Personent Hodie-The melody of this Christmas carol comes originally from a Finnish songbook of 1582 containing a collection of 74 medieval songs together with Latin texts. The version arranged by Gustav Holst became very popular in the British Isles - with a text that links it to December 28 the Day of the Holy Innocents. Philip Sparke based his adaptation on Holst’s powerful arrangement and has added various musical material himself.

40 Progressive Duets for Trombones or Euphoniums TC-Philip Sparke’s Skilful Duets is the second volume of a progressive series of duet books that takes the young wind player from beginner to accomplished musician. Following on from the first book in the series ( Starter Duets ) this collection generally contains longer pieces suitable for the developing young musician. Specifically tailored for each instrument Skilful Duets introduces the concept of phrasing by suggesting suitable breathing points and takes the player into new keys with extended instrument ranges; the concept of tempo and style indications is also introduced. Skilful Duets provides invaluable additional material to complement anyteaching method. Philip Sparke’s Skilful Duets is the second volume of a progressive series of duet books that takes the young wind player from beginner to accomplished musician. Following on from the first book in the series (Starter Duets) this collection generally contains longer pieces suitable for the developing young musician. Specifically tailored for each instrument Skilful Duets introduces the concept of phrasing by suggesting suitable breathing points and takes the player into new keys with extended instrument ranges; the concept of tempo and style indications is also introduced. Skilful Duets provides invaluable additional material to complement any teaching method.

Salute to the Victor is in traditional march form and contains as a tribute to Victor Grieve who was a devotee of English music (in particular that of Sir Edward Elgar) a short quote from Elgar’s Sea Pictures in the trio. Salute tothe Victor was commissioned by Helen Alex and James Grieve for the Golden Kangaroos (Hornsby Concert Band) from Sydney Australia in memory of their parents Louise and Victor Grieve Founder and Director.

Lion City Festival was commissioned as one of the test pieces for the Singapore Youth Festival 2010 an annual event at which school ensembles from throughout Singapore can receive gold silver or bronze awards for their performance. The English name for Singapore comes from Malay Singapura which has Sanskrit roots meaning ‘Lion City’. Lion City Festival is in the form of a quick march in ABA form. An opening fanfare leads to a perky march tune which is taken up by the full band. A change of key heralds a legato trio section before the main theme returns in varied form. Roaring fun!

10 Selected Solos with Piano Accompaniment-Philip Sparke’s Super Solos is the third volume of a progressive series of solo books that takes the young wind player from beginner to accomplished musician. Following on from the first two books in the series ( Starter Solos and Skilful Solos ) this collection generally contains longer pieces suitable for the developing young musicians. Specifically tailored for each instrument Super Solos extends technical and musical demands takes the player into new keys with larger instrumental ranges and adds new notes in a gradual and logical manner.The books provide invaluable additional material to complement any teaching method. Including play-along CD.

for Flute Clarinet or Alto Saxophone and Concert Band-En 2008 Philip Sparke publiait ses Super Solos troisième et dernier volume d’une collection de solos instrumentaux (pour Flûte Clarinette Saxophone Alto Trompette Cor Trombone et Euphonium) plébiscités par les jeunes musiciens du monde entier et plus particulièrement par le jeune flûtiste allemand Meinhard Drescher. À la demande du père de ce dernier Philip Sparke a extrait trois pièces du recueil - Little Overture • Berceuse • Moto Perpetuo - pour en faire un « mini-concerto » pour Flûte traversière et Orchestre d’Harmonie. Meinhard Drescher reçut ce concerto comme cadeau pour son seizième anniversaire. Il en assura la création le 18 octobre2009. Concertino Classico est structuré selon le schéma classique du concerto : vif - lent - vif. La partie solo peut également être confiée à la Clarinette ou au Saxophone Alto.

