Band

This piece was inspired by the composer watching his young son, Benny, playing'soldiers with his collection of teddy bears how appropriate! But it made him think of the many character pieces which take the form of a toy march, the most notable examples being by Haydn, Tchaikovsky and Leon Jessel. Parade of the Clockwork Soldiers is in the form of apatrol (starting and ending quietly with a louder middle) and aims to represent a band marching past the listener. In fact, where the hall layout permits it, it could be possible toadd a little choreography to the piece, starting and ending with only a few instruments on stage.

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.

Little is known about the life of Prof. Armin Googleheimer. Depsite local success as a musician, postman and wine-lover, his fame did not travel much outside his charming home village of Unterbingen in the Tirol. He was born around 1812 and died in a spectacular fondue-related accident in 1867. Apart from that, all we can say is, judging from the style of much of his dance music, one of his legs was shorter than the other! Clarinet Polka is perhaps his best-known work and has become a sort of anthem for the village of Unterbingen, where the residents now hate the piece. It has an undeniably merry feel however and makes an appoachable work for all young bands.

Sir Hubert Parry (1848-1918) belongs to a forgotten generation of English composers who are often over-shadowed by Sir Edward Elgar, and the result has been that much of their work is little played or forgotten. In Parry's case, he is now mostly remembered for his hymn tunes, such as Jerusalem and Repton, both marvellous melodies, of course. The latter first appeared in Parry's oratorio Judith and was adapted as a hymn tune after the composer's death. The solo part can be played by a trumpet, clarinet or alto saxophone and will give your chosen soloist a chance to shine.

The history of rock and roll can be traced back as far as the musical influence of the first African slaves to arrive in North America. The style borrows heavily from rhythm and blues and early rock stars such as Ike Turner, Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley had a huge influence through the newly-invented juke box and liberated the youth of the day by giving them a music of their own. Rockin' Trumpets gives the young band a chance to rock and roll with the trumpets taking the lead. Treat your trumpets to this lively solo section feature.

In this exciting four-movement suite Philip Sparke has taken the yearly cycle toinspire the framework for the work. Spring Sunshine describes a bright spring morning, Summer Siesta conjures up a quiet rest by a river on a hot summer afternoon. Autumn Alone heralds the approaching dark days of winter and Winter Winds brings the work to a close as it portrays stormy winter weather in all itsfury and glory. This work of great contrast is sure to become a favourite in your concert repertoire.

There are just over twenty secular cantatas in Bach's prolific output, which include The Coffee Cantata (No 211), The Wedding Cantata (No 202), Phoebus and Pan (No 201) and The Hunt Cantata (No 208) which contains the famous aria Sheep May Safely Graze. Written for four vocal soloists it was originally scored for a relatively large orchestra (including flutes (recorders), oboes and horns) and mixed choir. Although secular in character, the words describe how well a faithful shepherd keeps watch over his flock and hence has obvious allusions to the teachings of the Christian church. Bring a bit of the Baroque era to your concert with this first class arrangement by Philip Sparke.