Instrumental Pieces for Concert Band

Composer Philip Sparke is fascinated by the early history of the American west, in particular the incredible expedition undertaken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who were despatched by Preside...

Big Sky Overture is about the early history of the American West. The music tells of the excitement of pioneer travel and the beauty of the wide open spaces and wild mountain landscapes that character...

This short and lively overture will make a fantastic opening piece for any concert. It begins with the fanfare-like main theme played by the clarinets and saxophones, which is taken up by the whole ba...

Between the Two Rivers was commissioned by Fanfare 'Prins Hendrik', from Aalst in the Netherlands. The title derives from the fact that the town of Aalst lies between two tributaries of the River Domm...

The idea behind this work was to create an opening piece, something to start a concert in an unusual way. The title is a portmanteau word derived from madrigal. The work indeed begins in Renaissance m...

The Battell was written during the late 14th Century when England was in a mood of national celebration after victory over the Spanish and French Armadas. The movement which Byrd called Marche Before...

Prelude to a Celebration is a fantastic way to open any concert in the tradition of great symphonic openers. The work starts with a triumphant yet majestic fanfare from the trumpet section which gives...

This short processional was designed to be played as a concert opener but can equally be used as a sort of extended fanfare at presentations, graduation ceremonies and similar occasions. Its title evo...

Der Titel Hail the Dragon! bezieht sich auf das Werk The Year of the Dragon, das Philip Sparke im Jahre 1984 für denselben Auftraggeber geschrieben hat. Das Stück beginnt mit einer lebhaften, energier...

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...

Marching Winds was commissioned as the set piece for the Youth Festival Singapore 2010, a competition for all the youth orchestras in Singapore. As the title indicates, it is written in the form of a...

The special occasion that Philip Sparke was honoured to write this piece for was the 200th anniversary of the Stadtmusik Bad Säckingen. Since Bad Säckingen is known as the 'Trompeterstadt', or trumpet...

Named after the leaf displayed on Canada's flag, Maple Leaf Overture was composed specifically to open a Canadian school's symphonic band tour of England. A short fanfare during the overture smoothly...

Five States of Change was commissioned by Kunstfactor for the 4th section of the Dutch National Brass Band Championships (NBK) 2011. It is dedicated to Jappie Dijkstra and the Music Information Centre...

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...

The work opens with a stern fanfare in bare fifths, which leads to a cantabile theme introduced by alto saxophone. This builds to a climax and reintroduces the fanfare, which slowly evolves into the s...

With Clouds Descending is a fantasy on the powerful Advent hymn Helmsley which is long associated with another Advent hymn - Wesley's Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending. The hymn tune is divided into...

Second to None is a perfectly suitable title for this work, though it actually refers to 'Nulli Secundus', the motto of the British Corps of Army Music, who gave the commission to Philip Sparke. The...

The Way to Heaven was commissioned by the Royal Air Force Music Services. 2015 was the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which took place between July and October 1940, when the courageous fi...

The Way to Heaven was commissioned by the Royal Air Force Music Services. 2015 was the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which took place between July and October 1940, when the courageous fi...

Spirit of Andalusia was commissioned by The Glasgow Wind Band. The brief was to create a fascinating 5-minute opener, however, during the compositional process, the piece started to take the form of a...

Spirit of Andalusia was commissioned by The Glasgow Wind Band. The brief was to create a fascinating 5-minute opener, however, during the compositional process, the piece started to take the form of a...

A Bluegrass Overture was commissioned by Gabriel Wooley and funded by a grant from Leslie and Cathy Anderson for the Central Kentucky Concert Band to celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2016. This ene...

A Bluegrass Overture was commissioned by Gabriel Wooley and funded by a grant from Leslie and Cathy Anderson for the Central Kentucky Concert Band to celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2016. This ene...

Highdays and Holidays was commissioned by the South Berks Concert Band to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2016. The band rehearses in the village of Mortimer, which has a long and fascinating histor...