The Gates of Troy tells the story of the 1184 B.C. Trojan War in Ancient Greek times. This historic conflict featuring the heroes Achilles Odysseus Hector and the beautiful Helena lasted 10 years and was settled by the famous ruse of the Greeks the ‘Trojan Horse’. This exciting work is all about the battle between Greece and Troy. It’s full of heroic sounding themes with beautiful melodic material but yet playable for any type of band due to its well thought out instrumentation.

This joyful festive march by the Belgian composer Sven Van Calster was written specially for young ensembles looking for a challenge. In Festiva all instrument groups are featured but the parts include sufficient doublings to cover any missing players. In a balanced concert programme a march is of course an absolute must!

Composer Naoya Wada wrote his new work Wind Capsule for his old school pal and his wife Asako for their wedding. Befitting this happy occasion it’s a cheerful bubbly and dynamic work that radiates oodles of energy!

This musical fairy tale takes place during the middle ages in England at the court of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. Bert Appermont wanted to cast knights castles and princesses as the lead role and let young bands and smaller/incomplete ensembles enjoy this rich fantasy.

This music sounds as if it came straight off the cinema screen. However there’s no movie for this fantastic score! Just like EVERY good film score this work also includes moving melodies fast virtuoso passages and last but not least a romantic love theme. The instrumentation takes into account that a group may not be complete and this means that the piece can be played by practically every orchestra. Highly recommended for concerts and competitions.

for Bb Trumpet and Band-Take 1 fl oz dry vermouth mix with 6fl oz tequila and ice and a slice of orange. Here’s to the wonderful tequila cocktail. Take a solo trumpet combine with a wind band and sprinkle with sparkling drums. Here’s to a wonderful solo piece for trumpet and wind band entitled Tequini .

The Three Musketeers is a three-movement composition for youth orchestra in which the three musketeers are illustrated one after the other.I. Athos is brave and courageous but can also be secretive.II. Porthos is the hooligan of the trio: he wanders merrily through life.III. Aramis is the intellectual of the group. The Three Musketeers is a Flex4 edition. It’s an ideal piece for any beginners’ orchestra - and is a challenge for everyone!

Solemnity gives expression to the different emotions that we feel at solemn official or ritual events: quiet pride hope and reflection but also grandeur stateliness and joy. The work contains one large construction with different high points whereby the main theme is varied or orchestrated each time in one way or another finally ending in an impressive finale.

Bert Appermont composed Song for Sakiko during a stay in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Tokyo. “Sakiko” roughly translated means “flower child” and is associated with a dreamy poetic atmosphere. Appermont used these associations as a starting point while composing. Song for Sakiko starts with a very lyrical theme based on a minor third that forms the basis for the entire work. A second theme builds up to the grand finale which repeats the theme but in a major key and the music slowly fades away like ripples on a pond as both themes can be heard dissipating into nothingness.

This work is based on the story of the soldier and the princess from the film Cinema Paradiso . The story is about a poor soldier who fell in love with a beautiful princess. He had nothing to offer her but he managed to meet her and declared his love for her. Do you want to know what happens next…?

Rhapsodia is a composition full of contrasts where listener and performer are pulled along together in a musical and emotional adventure. Many human feelings are expressed in the characteristic cinematic style of Robert Finn making this work an absolute must for every band.

Country Scenes takes us back to the early English settlements on the American east coast. The opening section Daybreak depicts daybreak in a small village where people go about their daily business. In the second movement Procession we hear a stately and elaborate funeral march that symbolises the intertwining of religion with everyday life. The closing section Village Dance which is written in rondo form brings the lively atmosphere of a village festival to life.

Bart Picqueur dedicated this composition to his father on the occasion of his 70th birthday. In this work the composer musically refers to their family roots in 17th-century France. It also contains autobiographic elements: his memories of his father who as a boy he imagined saving little princesses from burning towers as he was a fireman! Le Chevalier de Versailles is a diversified and captivating concert work that will show off all aspects of your band.

from Piano Sonata No. 8 in c minor Op. 13-This beautiful melody may well be one of the most delightful solo piano pieces ever and over the years has been arranged for many line-ups. In this arrangement Georges Moreau wanted to stay as close to the original as possible. He has given the passionate aspect of the melody absolute priority and it is supported by a straightforward accompaniment.

The rather static character of the first part is built up of only 1 bar which consists of a sequence of two extended triads above a pedal note (B-flat). The main motive derived from these triads is introduced by the horns giving a threatening initial atmosphere. This is abruptly taken over by the clarinet and the oboe after which violence erupts.In contrast to the mysterious character of the first section the second part shows a more resigned atmosphere with long drawn out phrases. These are constantly interupted by references to the initial material and develop into a dramatic climax. The main motif reappears for a final time on the trumpet which under theinfluence of the second theme takes on a more resigned character as it gradually fades into silence.

Concert March-I composed Axis as a dedication to my friend Shinya Nakamitsu. He is a wonderful graphic designer who loves wind band music. Some years ago I made a demo CD to hand out to a number of people. He oversaw the jacket design for that project and I composed this traditional march to thank him. Shinya Nakamitsu runs a design company called AXIS: hence the name of the composition.

The Final Destiny of the Gods-In Nordic mythology Ragnarök is the downfall of the gods and of the world which takes place as a kind of battle between giants and gods. Under the flaming sword of the god of fire everything is laid waste - but only to make way for a new world and a new order. Bert Appermont took inspiration from this old saga for a magical majestic concert band work that can also optionally be performed with choir.

I'm still standing is another way of saying You haven't beaten me yet and is an ode to stamina. This world famous song by Elton John has been arranged by newcomer Sven Van Calster. The stirring rhythm and the infectious famous melody enable this piece to be played at any concert irrespective of the level of your orchestra. Always a topper!

Impressionist composer Claude Debussy wrote his set of Préludes for the piano between 1909 and 1913. In their entirety his Préludes total 24 individual pieces in two volumes. It is from these that Karel Deseure has selected fivepreludes for his Cinq Préludes. La fille aux cheveux de lin is probably the most well-known of the five (and Debussy’s 24).Deseure approached each prelude as being musically independent of the others. Consequently they do not have to be played in a specific order or even as a complete set. It is worth noting that in Debussy’s original edition the titles wereprinted at the end each prelude almost like a footnote so the performer could look at themusic without being influenced by Debussy’s descriptive titles. The Préludes also demonstrate Debussy’s superb orchestration skills. Deseure took great care orchestrating these five preludes so he could capture and convey their original character and mood as accurately as possible. The original key signatures were kept and only very minute changes were made to the pitchesthemselves such as occasional octave doublings to fill out the ensemble.

Arctic Challenge is inspired by the TV documentary North Pole Airport and has three movements: Barneo Base Camp Into the Snow and Dance around the Earth & Finale. The composer takes the listener to Barneo—a drifting Russian research station that is established annually in April about 100 kilometers from the North Pole where there is almost constant daylight.