Fanfares and Love Songs was commissioned by the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain for performance on 25th July 2009. Its three movements contrast the extrovert and lyrical qualities of the traditional brass band. The fanfare with which the work opens involves the whole cornet section. The second movement is reflective in mood beginning somewhat pensively on muted brass and building to an emotional climax before subsiding back to a distant pianissimo chord. The finale is a fast dance which with a final recapitulation of the opening fanfare drives on to a breathless close. Brass Band Grade 4: Advanced Youth and 3rd SectionDuration: 12 minutes

Danceries Set II arranged for brass band was first commission by Keith Allen for the Birmingham Symphonic Winds. This second set of Danceries continues the format established in the popular Danceries (Set I) of using tunes and dances from Playford s Dancing Master (17th century) to form the basis of an extended dancesuite. In this set the melodies have become more abstracted and project only a distant echo of their original forms. As before each movement is self-contained colourful and direct with its own distinct mood.The outer movements Jennie s Bawbee and Peascod s Galliarda share driving percussion with a military air. Tom Tinker s Toye and Heart s Ease(movements two and three) are both settings of original melodies. All movements are more extended than in the first set with a freer use and approach to the material; melodies now occur in various keys and are supported by a greater variety of harmonic colouring. The result is a richer even more exhilarating set of dances.Brass Band Grade 5.