Three Washington Statues was commissioned by the United States Army Band “Pershings Own” led by Colonel Thomas H. Palmatier. Washington D.C. contains some of the world’s most iconic monuments memorials and statues. Philip Sparke has chosenthree of these as the inspiration for this piece: ‘The Lincoln Memorial’ in the form of a Greek Doric temple in which the composer depicts the grandeur of this monument; ‘The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial’ on which steps the iconic speech ‘I havea dream’ was given - the music is both reverential as well as powerful referring to Martin Luther Kings’ speech; and the ‘Encore’ statue in memory of the world famousAfrican-American composer pianist and bandleader Duke Ellington. In this finalmovement Philip Sparke catches the virtuosic energetic and unique dynamism of Ellingtons’ music.

Second to None is a perfectly suitable title for this work though it actually refers to “Nulli Secundus” the motto of the British Corps of Army Music who gave the commission to Philip Sparke. The piece opens with a fanfare followed by two short quotes from two of the Corp’s own marches and a festive Vivace . A more legato central section creates a nice contrast before the work closes with the opening fanfare. A perfect affair!

A Tale as Yet Untold was commissioned by the Cory Band for the European Brass Band Championships in Linz Austria 2010 and their winning performance gave them a hattrick of victories at the competition. The theme of this impressive work which is set in three movements is one that recurs again and again throughout the music of Philip Sparke the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity and how the beauty of music can help in this respect.

n 2007 Philip Sparke est nommé compositeur en résidence à l’établissement scolaire de Monmouth (Monmouth School) bourgade historique sur la frontière Angleterre/Pays de Galles. L’école puise dans un passé prestigieux qui remonte à 1614. Elle dispose d’un département de musique particulièrement actif qui peut s’enorgueillir de posséder deux Orchestres d’Harmonie en collaboration avec l’école des filles Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls et un Brass Band.Cette résidence passionnante et innovante a donné lieu à trois rencontres entre le compositeurs et élèves et à trois commandes d’œuvres une pour chaque formation. La création des œuvres a eu lieu dans le cadre duconcert de fin d’année.Cette ouverture est une commande pour le Grand Orchestre d’Harmonie (Haberdasher’s Symphonic Winds) de l’école des filles Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls.La musique débute dans une atmosphère pétillante et s’articule autour du thème central Le chant d’Azincourt (The Agincourt Song) une mélodie du XVe siècle qui célèbre la victoire anglaise à la bataille d’Azincourt au nord de la Somme le 25 octobre 1415. La « fleur de la chevalerie française » pourtant en surnombre fut anéantie par les archers du roi Henry V d'Angleterre. Henry V naquit au château de Monmouth en 1387. Les habitants de la ville de Monmouth continuent de commémorer cette victoire décisive en se rassemblant dans la célèbre rue d’Azincourt (Agincourt Street) et sur la Place d’Azincourt (Agincourt Square) situés non loin de l’établissement scolaire de Monmouth (Monmouth School).

for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami March 2011-The composer writes:On March 11th 2011 a massive 9.0- magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of north-eastern Japan.I'm writing these programme notes barely a week later and the death toll caused by the quake and resulting tsunami already exceeds 6000 with thousands of people still unaccounted for. I have many friends associated with many bands throughout Japan and one of these Yutaka Nishida suggested I write a piece to raise money to help those affected by the disaster. I was immediately attracted by the idea and have arranged Cantilena (a brass band piece recently commissioned by the Grenland International Brass Festival Norway) for wind band giving it a new title tohonour my friends in the Land of the Rising Sun.I will be donating royalties from this piece to the Japanese Red Cross Society Emergency Relief Fund and am delighted to say that my distributors De Haske who will generously also donate all net profits from sales of this piece have pledged a substantial advance payment to the Red Cross so that what little help this project generates can be immediate.It is my sincere wish that this 'Band Aid' project will allow wind bands around the world support the people of Japan where bands are a way of life for many in this difficult time.Philip Sparke

Part of the Anglo Music Play-Along Series Philip Sparke’s 15 Intermediate Christmas Carols is aimed at the young instrumentalist who can play about an octave and a half and follows on from Sparke’s 15 Easy ChristmasCarols . Specifically tailored to suit the individual instrument this book introduces the developing player to the world’s most popular Christmas tunes by selecting simple yet attractive melodies that fit their limited range. The book willprovide invaluable additional material to complement any teaching method and includes both piano accompaniment and a demo/play-along CD.

