With this composition which was commissioned by the music association �t�Meziek� in the town of Berlare and dedicated to Dennis Van Broeck we would like to present the composer-arranger Bart Picqueur for the first time. In this work the composer depicts 4 different episodes: daybreak (lento misterioso) talking animals and insects (allegro giocoso) a funeral march for a deceased villager (tempo) and the village feast (allegro festivo).

Following his arrangement of �4 Lyriske Stykker� Jan Rypens selected four pieces from Edvard Grieg�s piano repertoire. These pieces can be played as an ensemble or individually. These parts are ideal for intermezzos in your concert programme or for warming up.

Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo Suppe Demelli better known as Franz von Suppé (1819-1895) was the son of a Belgian father and an Austrian mother. In total he wrote some 30 operettas and Steven Verhaert selected Die schöne Galathea for his arrangement. This splendid overture is a real gem for lovers of the operetta style which is sometimes (unfairly) looked down upon.

Karachi Boulevard is a piece of music is inspired by the city of Karachi in Pakistan. This composition was made according to the theme-and-variations principle.The main theme of the work consists of a whole musical scale and this immediately gives the arrangement an Oriental flavour. This theme is cleverly disguised in endless almost unrecognisable variations in a series of short interconnected fragments. Following a brief presentation of the thematic material a rhythmic allegro part in 7/8 time is played by the piccolo. Next some improvisation by the clarinet are played with vocal accompaniment by a number of inhabitants of Karachi. In the following part anextremely moody and impressionist andante breaks through the hectic confusion when a flute solo brings a totally different variation of the theme. After this variation a compelling folk dance in 3/4 time is played and the piece ends in a grand finale whereby the theme can be heard once again albeit reduced to its simplest form and enhanced by rhythmic decorations from the woodwind.Despite the many variations this exceptional piece is composed of different parts that form a logical sequence and make a very strong musical impression on the audience.

It is a tradition that a concert must include a real classic march. Traditions are made to be kept. This is also true of our German neighbours. Reiner Lüghausen obtained his inspiration from the German march literature.

Non non rien n'a changé was an major hit for the Poppys in 1971. Since then many versions have been recorded and each version has had success. This arrangement really swings!

Golgotha mountain is situated north-west of Jerusalem just outside the old city. It is in fact the Hebrew name for �the place of skulls� and it takes us back to the beginning of our times...The year 33. Emperor Tiberius rules over the enormous Roman Empire that stretches from Brittany to Egypt. Under his regime order reigns over all conquered lands. Or does it? In one of the distant oriental provinces a large crowd marches through the streets of Jerusalem. They cry loudly while they follow a man who carries a cross to the top of the Golgotha mountain. There he will die a terrible death...Who is this man? Why has the story remained a mystery? Will Golgotha everreveal the secrets of this historic event? The Shadow of Golgotha is by no means a chronological representation of the story. This piece of music is an attempt to depict a series of flashbacks about the events that still have an impact on our life today.The piece begins immediately with a tragic and pitiful theme which is soon interrupted by a secondary theme of a more Oriental nature that depicts everyday life in the city of Jerusalem. The main theme and its perpetual determination represents the unavoidable and imminent calamity and it stops for a moment with a first climax. As this fades away we are submerged in an empty swoon which is interrupted twice by the thundering sound of trumpets and horns. The Oriental secondary theme and the tragic main theme can be heard once again but this time in the reverse order.Then the unavoidable event is about to happen. The main theme returns stubbornly despite the efforts of a trumpet melody that initially seems to triumph. The main theme continues until the inevitable end�

Song for Nico leads one to suspect that this song was written for someone very special... This beautiful romantic pearl is a quiet moment in every concert programme. It contains beautiful melodies in all instrument groups always provided with cue-notes for any incomplete orchestras.

This subdued choral music with its Latin-derived title was commissioned by the True Friends or De Ware Vrienden of Malderen in honour of the previous chairman. This choral piece has been arranged in such a way that it can be played by every orchestra. It is the ideal quiet moment in your concert programme or a pleasant warming-up piece at a competition.

Tina Turner is undoubted one of the most famous female singers in the world. Recently she announced her latest tour. For this reason Juri Briat decided to make a medley of her biggest successes: Disco Inferno Private Dancer Goldeneye Simply The Best.

