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English composer (born 1951)
Phillip Sparke
Philip Sparke (1991)
Born Phillip Allen Sparke
(1951-12-29 ) 29 December 1951 (age 72) London, England
Occupation(s) Composer, musician Years active 1973–present
Philip Allen Sparke (born 29 December 1951) is an English composer and musician born in London,
[1] noted for his
concert band and
brass band music.
[2]
His early major works include The Land of the Long White Cloud – "Aotearoa" , written for the 1980 Centennial New Zealand Brass Band championship.
[3] He subsequently went on to win the
EBU New Music for Band Competition three times, including in 1986 with a commission from the
BBC called Orient Express .
[4]
Since May 2000, his music has been published under his own label Anglo Music Press, and distributed by
Hal Leonard .
Notable achievements
1997
Sudler Prize - Dance Movements
[5]
2000 Iles Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians - Services to brass bands
[6]
2005 National Band Association/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest - Music of the Spheres
[7]
2011 BUMA International Brass Award - Contributions to brass music
[8]
2016 National Band Association/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest - A Colour Symphony
2018 International Award -
Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic
Works
Music for Wind Band and Brass Band
1973/1976 Gaudium
1975 The Prizewinners for Brass-Band
1978/1995 Fantasy for Euphonium
1979/1985 A Concert Prelude
1979 Capriccio (E-flat Cornet Solo) for Brass-Band
1979/1987 The Land of the Long White Cloud "Aotearoa"
1981 A Tameside Overture for Brass-Band
1981 Fanfare, Romance & Finale for Brass-Band
1981 Song and Dance (Cornet Solo) for Brass-Band
1982 Barn Dance & Cowboy Hymn for Brass-Band
1983 Rhythm and Blues for Brass-Band
1984 Aubade (Euphonium Solo) for Brass-Band
1984 Jubilee-Overture
1984 A London Overture for Brass-Band
1984 A Malvern Suite for Brass-Band
1984 Slipstream (Concert-March)
1984/1985
The Year of the Dragon
Toccata
Interlude
Finale
1985 A Celtic Suite for Brass-Band
Dawns Werin
Suo Gan
Men of Harlech
1985 Masquerade (E-flat Horn Solo) for Brass-Band
1985/1987 Music for a Festival
Con brio
Andantino
Vivo
1985 Skyrider (Concert-March) for Brass-Band
1986/1992 Orient Express
1986/1994 Pantomime (Euphonium Solo)
1986 Party Piece (Euphonium Solo) for Brass-Band
1986 Prelude, Toccata & Fugue (Graduation Day) for Brass-Band
1986 Variations on an Enigma for Brass-Band
1987 Flying the Breeze
1987 Mountain Song for Brass-Band
1988 A Swiss Festival Overture
1988 Concertino for Tuba (E-flat Tuba Solo) for Brass-Band
1988 Concerto Grosso (Brass Quartet & Band) for Brass-Band
1988 Endeavour (Australia 1788–1988) a Programmatic Rhapsody for Brass-Band
The unknown continent
Terra Australis
The new challenge
1988 River City Serenade for Brass-Band
1988 Serenade for Toni
1989 Partita for Brass-Band
1989 The sunken village for
Fanfare Orchestra
1989 A Tameside Overture
1989 Theatre Music
Overture
Entr'acte
Finale
1989 The Vikings
1989/1990 Two-part Invention (Euphonium Duet)
1990 Cambridge Variations for Brass-Band
1990 Fanfare, Romance, Finale
1990/1992 A Pittsburgh Overture
1990 Sinfonietta Nr. 1
Overture
Aria
Scherzo
1990 Triptych for Brass-Band
1990 A Yorkshire Overture
1991 Celebration
1991 Concerto for Trumpet or Cornet for Brass-Band