for Euphonium and Band- The Legend of Spirit Island was commissioned by the Twin Ports Wind Orchestra Duluth Minnesota (Mark Whitlock conductor) to honour the euphonium player Dick Carlson. The piece takes its title from a local legend about Spirit Island which lies in a gap of the St. Louis River called Spirit Lake. The legend tells the story of Chaska the son of a Dakota Chief and Wetona the daughter of Ojibwe Chief Buckado. He was handsome and she was beautiful; it wasn’t long before they fell in love. This is a challenging euphonium solo in which the versatile soloist can explore very expressive melodic sequences as well as energetic technical sections.

Stramproy Centennial-Philip Sparke’s Sinfonietta No. 4 is comprised of three parts that are played as an uninterrupted whole. The _x001F_first movement begins with a lyrical fugato passage framing a brisker and more rhythmical middle section. The second movement is slower and contains a long and expressive euphonium solo. The third movement is a salute to the sponsor of this commission: various percussion instruments conjure up sounds reminiscent of a carpenter’s workshop accompanied by a unison orchestral passage in a scat style.

Saying Goodbye is one of a series of original works in pop rock and swing styles Philip Sparke has composed to try and give brass bands their own popular vocabulary and identity. It could be described as happy-sad in mood a feature of much of Sparke’s slower music. A perfect light addition for your concert.

The inspiration for this piece came from the address of the person who commissioned the work: Morse Street Houston Texas. It pays tribute to the immense skill of the engineers who succeeded in submerging a wire across the Atlantic to send messages in morse code from America to Europe. This technical ingenuity provided the perfect source of material for a transatlantic musical message. This work explores the vast expanse of the Atlantic and makes use of Irish melodies to celebrate the point where the cable enters into the Atlantic Ocean.

40 Progressive Duets for Trombones or Euphoniums BC-Philip Sparke’s Skilful Duets is the second volume of a progressive series of duet books that takes the young wind player from beginner to accomplished musician. Following on from the first book in the series ( Starter Duets ) this collection generally contains longer pieces suitable for the developing young musician. Specifically tailored for each instrument Skilful Duets introduces the concept of phrasing by suggesting suitable breathing points and takes the player into new keys with extended instrument ranges; the concept of tempo and style indications is also introduced. Skilful Duets provides invaluable additional material to complement anyteaching method. Philip Sparke’s Skilful Duets is the second volume of a progressive series of duet books that takes the young wind player from beginner to accomplished musician. Following on from the first book in the series (Starter Duets) this collection generally contains longer pieces suitable for the developing young musician. Specifically tailored for each instrument Skilful Duets introduces the concept of phrasing by suggesting suitable breathing points and takes the player into new keys with extended instrument ranges; the concept of tempo and style indications is also introduced. Skilful Duets provides invaluable additional material to complement any teaching method.

Contest March-Philip Sparke wrote this march for the famous brass band contest held ever year on Whit Friday in Oldham and Saddleworth. Given the competition’s long history (over 120 years) he consciously composed this piece in a very traditional march form. The title The Conqueror refers to Alexander the Great’s nickname as well as being something every band aspires to be!

Blue Rock est une pièce labellisée « rock symphonique ». La pièce s’ouvre avec une ballade expressive. Vient ensuite un passage plus rapide fortement syncopé qui évolue sur un groove de batterie solidement appuyé et qui développe des lignes mélodiques à l’unisson. Lorsque la musique atteint sa densité maximale la ballade initiale est réexposée puis mène la composition vers une fin triomphante.

Prelude to a Pageant was commissioned by Woodley Concert Band to celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2014. Celebratory in nature Prelude to a Pageant includes a famous musical link to The Reading Rota ( Sumer is icumen in ) a manuscript dating from around 1240 discovered nearby Reading Abbey. This lively tune appears early in the work after an arresting rhythmic opening and expressive slower section and also forms the final climax.