A British Isles Suite, Jonathan Bates. Brass Band

A BRITISH ISLES SUITE
Composer: Jonathan Bates
 
Difficulty Level: 4th section
Instrumentation: Brass Band
Duration: 00:13:00

Description
A British Isles Suite is a musical exploration of poetry from around the British Isles.  Each movement takes inspiration from a quote of literature specific to the country in question.  The work is written in a symphonic style with a moderately paced opening movement, a slow and expressive second movement, a lively two-part minuet and a grand finale.

I - Scotland 'When chill November's surley blast, make fields and forest bare' - from Man Was Made To Mourn by Robert Burns

II - Wales 'Though lovers be lost, love shall not' - from And Death Shall Have No Dominion by Dylan Thomas

III - Isle of Man 'Make us free as thy sweet mountain air' - from the Isle of Man National Anthem by William Gill

IV - Ireland 'How do we tell the dancer from the dances?' - from Among School Children by William Butler Yeats

V - England 'Be not afraid of greatness' - from Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

A British Isles Suite was selected as the test piece for the 4th Section final of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 2012