The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op.18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. The second and third movements were first performed with the composer as soloist on 2 December 1900. The complete work was premiered, again with the composer as soloist, on 9 November 1901, with his cousin Alexander Siloti conducting.  The piece established Rachmaninoff's fame as a concerto composer and is one of his most enduringly popular pieces.
Some years ago Paul Noble, the arranger, had the privilege of conducting an orchestral performance of this work.  In listening to the recording of that performance, he felt that it would make a magnificent work for a piano soloist with Concert/Wind Band accompaniment.  "My thought has been that there must be many college level piano majors who would like to perform one movement of this work, which has seemingly become acceptable, since it is so complete by itself.  And now, with a band arrangement, the opportunities should expand for greater accessibility.  While I have been immersed in arranging this magnificent music, the television is showing the horrors of the invasion of Ukraine,  birthplace of Rachmaninoff, which is heartbreaking in today's world."

Piano Concerto No 2, 3rd Movement - Rachmaninoff; arr. by Paul Noble

The Organ Symphony, composed in 1886, was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in the UK, and Saint- Saëns travelled across the Channel to conduct its premiere at the old St. James’s Hall, now the site of Le Meridien Hotel in Picadilly. ‘I gave everything to it I was able to give,’ said the composer of the work. ‘What I have accomplished here, I will never achieve again.’   It has been one of the most popular symphonies in the repertoire, and is one of those rare works that instantly entered the canon of masterpieces and has remained there ever since. Its most famous melody, the radiant theme of the finale, has even entered into popular culture: it has been featured in the 1995 movie Babe and at Disney World’s Epcot Center, and has even been adapted as the anthem of the would-be micronation of Atlantium.
Some years ago Paul Noble, the arranger, had the privilege of conducting an orchestral performance of this work.  In listening to the recording of that performance, he felt that it would make a magnificent work for the Concert/Wind Band.   So he has now produced the arrangement and offered it in several formats: the complete symphony in two movements; the first movement alone; the second movement alone;  and the finale alone, beginning with what may be called one of the great C Major chords in music.  Organ parts are cued when necessary.

Symphony No. 3 (Organ) Complete

The Ballade in A Minor, Op. 33 was composed in 1898, when Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was 23 years old. Filled with youthful emotion and power, it gave the composer early recognition by publisher August Jaeger when he described the piece as “genius”. The one movement piece echoes the Romantic symphonic styles of Tchaikovsky and Dvořák , and it is full of ravishing and lush melodic moments.

Ballade in A Minor - Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; arr. by Paul Noble

Petite Suite de Concert was composed in 1911 and is one of the composer’s lighter works. Cast into four contrasting movements, the suite is very appealing and showcases Coleridge-Taylor’s memorable melody writing. It is said to be in a style somewhere between Edward Elgar and Arthur Sullivan, a delightful example of British Light Music. The opening movement, a playful caprice, sets the scene for the rest of the suite. The arrangement is exciting, with much full ensemble playing. A reprise of the main theme of this movement leads into the poignant coda section that sees the opening movement conclude in a thrilling manner.

Petite Suite de Concert No. 1 Le Caprice de Nannette

Solemn Prelude requires a more special description than space will allow. It has been my privilege to receive from the Three Choirs Festival in the U.K. the opportunity to produce this arrangement for Concert/Wind Band from a long-lost piece of music. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was commissioned in 1899 by the Three Choirs Festival, with its history spanning over 300 years and having commissioned over 550 works, to create this beautifully romantic and highly chromatic work. The exploration of ten tonal centers contributes to a depth of feeling and emotion that brought added prestige to the young composer. This arrangement has been produced from a copy of the original, handwritten, autographed score. There is a most interesting story about how the music was found, which should produce relevant and interesting program notes. PN
https://cso.org/experience/article/10876/how-a-british-sleuth-uncovered-a-long-lost-wo

Solemn Prelude - Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; arr. by Paul Noble

Masquerade Suite was composed by Johan Halvorsen, one of the best-kept secrets of Norway. Not only was he an accomplished violinist and conductor, but also he was among the most prominent Norwegian composers in the generation following Edvard Grieg. His compositions develop the national Romantic tradition of his friends Grieg and Svendsen, but his was a distinctive style marked by brilliant orchestration inspired by the French Romantic composers.
The original version of Masquerade Suite had nine movements. Paul Noble has selected five of the most suitable movements for band transcription and grouped them into this beautiful suite. The U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C. gave the premiere performance of this work. The first movement, Holberg Overture, sets the mood, pace, and musical themes for the entire suite, with rousing opening themes, followed by a grand fugue in the development section. This is clearly a piece for accomplished bands, giving all wind players a real workout. Each of the succeeding movements has a distinctive style, making the suite a significant addition to the repertoire of the Concert Band. Especially noteworthy is the “Arietta”, the easiest of the movements, and can easily stand alone with its haunting flute and oboe melodies and dramatic crescendo, the crisp solos in the
"Molinasque", and the final movement, which is very much like a circus march, fast, lively and short!

Masquerade Suite

Masquerade Suite 1 - Holberg Overture - Johan Halvorsen, arr. by Paul Noble

Masquerade Suite was composed by Johan Halvorsen, one of the best-kept secrets of Norway. Not only was he an accomplished violinist and conductor, but also he was among the most prominent Norwegian composers in the generation following Edvard Grieg. His compositions develop the national Romantic tradition of his friends Grieg and Svendsen, but his was a distinctive style marked by brilliant orchestration inspired by the French Romantic composers.
The original version of Masquerade Suite had nine movements. Paul Noble has selected five of the most suitable movements for band
transcription and grouped them into this beautiful suite. The U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C. gave the premiere performance of this work. The first movement, Holberg Overture, sets the mood, pace, and musical themes for the entire suite, with rousing opening themes, followed by a grand fugue in the development section. This is clearly a piece for accomplished bands, giving all wind players a real workout.  
Each of the succeeding movements has a distinctive style, making the suite a significant addition to the repertoire of the Concert Band.
Especially noteworthy is the “Arietta”, the easiest of the movements, and can easily stand alone with its haunting flute and oboe melodies and dramatic crescendo, the crisp solos in the "Molinasque", and the final movement, which is very much like a circus march, fast, lively and short!

Solemn Prelude - Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; arr. by Paul Noble

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