenade describes the city on a Saturday night. While writing Sunday Scherzo the composer pictured an early morning jog in Central Park. This vivaciously rhythmic second movement ends with an even quicker coda bringing the work to a brilliant close. Each movement can also be playedindividually when a shorter solo is required.

Sparkling woodwinds and majestic brass come together to bring us a wonderful arrangement of this classic carol! Each of the four verses are treated differently creating beautiful textures and a multi-faceted setting of the familiar tune. This fresh new arrangement for developing bands is a great choice for both church and school!

20 Progressive pieces for Trumpet/Cornet/Flugel Horn with Piano Accompaniment-Philip Sparke’s Starter Solos is the first volume of a progressive series of books that takes the young wind player from beginner to accomplished musician. Specifically tailored for each instrument this collection of 20 solos starts with pieces based on only a handful of notes and carefully introduces new musical elements such as articulation dynamics and key signatures in a structured progression to speed the learning process. The books provide invaluable additional material to complement any teaching method. Starter Solos comes with a play-along CD. The advantages of playing either with piano or CD accompaniment are that the beginning player can nowexperience the important aspects of ensemble playing from their earliest lessons thus developing the essential skills of listening while they play and maintaining strict tempo which is not always a factor when playing alone. Twenty progressive pieces with piano accompaniment for Trumpet Cornet or Flugel Horn.

The Four Noble Truths are the most basic expression of the teaching of Buddha and therefore still form the guidelines for Buddhists to this day. The four truths are Dukkha which describes times of major stress in our lives - birth aging desire and death; Samudaya which describes those parts of our life that induce stress feeling craving desire; Nirodha which tells us how to eliminate those aspects of our lives which induce stress and Magga which describes the eight didciplines which can help us eliminate the origins of stress from our lives. It can be seen from these over-simplified definitions that the Four Noble Truths fall into two pairs the first two describingthe origins of stress and the second two describing how we can reduce stress. To reflect this the four movements of this work are also combined into two pairs - two quick movements and two slow movements. A fascinating work from this great English composer.

Sparkling and majestic brass playing introduce this wonderful arrangement of the classic carol! Each of the four verses are treated differently creating beautiful textures and a multi-faceted setting of the familiar tune. This fresh new arrangement for developing bands is a great choice for both church and school!

Band director and radio presenter Yutaka Nishida hails from Tokyo and is the Frank Renton of the Japanese brass band world. He presents a weekly two-hour music programme on the Japanese national radio station Digital Radio Musicbird. The programme is called The Bandwagon and the station commissioned Philip Sparke to compose a march which could be used as the theme tune. The result is this bright and breezy march in simple ABA form. A great lively item for any concert.Band director and radio presenter Yutaka Nishida hails from Tokyo and is the Frank Renton of the Japanese Brass Band world. He presents a weekly two-hour music programme on the Japanese national radio station Digital Radio Musicbird. The programme is called The Bandwagon and the station commissioned Philip Sparke to compose a march which could be used as the theme tune. The result is this bright and breezy march in simple ABA form. A great lively item for any concert.

This is an ancient Welsh air that was first published in Relics of the Welsh Bards in 1794. Dafydd (David) Owain was a famous Welsh bard who lived on a farm called Gareg Wen (The White Rock) in Eifionydd Carnarnvonshire North Wales. Tradition has it that on his deathbed he called for his harp and composed this lovely melody requesting that it be played at his funeral. Accordingly it was later played at the parish church of Ynys-Cynhaiarn. Lyrics were later added by Ceiriog Hughes which describe the melody's inspiration. This version for concert band retains all the beauty and simplicity of the original.

Philip Sparke composed Processional as a wedding present for two of his friends. It is an extremely versatile piece as it can be played simply as a concert piece but has been designed specifically for occasions such as weddings or graduation ceremonies where it?s duration can be altered according to your needs.A must for any ceremonial occasion.

The Camelot Chronicles is a series of contrasting musical tableaux each describing the famous characters from the Arthurian legend. Noone knows exactly where Camelot was situated (favourite choices areTintagel and Glastonbury) but the story has passed into legend and isthe subject of many poems and novels each of which have cloudedthe truth and added to the mystery. Let Philip Sparke?s music inspireyour band with this magical tale.