2007 Australian National Band Championships

Test Music

Shows the synopsis' and composers notes for the test selections as well as the alphabetical listing of the own choice test selections for each grade.

A Grade Brass

Terra Australis, Martin Ellerby

Terra Australis was commissioned by the YBS Band for their 2005 'Kings of Brass' tour of Australia, and premiered by them, under their conductor Professor David King in the Sydney opera House, on 22 August 2005.  The first UK performance was given by the same performers at the RNCM Festival of Brass on 29 January 2006, which was subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on 8 March 2006.  The work will first be used in its contest version at these Championships.

Composers Programme Note from the score:

The first compositional outcome of my composer-in-residency with the YBS Band wa Terra Australis written in close collaboration with Professor David King.  I had usually only had more intimate workings when engaged on concertos but David had things in mind for this piece and I decided to trust his instinct and try and produce somthing specifically geared to teh band's 2005 tour of Australia.  David provided the title, I had only to compose the music! 

The experience has been rewarding and has taken me down some new avenues of investigation all of which, I hope, come out in the work.  Composed in a single movement, the piece has a tripartitie structure, opening with a dramatic representation of the natural wonders of the intoxicating Australian landscape, beautiful yet dangerous by turn. 

The spirit of Captain Cook's Endeavour searching the coastal waters, the observation of the indigenous population, the joy of a new life and optimistic future for the settlers and the triumph over tragedy when pioneering the vast new unexplored vistas are all represented.

The central, and initially more lyrical, section features more exposed instrumental lines and textures including in the undercurrent a quotation of Australia's national anthem.  This gives way to some more rapid material (and, in contest environments, an additional cadenza section)  before concluding with what I describe as the 'ANZAC moment' where echoing cornet fanfares salute the nation's fallen in overseas wars, far from home.

The final section forms an 'Anthem for a Nation' where, after a declamatory statement of the main theme (hidden away in the earlier stages of the work's progress), the melody is now realised in full.  Slowly building towards a huge cathedral of sound in the manner of a grand chorale the coda brings full circle the opening material in an even more colossal and energetic conclusion. 

Dedicated to David King and the YBS Band, Terra Australis could not have been created without my experiencing the Australian way of life or dealt so closeley with a domiciled Australian.

Composer's Performance Note:

The work exists in two versions:  a) for concert use b) for contest use.  The score and parts contain both options.  Therefore, for contest purposes the score is to be played in its entirety and for concert performances the cadenza section may be omitted.

B Grade Brass

King Of Elfland's Daughter, Rodney Newton

The following is courtesy of 4barsrest UK, when this was the test music for 1st section at the 2004 National Championships in Harrogate.

This is a little belter of a test piece. Rodney Newton is a superb brass composer and his original music such as this, and his arrangements such as the recently premiered "Church Windows" by Respighi are absolute gems of the art of writing for brass band.   

This work is inspired by the writings of Lord Dunsany (or to give him his proper name, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, who was born in 1878 and died in 1957). His headstone must have been six foot wide with a name as long as that. By all account he has a bit "colourful" - a euphemism that the upper classes used at the time to describe someone who was away with the faireys. And boy, oh boy, was old Eddie well and truly away with the little people.

The old boy was also a bit of a fantasy writer (as well as Welsh Chess Champion) and this was one of his best. It's still a bit sub par "Lord of the Rings" stuff - all trolls and elves, magical wizards and all that baloney, but nevertheless it makes for a wonderful story (Strange how Disney has yet to pick it up, ruin it and turn it into a multi million dollar epic with good old American values of apple pie and MacDonald's beefburgers though).

Rodney Newton picks up the narrative line and transforms it into descriptive music for brass quite brilliantly, and the story of the love between Alveric and Lirazel (who sound like two French rugby half backs) is brought to life in wonderful colour.  The use of percussion throughout adds greatly to this, and it will take some pretty confident players to make it come off.

Rodney knows his way around the shed building department and knows exactly what must be played and how, so just hitting and hoping won't bring the desired effect - the percussion teams in all the bands will be key players on this piece.

The short Prelude heralds a section that describes the Kingdom of Erl and the exposed playing will make severe demands on the players. Before they can catch breath though, the band is on their way with Alveric on his quest to get himself a bride (in Elfland it seems, travelling abroad to get a pre packaged off the shelf Princess was all the rage).

