Philip Sparke

Christina Rossetti wrote the words to this famous Christmas carol in 1872 in response to a request from the magazine Scribner's Monthly for a Christmas poem. They were set to music by Gustav Holst (18...

Adolphe Adam (1803-56) is perhaps best known for his classical ballet, Giselle, but it is his Cantique de Noël (popularly known in the English-speaking world as 'O Holy Night', the opening line of its...

Dating from the first decades of the 20th century and originating in vaudeville and the music hall, the soft-shoe shuffle was danced by tap dancers, wearing soft-shoes instead of their normal tap shoe...

Dating from the first decades of the 20th century and originating in vaudeville and the music hall, the soft-shoe shuffle was danced by tap dancers, wearing soft-shoes instead of their normal tap shoe...

The four tunes used in this suite have been made universally popular in Sir Henry Wood?s Fantasia on British Sea Songs, which is an ever-present ingredient in The Last Night of the Proms. He introduce...

Whilst making no claims to be stylistically authentic, this little piece aims to capture the infectious spirit of mariachi, a word whose origins are lost in the mists of time, but which describes not...

Whilst making no claims to be stylistically authentic, this little piece aims to capture the infectious spirit of mariachi, a word whose origins are lost in the mists of time, but which describes not...

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...

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...

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...

Little is known about the life of Prof. Armin Googleheimer. Despite local success as a musician, postman and wine-lover, his fame did not travel much outside his charming home village of Unterbingen i...

This is a little salute to the wonderful music of Duke Ellington, taking Mood Indigo as its model. Something Borrowed, Something Blue will allow the young band to approach this masterpiece?s laid-back...

This is a little salute to the wonderful music of Duke Ellington, taking Mood Indigo as its model. Something Borrowed, Something Blue will allow the young band to approach this masterpiece?s laid-back...

This timeless melody by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) is now chiefly remembered because of its inclusion in J S Bach?s St. Matthew Passion(hence its title), where it is treated to a variety of rich har...

This timeless melody by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) is now chiefly remembered because of its inclusion in J S Bach?s St. Matthew Passion(hence its title), where it is treated to a variety of rich har...

Although Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) is best known for his collaboration with W. S. Gilbert on their famous operettas, he also wrote much instrumental, chamber and orchestral music, church anthems and...

Although Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) is best known for his collaboration with W. S. Gilbert on their famous operettas, he also wrote much instrumental, chamber and orchestral music, church anthems and...

Handel?s opera Scipio was written in 1725 and performed the following year in the King?s Theatre, London. Following Handel?s death his operas fell into obscurity until the 1960?s when they experienced...

The Pirates of Penzance is perhaps Gilbert and Sullivan?s most popular operetta, and tells the story of Frederic, who was apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted, orphaned pirates. A Sullivan Ballad u...

Snow Valley Sleigh Ride takes you on an imaginary night-time journey from a mountain top ski village into the dark surrounding forests. To the delightful sound of sleigh bells and trotting horses, the...

It is dark and raining. You are on holiday in the Scottish highlands and looking for somewhere to stay for the night when you come across a magnificent Gothic castle. Even though the place looks a bit...

It is dark and raining. You are on holiday in the Scottish highlands and looking for somewhere to stay for the night when you come across a magnificent Gothic castle. Even though the place looks a bit...

A Stroll in the Park is a piece in the tradition of ?walking? music (such as the Promenade from Mussorgsky?s Pictures at an Exhibition or Gershwin?s Walking the Dog from Shall we Dance?). It strives t...

A Stroll in the Park is a piece in the tradition of ?walking? music (such as the Promenade from Mussorgsky?s Pictures at an Exhibition or Gershwin?s Walking the Dog from Shall we Dance?). It strives t...

This short processional was designed to be played as a concert opener but can equally be used as a sort of extended fanfare at presentations, graduation ceremonies and similar occasions. Its title evo...