In 1962 this song remained in the international charts for many weeks. It’s a classic that has survived the times and it is still a great singsong today. This simple arrangement by Sven Van Calster with a transparent choice of instruments can be performed by small and large associations alike.

This medley consists of the finest songs by Michel Partout being La bataille Une fille aux yeux clairs and Les lacs du Connemara.

This love song from the movie of the same name by James Berardinelli (1988) was composed by the excellent soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone.The simple and wonderful theme has been arranged magnificently by Jan Rypens and it provides a stylish and romantic intermezzo during your concert. It is also ideal for warming up before a competition.

In this famous aria by Puccini from the opera �La Bohème� based on the novel with the same title by Louis Henri Mürger Rodolphe sings about his admiration for Mimi the sweet girl next-door who knocks on his door to ask if he has a light for her candle. Rodolphe who is not aware that Mimi is suffering from tuberculosis is eager to help her and they fall in love. This work is suitable for solos on the trombone or euphonium on the condition that your soloist has the necessary dose of Italian passion�

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) was the extraordinary grandmaster of the Argentinean Tango.He composed over 330 tangos with Libertango being one of the most famous. With this arrangement we have the pleasure of introducing you to our new composer-arranger Bart Picqueur.

Shake a Tailfeather is a song from 1963 sung by The Five Du-Tones. It was only many years later in 1980 that Ray Charles� version from the cult movie The Blues Brothers made the song famous. This driving number combines Blues Rock and Roll and Soul and really rocks the house!

�Fiesta!� is a Latin-American composition. Gyuri Spies made a splashing mix of the most exciting melodies of the Latin-American repertoire. �Fiesta!� allows us to introduce to you for the first time Gyuri Spies.

Chris Rea captured the atmosphere of Christmas perfectly with this song. This pop song immediately became a classic in its genre!

From Four Original Warm-Ups For Band-From my experience as a conductor and a jury member I know that many orchestras are faced with typical problems: lack of sound control intonation difficulties uncontrolled articulation and insufficient phrasing. Practising these aspects is very demanding of an orchestra and there is little material available that is also enjoyable to play.�Four Original Warm-Ups� is therefore intended to improve this situation. It consists of four enjoyable warm-up pieces. Each piece focuses on one of the said issues without the music being dull as a result of this.Part 3: Articulation TrainAll aspects of articulation are addressed in this hellish train journey. The gradualacceleration not only suggests a train that is driving faster and faster but is also intended to practise staccato playing. For a concert performance a child or a musician could be dressed up as an engine driver and sound the train departure whistle. A real train whistle can enhance the atmosphere in certain places that have been marked for this purpose. This part can also be used as an encore piece for a concert.These four pieces can but do not have to be played in succession. Each part can be used separately for a rehearsal or concert. I truly hope that these four parts will contribute to improving the standards of many orchestras without spoiling the fun of playing!

The mystique surrounding life and death formed the starting point of this composition. I wanted to write a work without a story mixed up in a kind of musical quest for a new world of sound original rhythm sequences melodies filled with suspenseand distinct orchestral tones.The indirect cause was the birth of my first child which took place during this time followed by the death of a close family member. At such a moment you experience just how close life and death are to each other anddespite one being the antithesis of the other they are incredibly similar. Both radical events are passages into new worlds and have great emotional impact. Moreover the work was commissioned by “New Life” an orchestra that lost one of itsmusician in a plane crash which also led me to believe that this approach would be appropriate.I would prefer not to comment on which passages in the composition concern life (birth) and which refer to death. It seems to me that it is moreinteresting to question traditional conceptions and leave it open for the listener. If you think that a passage is about birth and this idea then shifts it is this that raises fascinating questions on both a musical and metaphysical level.Music isin an indirect but incredibly persuasive way in which to express the endless striving and seeking of mankind. Music can even touch eternity as it were and give us the feeling that we can transcend death. This endless search (and also longing) canbe heard throughout the work; as much in the sound fields and accent shifts in the first part as in the enormous tension curves and compelling themes of the second part. The semi-tone functions in this way as a guide or something to hold on to running through the whole work and upon which much of the musical material is based. Traces of profound love resound with quiet simplicity in the slow section’s melodious solos after which the work contemplates life and death one last time musesupon joy and sadness on the possibilities and limitations of people and on the why of all things.I would like to dedicate this work to my dearest daughter Paulientje to Meterke and to Johan de Jong of the “New Life” orchestra. May it fare themwell here or in another dimension…