7 Miniatures, #2 Over Hill, Over Dale

SKU: AP.6-416801

ISBN 9780486416809. UPC: 9780486416809. 9x12 inches. English.

American composer Amy Beach (1867Ð1944) was largely self taught, but her precocious musical talent eventually blossomed into a remarkable career. This volume of her piano music includes a rich selection of the elegant, stylish miniatures for which she is known. Among them are Valse-Caprice, Op. 4, Four Sketches, Op. 15, Three Compositions, Op. 28, ChildrenÕs Album, Op. 36, and more.

SKU: HL.368695

ISBN 9781705141779. UPC: 840126969085. 9.0x12.0x0.289 inches.

This collection of 27 pieces, transcribed and edited by the Howells scholar Jonathan Clinch and published for the first time to coincide with Matthew Schellhorn's recording of the complete piano music by Howells for Naxos, reveals a previously neglected aspect of this celebrated English composer. The pieces chart the musical development of Howells, from his earliest known work “The Arab's Song,” written when he as 16, to the “Petrus Suite,” completed in his 80s, as well as demonstrating his fascination with French music (“Phantasy,” “Harlequin Dreaming”) and the Tudor period (“Pavane” and “Galliard.”) The volume also includes the moving tribute to his friend and fellow composer Finzi. Comprising a wide array of pieces from characterful miniatures to more substantial suites, the collection will appeal to Howells devotees and lovers of 20th century English music, as well as to anyone seeking fresh and distinctive piano repertoire. Includes: The Arab's Song • To a Wild Flower • Romance • Melody • Legend • Summer Idyls: I. Meadow-Rest • II. Summer-Song • III. June-Haze • IV. Down the Hills • V. Quiet Woods • VI. Near Midnight • VII. In the Morning • Phantasy • Harlequin Dreaming • Minuet for Ursula • My Lord Harewood's Galliard • Finzi: His Rest • Siciliana • “Comme le cerf soupire...” • Pavane and Galliard • Petrus Suite: Finnicle's Scherzo • Gavotte • Vagrant Flute • Minuet • 'Sine Nomine' • Bassoonic's Dance • Odd's Minuet • Toccatina.

SKU: FP.FBS03

ISBN 9790570500192.

Sarah Baker is Vocal Composer in Residence at Education Music Services, an ABRSM examiner and a well known composer of songs and musicals for primary schools and massed-choral events.

All this experience has come together in the creation of this album of piano pieces, inspired by growing up in the Chiltern Hills. Suitable for players of around grade 4-5 standard, her evocative sound pieces describe a crash-landing hot air balloon, garden invading cows and a even a snake in a pond!

Air Balloon!: One vivid memory I have as a child is of the day that a hot air balloon passed over our house and made an emergency landing on the road in front! The sound of the gas being blown into the balloon to try to keep it high enough to pass the house sounded so loud and intimidating, and then there was the bustle of the neighbours as we all went out into the street to watch. It was both terrifying and exhilarating to watch the balloon float past and then land so near by.

Buzzards Circling: There is something so calming and restful about watching birds of prey circling in the thermal currents of a summer sky. Growing up in the Chilterns gave me plenty of opportunity to watch buzzards and red kites. This piano solo captures the beauty of their flight as they glide so effortlessly through the air.

There’s A Cow In The Garden Eating The Flowers: Inspired by the memory of seeing an unexpected cow in the garden! This surreal image is captured in a quirky waltz, as I portray both the absurdity of the moment and the sense of wonder I felt as a child, looking out of the window and seeing the cow walking round and eating the flowers. The final phrase articulates my longing: ‘I wish it would come again’.

Watching The World Go By: A short, reflective piece, remembering what it was like to have time to just sit and watch the world go by from my bedroom window.

Autumn Skies: A miniature about the beauty of Autumn skies and the poignant sense of loss for a summer gone. Friends I was fortunate to have several children of my own age living close by. We seemed to be forever making dens, playing out in the street and generally enjoying each other’s company. This piece reflects that sense of well-being.

Snake In The Pond: One hot summer I was astonished and scared to see a grass snake cooling off in our garden pond! I watched, both horrified and fascinated, as it rose up from the depths and then disappeared again. Here I portray the sense of the hazy summer afternoon as I peacefully watched the tiny movements of fish in the pond, contrasted with the fear and excitement of seeing the snake appear.

Morning Commute: I recollect many mornings stuck in traffic as my Dad took me to school on his way to work. There is one main road out of the village where I grew up, and that got more and more congested the closer we got to the town. We may not have chatted a lot, but it was always good to be together with my Dad, lost in our own thoughts.

The Witch’s Cottage: My siblings and I had a fascination with a small cottage nearby. It was set back from the road in a dark part of the woods and we called it 'the witch's cottage’. Every time we passed, I imagined I heard the distant cackle of the witch and wished I could catch a glimpse of her.

These pieces are written to complement my other collection, Night Time Impressions, which also draw on childhood recollections, particularly of the woods behind the house where I grew up. - Sarah Baker 2023.

SKU: CL.012-4602-75

Dvorak's Humoresque is one of the most famous melodies of light classical music, and this arrangement for concert band is a true gem! Sensitively scored to retain the delicate lilt and feel of the original piano composition, this work is an ideal change of pace selection for concert or festival performances. Also well-suited to adult community bands, Humoresque will charm audiences and delight performers. A great opportunity to bring a miniature classical masterpiece to your concert band!

About Gems of the Concert Band

A series of transcriptions and other works in varying styles, representative of the programming of the Great American Classic Concert Band era of a century ago, as exemplified by John Phillip Sousa, Edwin Franko Goldman, Karl L. King, and Leonard B. Smith