This work was commissioned for The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust (England) who required a testing piece for the woodwind section of their concert band. The piece opens with a strong unison passage based on the interval of a fifth and develops with a passionate legato. This is followed by the main vivo section of the work based on the earlier 'fifth' figures. A bridge passage leads to a short chorale figure and a rhythmic climax which dissolves into a plaintive solo for oboe over staccato clarinets. Following a recapitulation of the main theme the oboe returns triumphantly before the opening unison passage reappears to provide a stirring coda.

The birth of Philip Sparke’s second son Benjamin was the inspiration for composing Ballad for Benny. A short calm introduction leads to the main ballad theme a gentle waltz melody. Following the work’s climax in which the complete band plays the main theme the sound fades and the piece ends in calm and serenity.

Born in Jarrow northeast England in 1949 John Miles was something of a child prodigy learning the piano from the age of five. In the early ’60s he persuaded his father to buy him a guitar and by the end of the decade he had joined a semi-professional band The Influence. The group soon disbanded and by 1969 Miles was recording with his own group The John Miles Band releasing a dozen singles in the early ’70s. In 1975 Miles decided to move to London and secured a deal with Decca Records. By October that year a newly formed band John Miles and Co had released their debut single Highfly but their greatest hit which stormed the British charts in March 1976 was Music.

Paul and Barry Ryan were identical twin sons of 1950’s pop singer Marion Ryan and were born on 24th October 1948. They were groomed for stardom and had started singing as a duo before their fifteenth birthday. They were signed by Decca in 1965 and brilliantly marketed as clean-cut fashion icons. Their first single ‘Don’t Bring Me Your Heartaches’ reached the UK top twenty but their success as twin performers lasted only three years. In 1968 Barry embarked on a solo career while Paul concentrated on writing and producing. Eloise with its melodramatic vocal style and heavily orchestrated backing was an early success of this new collaboration and went on to be covered by a variety ofartists including punk legends The Damned

from The Four Noble Truths-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. They concern themselves with Dukkha which has no exact translation but can mean suffering stress or sadness etc. Magga is The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Dukkha - the Fourth Noble Truth - which gives us a description of eight disciplines which can help us eliminate the origins of stress from our lives.

Snow Valley Sleigh Ride takes you on an imaginary night-time journey from a mountain top ski village into the dark surrounding forests. To the delightful sound of sleigh bells and trotting horses the sleigh leaves the lights of the village behind before heading deep into the neighbouring forest and back down to the village again. Let the minds of your audience escape to this magical winter wonderland.

Elegy for Band-The initial idea was for a millennium piece which it is but rather than add to the many celebratory pieces that have understandably been written to salute the 3rd millennium Philip Sparke thought it would perhaps be appropriate to think about the aspects of life that are constantly with us (such as faith and philosophy) rather than the exciting changes that the year 2000 has undeniably wrought. This calm meditative work will bring a moment of serenity and reflection to any concert.

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 concert 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.

The south-western US state of Arizona has more than its fair share of stunning landscapes natural phenomena and National Monuments. Best known is the Grand Canyon but there are also numerous deserts a petrified forest extinct volcanoes and the huge Sunset Crater. Not surprisingly it has featured as the backdrop to many Western movies.The Painted Desert is a narrow crescent-shaped arc about 160 miles long which begins near the Grand Canyon and varies in width from 10 to 35 miles. It is largely void of vegetation and years of erosion by wind and rain have exposed sedimentary layers of rock up to 250 million years old. Chemical differences in the various layers result in aneffect not unlike a multicoloured layer cake with contrasting hues of red orange and pink blue grey and lavender creating a silent and barren landscape which looks like it has been hand-painted. As with much of the planet’s stunning landscapes all the observer can do is stand and stare.

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.

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.

When writing his tuba concerto Philip Sparke wanted to create a work which explored the many aspects of the instrument’s technical and vocal qualities but without resorting to caricature. The result is a concerto in two joined movements which can both be programmed individually that contains both many lyrical lines together with stunning virtuosic passages. An outstanding concerto that tuba players and brass band audiences alike will enjoy and applaud.

From the Paramount and DreamWorks Motion Picture S- Saving Private Ryan is certainly one of Steven Spielberg's most powerful films. The brilliant John Williams score creates part of this power. Hymn to the Fallen one of the most powerful and emotional melodies which appears during the closing credits evokes a feeling of hope and strength amid the overall tone of reverence. Philip Sparke has transcribed this moving work for concert band using John Williams original orchestral score as the source. For added effect this work can also be performed with a wordless chorus with parts being available separately (AMP 068-051).

Eb Horn Solo-Aria was commissioned by and written for the remarkable tenor horn player Sheona White. The work opens with an accompanied recitative which leads to a change of key where the main melody is presented. This in turn serves as an introduction to another melodic idea marked calmato. The band takes up this theme and then takes centre stage with a passionate repeat of the main theme which is completed by the soloist. A cornet then plays the calmato theme against which the soloist plays a counter melody. This leads to a return of the opening recitative which brings the work to a peaceful close. A fantastic new addition to the solo repertoire for this much neglected soloinstrument.

Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme-This enchanting melody is from the fourth movement of Bach’s Cantata 140 which was composed in 1731 using the parable of the wise and foolish virgins as the text. The work is beautiful in its simplicity with only three melodic lines demonstrating Bach’s counterpoint at its best. For greatest effect it is suggested that the cornets and trombones play behind the band or to the right and left of the stage.

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!

During his short lifetime Max Reger (1873-1916) was a prolific composer with many of his best known works being composed for organ. The ten chorale preludes in this selection are from his set of Thirty Short Chorale Preludes Op.135a composed as short voluntaries for liturgical use rather than for recitals in these arrangements Philip Sparke has kept this in mind and each prelude can be performed with minimal instrumentation for those occasions where a small band is needed. They also make great pieces for band warm-ups or studies in intonation sound and balance.

20 Progressive pieces for Alto Saxophone 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 Alto Saxophone.

Lively and upbeat in nature The Centurion follows the conventional British march format. It is not technically demanding yet a successful performance will need skill and commitment from every player in the band. The Centurion will make an ideal opening piece for any indoor or outdoor concert and will be a popular item with both players and audiences alike.

Earth Water Sun Wind is a four movement work with the unifying theme of these four elements. The music varies from being purely descriptive of the movements’ titles to specific sound painting - Earth for example is pure music and non programmatic whereas Sun attempts to paint a specific sound picture. The Symphony as a whole concerns itself with man’s relationship with these monumental aspects of nature.