Philip Sparke: Partituras medio

Designed to open a Christmas concert, A Christmas Herald starts with a fanfare that introduces a lyrical theme, which eventually turns out to be a descant to Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, which is sub...

Klezmer music originated in the shtetl (villages) and ghettos of Eastern Europe, where itinerant Jewish troubadours, known as klezmorim, had performed at celebrations since the early Middle Ages. Thre...

Salute to a Hero was composed to honour the work of a truly deserving musician, teacher, and conductor. It opens with a noble brass fanfare with woodwind ornamentation. Following a short interlude the...

Salute to a Hero was composed to honour the work of a truly deserving musician, teacher, and conductor. It opens with a noble brass fanfare with woodwind ornamentation. Following a short interlude the...

Exultation is a short and energetic concert opener that is similar to a palindrome. A fanfare opens the work, juxtaposing 3/4 and 6/8, reminiscent of Latin-American music. The main theme is first hear...

Whence is that Goodly Fragrance Flowing?' is the first line of an old French Christmas song that originated in the 17th century. In 1728 John Gay used this joyous and markedly festive melody that hono...

Philip Sparke selected two well-known marches from the region around Southern Belgium and Luxembourg as the basis for his March Celebration: after we hear an original march theme and second theme in t...

Just based on its title, this piece has to be celebratory and up-beat, which it is! It opens with a stately fanfare, first played on the low brass before the entire band joins in. This gives way to a...

Composer Philip Sparke decided to use the idea of white to write a piece that was both bright and light in terms of harmony, colour and orchestration. He achieves this by using simple major and minor...

Composer Philip Sparke decided to use the idea of white to write a piece that was both bright and light in terms of harmony, colour and orchestration. He achieves this by using simple major and minor...

The lyrics to Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes can be traced to English poet Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare. The melody's origin, on the other hand, is not certain. In this three- movement...

The lyrics to Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes can be traced to English poet Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare. The melody's origin, on the other hand, is not certain. In this three- movement...

Christmas is full of customs and traditions, both old and new. This is especially evident in Christmas songs, some of which have been part of Christian worship for centuries. A Medieval Christmas comb...

The composer writes: 'On March 11th 2011 a massive 9. 0- magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of north-eastern Japan. I'm writing these programme notes barely a week later and the death toll ca...

The composer writes: 'On March 11th 2011 a massive 9. 0- magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of north-eastern Japan. I'm writing these programme notes barely a week later and the death toll ca...

Golden Winds was commissioned by Jugendblasorchester Schramberg, Germany, to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2012. They gave the premiere, conducted by Andreas Hirt, at their Christmas concert tha...

Dance of the Whale was commissioned by the Spanish music foundation, Musica et Orbi, at the instigation of its president, Frank De Vuyst. It is part of a unique project which involved nine composers e...

Dance of the Whale was commissioned by the Spanish music foundation, Musica et Orbi, at the instigation of its president, Frank De Vuyst. It is part of a unique project which involved nine composers e...

The Shakers were a sect who, in the 18th Century, sailed out from England to America. Right into the late 19th Century, the numerous songs of this community were handed down orally, until they were wr...

The melody of this Christmas carol comes originally from a Finnish songbook of 1582, containing a collection of 74 medieval songs together with Latin texts. The version arranged by Gustav Holst became...

This work was commissioned by Dr. Robert Oertli from Möhlin, Switzerland, and is based on an earlier composition called Spirit of the Sequoia. The piece is inspired by how the human spirit can gain fr...

This is an ancient Welsh air that was first published in 'Relics of the Welsh Bards' in 1794. Dafydd (David) Owain was a famous Welsh bard who lived on a farm called Garreg Wen (The White Rock) in Eif...

Bach's appointment as the Cantor at Leipzig's Thomaskirche in 1723 required him to produce a new cantata for every Sunday service. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is taken from his Cantata No. 147 and is...

Bach's appointment as the Cantor at Leipzig's Thomaskirche in 1723 required him to produce a new cantata for every Sunday service. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is taken from his Cantata No. 147 and is...

Part of the Anglo Music Play-Along Series, Philip Sparke's 15 Intermediate Christmas Carols is aimed at the young instrumentalist who can play about an octave and a half and follows on from Sparke's 1...