An new arrangement by Andrew Duncan for brass band of the quintessential 1970's Glam Rock classic by Slade. Available as an official publisher download from Sheet Music Direct.

Four New Christmas Titles available for Brass Band.

Silent Night is an Austrian Christmas Carol written by Franz Gruber,  (1787-1863) and arranged by Andrew Duncan. Franz Gruber was an primary school teacher, organist and composer who lived in the village of Arndorf in Austria.  Silent Night (Stille Nacht) has become one of the best loved   Christmas Carols ever written.

This arrangement for brass band imagines Christmas morning in a small Austrian village, such as Arndorf, with the sound of the local church bells ringing out along with the sound of a choir singing Silent Night accompanied by the local band. The arrangement features the tubular bells playing a simple descending scale, which is also played by muted cornets (2nd and 3rd cornets). After 2 verses of the hymn the coda features a short trombone trio with a jazzy feel which leads into a final scale from the tubular bells and cornets bringing the piece to a peaceful close. The piece begins very lively before changing to a more jazzy style with a walking bass. This is followed by a jazz-waltz in 5/4 with solos for flugal, euphonium and soprano cornet which leads into a slow chorale section, gradually building from p to fff. This is followed by the final section which begins with a simple sleigh bell pulse over which the Tchaikovsky Christmas favourite, Trepak from the Nutcracker Suite is merged with the God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen theme bringing A Christmas Trifle to a rousing close.

A Christmas Trifle is a fantasy for brass band based on the famous English Carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and again arranged by Andrew Duncan. The piece begins very lively before changing to a more jazzy style with a walking bass. This is followed by a jazz-waltz in 5/4 with solos for flugal, euphonium and soprano cornet which leads into a slow chorale section, gradually building from p to fff. This is followed by the final section which begins with a simple sleigh bell pulse over which the Tchaikovsky Christmas favourite, Trepak from the Nutcracker Suite is merged with the God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen theme bringing A Christmas Trifle to a rousing close.

The Golden Carol arranged by Lynda Nicholson and part of the Lynda Nicolson collection published by Duncan Music press, begins in a 5/4 jazz waltz rhythm with a solo Eb Bass being joined a few bars later by by a solo trombone then a solo horn, before more instruments (including percussion) are added and the tune plays out in the cornets and soprano cornet. The second section goes into 4/4 with a strong Rock/Big Band feel driven along rhythmically by the kit drummer. This section then leads to a rousing close for the full band.

Patapan arranged by Lynda Nicolson is a French Christmas Carol written by the French composer, Bernard de la Monnoye (1641-1720). The words are written from the perspective of the Shepherds in Bethlehem, playing their drums and flutes at the birth of Jesus. “Patapan” mimics the sound of the drums and the scale passages on the the flutes. Patapan begins with a solo side drummer playing a punchy rhythm in 2/2 with a tambourine being added before this rhythm underpins the melody played by the full band. A section featuring the trombones follows before the main theme returns after which a short duet for Euphonium and flugal leads into a rousing final section with a Rock feel. This final section has the full band playing with the tunes in the cornets, a fast quaver movement in the middle of the band and cleverly, the melody in counterpoint in augmentation played by the trombones.