The music here has real drive and purpose (the boy had a yearning in his breeches it seems) and there is some vicious technical stuff to test the likes of even the most mild mannered second baritone and Bb bass!

Things reach a great old climax as Alveric enters Elfland (an unfortunate turn of phrase don't you think), which is not a French petrol staion but the Kingdom of the little people. Here he meets Lirazel and they of course fall in love. This is shown by a superb section of duet writing by the composer, which then develops with huge passion through other leading instruments. The euph in particular will earn his beer money here.  Once the smootchy stuff is out of the way though, the two must head for the new marital home and of course, the natives are not a happy bunch.

A great pitched battle then ensues as our intrepid lovers head for home through the swords of the elves (once more making demands on the technical abilities of all the sections of the band) before the girls father wakes up from his slumber (he was most probably down the local having a jar or two) and sends out a little troll to do his dirty work for him and get his apple of his eye back home and in her bedroom where she belongs.

This is a great section of writing - all mischief and menace as the ugly little troll (played by the first baritone - no offence) does the dirty on the girl and manages to whisk her back to Elfland and her Dad. All seems lost for our eponymous hero, but after years of fruitless search his prayers are answered as the King of Elfland has a change of heart (perhaps brought on by the fact that his daughter would now be getting on a bit and he doesn't want her left on the elvish shelf) and the two are brought together again through a fantasy version of "Friends Reunited" and they all live happily ever after in a state of the art Wimpey new build home in a nice area of town.

The final section marked largamente is stirring stuff indeed and couldn't be sung better by Elvish Presley (sorry, just had to do it!). It brings things to a corker of an end. 

It's a fantastic piece for the contest, and even if we have been a little flippant in our interpretation then its because when we heard it we were so bowled over by the skill of the composer in bringing the subject matter to life. Rodney Newton has an acute sense of musicality, a dry wit and a superb talent in writing for brass. Enjoy this one to the full.

C Grade Brass

Gaullimaufry Suite, Philip Harper
I - Fanfare & Theme
II - Song
III - Hymn
IV - Toccata & Finale

A Gallimaufry Suite consists of four movements, all thematically independent.  the first movement consists of a sparkling Fanfare followed by a stately Theme which ends quietly. 

The second movement is a Children's Song; quirky but cute, and the Hymn which follows is a study in calm and tranquillity, featruing a quartet-group of cornet, baritone, trombone and euphonium. 

The last movement is a virtuosic Toccata which eventually begins to recall the other themes of the suite before a grand reprise of the first movement Theme brings the work to a dazzling conclusion.

D Grade Brass

Glasgow Overture, Alan Fernie

Overview/synopsis unavailable

Junior A Grade Brass

Three Places In Italy, Brenton Broadstock

This test is really an excellent choice, supporting Australian composers is a great idea. 

Composers note from the score:

I have been fortunate to spend several months in Italy and have visited many places, cities and towns. I have chosen three places that made a strong impression on me as the basis for this piece. They are not "Italian" pieces but are the musical interpretations of an Australian observer.

1 Napoli or Naples is a city south of Rome with a warm climate; it is "rough" and brash and teeming with energy.

2 Ballagio is a beautiful small town on Lake Como near the Swiss border. It is peaceful and sophisticated, surrounded by majestic high mountains.

3 Firenze or Florenze is a city that is strong, bold and proud of its political and cultural wealth.

These pieces are dedicated to my good friends Jeanette and Doug Smith who live in Rome and whose generous hospitality always makes by visits to Italy to memorable.

Brenton Broadstock, 2001

Junior B Grade Brass

Comber Suite, Darrol Barry

Commissioned by the Comber Silver Band to celebrate their 50th Anniversary Year 1999.

1. Andrews's Fanfare

Thomas Andrews Jnr. was born 7th February 1873 in Belfast, Ireland. He was managing director and head of the draughting department of Harland & Wolff shipbuilders. He was in charge of building the RMS Titanic. Whilst his great creation sank, he worked until bathed in sweat to assist passengers to lifeboats before going down with the ship.  Mr Andrews met his fate like a true hero, realising the great danger, he gave up his life to save the women and children on the Titanic. They will find it hard to replace him.—Mary Sloan, Titanic Stewardess.

