Partita for Band (Postcard from Home) Philip Wilby. Brass Band Score

Partita for Band (Postcards from Home) By Philip Wilby

The sound and culture of brass bands was part of Philip Wilbys childhood, and this short Partita seeks to commemorate his childish memories in the musical terms of todays currency. Although the music makes technical demands on the players the piece is, nevertheless designed to involve rather than impress its audiences. There are four movements:

Towers and Chimneys which is both heraldic and mysterious; Churches: Lord of the Dance is an arrangement of the famous shaker melody made popular in Martin Shaws hymn of Jesus life and history; Pastorale: Sunday Afternoon recalls those long and langorous days before television, and Coronation Day Parade a community celebration with a brass band at its centre.

Dedicated to for Brian Lingley and the Rotherham Schools Brass Band
Like many composers writing for brass band today, the sound and culture of banding is part of my childhood, and this short Partita seeks to commemorate those childish memories in the musical terms of todays currency. Although the music makes the real technical demands on the players (as required by brass band test-pieces), the composition is nevertheless designed to involve rather than impress its audiences,

There are four movements:
01. Towers and Chimneys
Two pieces of contrasting music, one heraldic and one mysterious.

02. Churches: Lord of the Dance
An arrangement of the famous melody made popular in Martin Shaws hymn of Jesus life and ministry.

03. Pastorale: Sunday Afternoon
The afternoons of childhood, which seemed so long and langorous, in the days before television.

04. Coronation Day Parade
A community celebration with a brass band at the centre of the procession, and leading to a reprise of the opening fanfare music
from the first movement.

Set as the Third  Section Test Piece for the 2014 Britsh Brass Band Regional Championships.