Procession to the Minster.  Brian tait memorial concert featuring reg vardy and nasuwt  band.  at Stanley Civic hall

This piece of music was composed to commemorate the birth of my third child, Charlie, in March 2015.  The traditional folk song “My Bonny Lies over the Ocean” is a melody I often sing to my children, changing “Bonny” to their name.  With the tune constantly in my mind, ideas about creating a full brass band piece have been in my thoughts for a number of years  until the opportunity arose to put pen to paper (or mouse to laptop) this year. 

The format of the piece is that of a Fantasia.  Keeping the main melody mostly intact, I’ve varied the accompaniment and mood as the piece progresses.  The styles move from a dream-like introduction, to a simple cornet solo melody leading to a “Rule Britannia” style chorus.  The next section is a playful scherzo between the cornets and euphoniums, before a percussion break leads the band into a full march version of the melody.  Bold, majestic, modal chords take the piece to the final full-band iteration of the melody.  The piece closes with a plaintive flugel solo building to a loud climax. 

The scoring for band and percussion has been undertaken to be performable by most levels of bands – with the principal that lower section bands can play larger scale and larger sounding works than normally found in their repertoire.  The first public performance of the piece was undertaken at Stanley Civic Hall in May 2015. 

Fantasia on My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean

We Wish You A Merry Star Wars.wma

This is the sound file for a brass band arrangement of Archangel from Two Steps from Hell.  Archangel is an epic orchestral/choir composition from the album Nero composed by Two Steps From Hell composer Thomas J. Bergersen. This arrangement was made in 2016 specifically for the Wansbeck Entertainments Brass Band Contest.

The style of the music is very broad and forceful, with great emphasis on confidence and a touch of aggression. It isn’t technically difficult but requires stamina and teamwork spreading the semi-quavers over each many players.

Archangel - Two Steps from Hell - brass band arrangement

This is an arrangement of three of the most popular tunes associated with Monty Python, for brass band.

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life is the closing whistle-along number from the 1979 film The Life of Brian.  In this arrangement, the trombone takes the lead with a solo lending itself to a little comedy, with the basses finishing things off nicely.

Liberty Bell is the famous John Philip Sousa March used as the theme tune to the Monty Python TV series.  Here the solo euphonium grapples manfully (or womanfully) with a noisy bass section.

The final piece of the music is Homeward Bound.  Originally a piece of library music from the pen name of Jan Stoeckart, Jack Trombey, the Pythons selected this score to represent the Knights dramatic quest for the Holy Grail in the film from 1975. 

And Now For Something Completely Different - A Monty Python Medley for Brass Band

A merger of two pieces from the musical West Side Story.  Meeting Scene is a short interlude featuring some tender moments from Euphonium, Glockenspiel and a quartet of Solo Cornet, Horn, Baritone and Euphonium.  This leads to the ballad Somewhere, with various treatments of the melody from a tender trio of Cornet, Flugel and Euphonium to a full-bore fff climax before the song dies away with muted cornets and a top-G soprano.

Meeting Place And Somewhere from West Side Story - Arrangement for Brass Band

Jesus christ superstar!

Except from 'Nice n Easy' - a selection of Perry Como songs arranged for Brass Band.

Toccata and Fugue excerpt Backworth Colliery Band

In The Hall of the Mountain King

I'm a brass band composer and arranger based in the North East of England

Colin Harris Brass Band

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