2. Strangford Reflections

Strangford Lough is the largest sea inlet in the British Isles. It is Northern Ireland's first Marine Nature Reserve and is renowned as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Special Scientific Interest, with six national nature reserves within its reaches. Over 2,000 species of marine animals have been found in the Lough and internationally important flocks of wildfowl and wading birds converge there in winter. The Lough is also the most important site in Ireland for breeding common seals.

3. Scrabo Jig

Scrabo Tower, standing on the hill above the town of Ards, was built in 1857 as a memorial to the third Marquis of Londonderry for his kindness to the people during the great potato famine. The Tower stands tall in the country park with its woodland walks and parkland through Killynether wood. The views from the hill and the summit of the tower are breathtaking, across Strangford Lough, scattered with its many islands, to the Mountains of Mourne and the Scottish coast.

Junior C Grade Brass

Fata Morgana, Kees Schoonenbeek

The title of this three part work is taken given to the first part.  Ostinato accompanying figures and the use of a definite scale create visions of palms waving in the breeze, dry areas of sand, progressing camels, in short pictures taken from a travel guide which invites adventrue, whether in fact or fictions.  As a contrast, we travel to other places by way of a swinging Allegro Moderator.

"Fata Morgana' means 'mirage', which can also mean a vision of something unreal.  Part II carries on here, 'Dreams', with a beautiful melody line which carries through our dreams.

Part III tears our dream into tatters - in a positive manner.  A tango with both fee on the ground, or rather on the floor. 

The strict thythm of this increasingly popular dance forms an effetive finale to 'Fata Morgana'.

A Grade Own Choice Selections:

Blitz – Derek Bourgeois
Dances and Alleluias – Philip Sparke
English Heritage – George Lloyd
Harmony Music – Philip Sparke
In Memoriam: R.K. – Elgar Howarth
Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Peter Graham
Journey into Freedom – Eric Ball
Of Men and Mountains – Edward Gregson
Shakespearean Sketches – Mike Fitzpatrick
St Magnus – Kenneth Downie
The Essence of Time – Peter Graham
Tallis Variations – Philip Sparke
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – Derek Bourgeois
Vienna Nights – Philip Wilby

B Grade Own Choice Selections

Airs and Dances – Alan Fernie
A London Overture – Philip Sparke
Connotations – Edward Gregson
Endeavour – Philip Sparke
Isaiah 40 – Robert Redhead
Second Suite in F Major – Gustav Holst
Tallis Variations – Philip Sparke
The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace – Jenkins, arr. Small
The Year of the Dragon – Philip Sparke

C Grade Own Choice Selections

A Malvern Suite – Philip Sparke
American Civil War Fantasy – Jerry Bilik, arr. W Himes
Crusade – Rieks van der Velde
Hollywood – Goff Richards
Inspiration – Jan de Haan
Journey into Freedom – Eric Ball
Music for a Festival – Philip Sparke
Partita for Band – Philip Wilby
Seven Wonders – Dwayne Bloomfield
Tone Poem: The Present Age – Leslie Condon
The Kingdom Triumphant – Eric Ball
Variations on a Chord – Jan de Haan

D Grade Own Choice Selections

A Celtic Suite – Philip Sparke
A Saddleworth Festival Overture – Goff Richards
Appalachian Mountain Folk Song Suite – James Curnow
Knoxville 1800 – James Curnow
Legend in Brass – James Curnow
Music for a Festival – Philip Sparke
Othello – Drake Rimmer
Pacific Dreams – Jacob de Haan
Polished Brass – Edrich Siebert
Sinfonietta – Gordon Langford
Scenes from a Comedy – Michael E Hopkinson
Suite: The Seasons – Philip Wilby
Swing Low Fantasy – Tom Greatorex
Tryptich – Philip Sparke

Junior Grades Own Choice Selections

Evening Song – arr. Jan de Haan
Kaleidascope – Stuart Johnson
Dimensions – Peter Graham
Indian Summer – Eric Ball
Island Music – Stuart Johnson
Music for a Festival – Philip Sparke
Partita – Philip Wilby
Pacific Dreams – Jacob de Haan
Ross Roy – Jacob de Haan