Snippets of my latest wind band piece called Journey Through The Skies. The movements are Flying, Falling Rain, Thunder and Aurora. Each movement depicts its title. Published by Musikverlag Frank.

Journey Through The Skies Demo

Just a quick music reel of some of my music published by Musikverlag Frank.

Music Reel

This work was specially commissioned for the 2013 Brass for Heroes in Huddersfield. The concert consisted of some of the finest youth brass players in the country and they were conducted by Cory Band's Philip Harper. Planets Rising showcases the band and all its sections. After the grand opening, the main theme can be heard in the solo cornets and it is passed through into the tenor horn and flugelhorn. After a brief recapitulation of the opening and a percussion solo we move into a slow section. Here, each principal player performs a solo starting with the Eb Bass, Euphonium, Tenor Horn, Flugelhorn and finally Solo Cornet. The work then moves into an expansive melody, which really captures the essence of the title, abruptly followed by a final recapitulation of the opening motif which brings the piece to climax and a great way to open a concert.

Planets Rising

This is the world première of my latest brass band piece, Out of this World. It was especially commissioned for the REPCo Brass Band concert of the same name on the 19th February 2014 at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Out Of This World (REPCo)

Originally written for brass band in 2011, here is the transcribed wind band version of my work Mountain Shadows Stretching Across the Lake, recorded by a wind band in Beijing, China. It depicts the sun falling behind the mountains near family's house in New Zealand in just the right place to produce beautiful shadows of the mountains of the lake contained in the valley.

Mountain Shadows Stretching Across The Lake (Wind Band)

This is the recording of my String Quintet No.2 recorded by members of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. It explores the world of harmonics and intervallic melodies and structures.

String Quintet No.2

This is a recording of my orchestral work entitled 'Ranginui and Papatuanuku' rehearsed by the RWCMD composer's orchestra. The work is based on the Maori creation myth. It begins with Te Po, which means darkness and nothingness. Through the darkness the embrace of Rangi (The Sky) and Papa (Mother Earth) begins and so does life on Earth. However, the embrace is so strong that it is always night. The children of Rangi and Papa try to force apart their parents to have a definition between night and day, they struggle but eventually succeed. The end of the piece shows night and day, but with occasional references to the struggle before. The harmonic structure of the piece follows the opening theme on the cello and double bass (E,G,F,A) to show a running theme throughout. The orchestra was conducted by John Traill in a 40 minute session.

Ranginui And Papatuanuku (Orchestral)

This work was written for RWCMD bassoonist Stanley Kaye Smith as a solo work for contra bassoon. This is a mock-up recording for my composition portfolio

Triptych

Demo Recording of my brass band work from 2012, Beyond the Storm. As the title suggests, the music is very programmatic, conjuring up images of being in a thunderstorm or hurricane. The middle section really stands out compared to the rest of the piece as a mysterious but expressive segment, which can be betrayed as the eye of the storm or the moment before the storm really hits. Then from here till the end, the force of the storm is really shown and music spirals to portray this. Published by Musikverlag Frank.

Beyond The Storm

This is a recording from the world premiere, performed by the Swiss Army Brass Band on the 19.5.2011 in Vicques, Switzerland. The first movement was originally written in 2009 as part of my A-level composition work for wind band. The set criteria for it was to be in a film/tv style, thus you can hear a lot of influences from some film composers. In 2010, I transformed this movement into a work for large orchestra along with the other three movements. Then in 2011, I was commissioned by the Swiss Army Brass Band to transcribe this short symphony into a symphonic suite for brass band. The second movement was written especially for the symphonic work. I was experimenting with different compositional ideas and trying to expand my stylistic range as a composer. The third movement is a piece originally written for a wind septet, in 2008, in remembrance of my Grandma who had just recently passed away. I tried incorporating some of her favourite music into the thematic material. The last movement was written especially for the symphonic work. This movement uses all the themes or chord progressions from the other three movements and combines into this finale. The middle section with flugel horn and tenor horns is homage to Mozart, to whom we all owe some musical influence! The piece then ends in a majestic/heroic recapitulation of the theme. Enjoy!

Symphonic Suite  Movement I - Forces of Nature

Symphonic Suite  Movement II - The Setting Sun

Symphonic Suite  Movement III - Remembrance

Symphonic Suite  Movement IV - Finale

Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra, performing my work Planets Rising. Originally for brass band, I decided it would be just as powerful in a wind band setting. 

Planets Rising (Wind Band)

Performed live by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in the Culmination Concert on Wednesday 1st April at BBC Hoddinott Hall as part of the BBC NOW: Composition Wales 2015. 

Exploration was originally intended for a film depicting space travel. Beginning in the outer edge of our solar system, the music begins quietly and subtly before opening up into the travelling (main) theme, flying past planets and other cosmic entities. In the middle section, the music breaks apart as asteroids come into view and as we travel through the music takes a new more aggressive direction, disassembling the main theme into short fragments like the asteroids themselves. As we breach through the asteroid field, the main theme is shown in full agitated state before showering down into a recapitulation of the travelling theme as we approach Earth, where the music comes to a triumphant climax. 

For further details please visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcnow

Excerpt from Exploration - BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Currently studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama for my MA in composition. Published composer in Wind and Brass Band writing.

Nic Mills Composer

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