Elegy — Cornet solo with brass band Written to commemorate Remembrance Day, this piece features a solo cornet, playing the role of the bugler playing the Last Post. After a...
Brass Music
Music for brass bands, ensembles and soloists
All pieces are available for purchase as sets of scores and parts in the shop
As a young musician I played in brass bands, wind bands and orchestras before a 5-year stint in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Great Britain drew me in other directions. These days, as a former professional trombone player, and now an amateur, I play with Amersham Band in the Championship section. Since re-joining the band — who I first played with as a young euphonium player in 1978 —I have covered bass trombone, trombone, baritone and euphonium.
Brass band music has changed dramatically over recent decades, and I find that all the musical disciplines and styles I have studied — everything from formal contemporary music, through to jazz and big band, by way of pop music and music for film and TV — all come together in a happy melting pot that reflects the diversity of styles to be found in the brass band world nowadays. It’s almost as if the various styles and genres I’ve absorbed during my career have been leading me in the direction of composing new music for brass.
Some of these demos are recorded by me in my studio, one instrument per part, so they don’t have the full band sound that a complete brass band would bring. Also, cornet playing is not my strongest suit, so please forgive any less than perfect playing. On a couple of pieces I had help from my son Henry, who is a gifted trumpet/cornet player, so many thanks to him for sparing my blushes.
The purpose of these demos is simply to give an impression of each piece, and to act as a sonic reference as you look at the score. Perusal scores are available as PDFs by email request. I regularly add new pieces as I compose and record the demos, so check by every now and then.
Gallery
This is where you can listen to pieces and look at scores. If you like what you hear and see, and would like to perform the piece with your ensemble, you can then go to the shop to buy scores and parts.
Carequinha
Carequinha Behind the painted smile of a clown there often lies a sensitive, troubled soul. This piece is a tribute to arguably the greatest clown of all — the legendary...
In Pacem Aeterna
In Pacem Aeterna This is a partner piece to ‘Elegy’ and was composed to for Remembrance Day. It is subtitled ‘For the Fallen’ and its uses fragments of melodies closely...
When A Baby Is Born (SATB & Band)
When A Baby Is Born (SATB & Band) A setting of one of my Christmas carols, for SATB choir and brass band. In this version I have added colourful interludes...
The Twelve Keys Of Christmas
The Twelve Keys Of Christmas An epic three-movement romp through more than forty songs associated with Christmas — some obvious ones, like Christmas carols, and others not so obvious! This...
Perfect Storm
Perfect Storm This is a programmatic piece for brass band that depicts a small boat on a calm sea. Suddenly, from nowhere, a violent squall explodes into life and the...
Lullaby (Brass Band Version)
Lullaby (Brass Band Version) This piece exists in various versions, including one for choir and one for euphonium solo with band. This is the version for brass band. PURCHASE SCORE...
Breathless — Tuba Quartet & Percussion
Breathless — Tuba Quartet & Percussion A friend of mine who is a percussionist laughed out loud when I told him I was going to write a piece for tuba...
Star Fire
Star Fire This is an affectionate homage to the genre of film scores that accompany action movies about things that fly: from early influences such as Ron Goodwin’s score to...
Dash — The Flight Of The Angry Wasp
Dash — Flight Of The Angry Wasp This is a sort of mash up between the ‘Minute Waltz’ and ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’. The idea is that the pieces...
Lullaby — Euphonium Solo & Brass Band
Lullaby — Euphonium solo with brass band This piece exists in various versions, including one for choir and one for brass band. Here it is performed by soloist Steven Mead...
Homily — Baritone Solo & Brass Band
Homily — Baritone solo with brass band Two antiphonal choirs — one of cornets and a horn, one of trombones — are placed left and right of the stage in...
Audio Player
This is an audio player that allows you to listen to pieces and view the wave form of the audio — useful if you want to listen to snippets rather than an entire piece. The user-friendly controls allow you to play, pause and jump about in the audio track.
Carequinha
An homage in music to one of the greatest clowns ever to have graced the stage
Star Fire
It starts with a fanfare in the cornets and quickly moves to an up-tempo tribute to all the great action themes from decades of films.
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