1992 Euphonism (Euphonium Duet) for Brass-Band
1992 Jamaica Farewell
1992/1996 Jubilee-Prelude
1992 Serenade for Horns (E-flat Horn Trio) for Brass-Band
1992 Festival Overture
1992 Mountain Song
1992 Mambo Jumbo
1992 River City Serenade
1992 Sinfonietta Nr. 2
Overture
Serenade
Finale
1992 Soliloquy (Cornet Solo) for Brass-Band
1993 Processional Overture
1993 Song for Ina (Euphonuim Solo) for Brass-Band
1993 Tijuana Trumpets (Trumpet feature)
1994 Three Miniatures for Brass-Band
1995 Dance Movements
Ritmico
Molto vivo (for Woodwinds)
Lento (for the Brass)
Molto ritmico
1995 Euphonium Concerto No 1 for Brass-Band
1996 Fiesta
1996 White Rose Overture
1996 Music for Arosa
1997 Norwegian Rondo
1997 Time to Say Goodbye for Brass-Band
1998 Between the Moon and Mexico for Brass-Band
1998 Diversions – Variations on a Swiss Folk Song "Der Heimetvogel"
Theme
Variation 1 (Vivo e scherzando)
Variation 2 (Subito meno
mosso )
Variation 3 (
Lento espressivo)
Variation 4 (
Vivace )
1999 Earth, Water, Sun, Wind Symphony for Band
Commissioned by the
Northern Arizona University Wind Symphony for their Centennial Celebration
Earth
Water
Sun
Wind
1999 Hanover Festival
Commissioned by the
Hanover Wind Symphony for their Fifteenth Anniversary
1999 Lindisfarne Rhapsody (Flute Solo)
1999 Tallis Variations for Brass-Band
1999 Wilten Festival Overture
2000 The Centurion for Brass-Band
2000 Five Festive Fanfares
2000 Navigation Inn (Concert March)
2000 Overture for Woodwinds (
woodwind orchestra )
2000 Time Remembered
2000 To a New Dawn
2001 Carol of the Shepherds
2001 Ballad for Benny
2001 Four Norfolk Dances
Pulham Prelude
Diss Dance
Lopham Lament
Garboldisham Gigue
2001 Infinity and Beyond...
2001 Invictus (The Unconquered)
2001 A London Intrada
2001 Navigation Inn for Brass-Band
2001 The Prince of Denmark's March
2001 Shalom! (Suite of Israeli Folk Songs)
V'ha'ir Shushan & Havdala
Hanerot Halalu & Ba'olam Haba
Mishenichnas Adar, Ani Purim & Yom Tov Lanu
2001 South Down Pictures for Brass-Band
2001 Sunrise at Angel's Gate
2001 Te Deum Prelude
2001 Time Remembered for Brass-Band
2001 Two Norwegian Folk Tunes
2002 Alladale from Hymn of the Highlands (Flugel, Horn and Baritone Trio) for Brass-Band
2002 Big Sky Ouverture
2002 Mary's Boy Child
2002 Merry-Go-Round
2002 Morning Song – for Horn Quartet and Band
2002 Pathfinders March
2002 Portrait of a City
2002 Sinfonietta No 3 (Rheinfelden Sketches)
Promenade
Ballad
Interlude
Scherzo
2002/2003 Suite from "Hymn of the Highlands"
Ardross Castle
Alladale
Dundonnell
2002 Flowerdale from "Hymn of the Highlands" (Soprano Cornet Solo) for Brass-Band
2002 Lairg Muir from "Hymn of the Highlands" (Cornet Solo) for Brass-Band
2002 Strathcarron from "Hymn of the Highlands" (Sword Dance) for Brass-Band
2002 Summer Isles from "Hymn of the Highlands" (Euphonium Solo) for Brass-Band
2002 The White Rose
2003 Aria (Tenor Horn Solo) for Brass-Band
2003 Clarinet Calypso
2003 Clarinet Concerto
2003 A Huntingdon Celebration
Commissioned by the
Huntingdonshire Concert Band to celebrate their 10th Anniversary
2003 Kaleidoscope – Five Variations on the "Brugg Song"
Introduction
Theme
Variation I
Variation II
Variation III
Variation IV
Variation V
2003 Masquerade (A Willisau Celebration)
Overture
Elegy
Interlude
Finale
2003 Out of the Darkness, Into the Light
2003 Prelude and Scherzo (Trombone solo) for Brass-Band
2003 Simple Sarabande
2003 Ten Chorale Preludes
2003 Veni Immanuel
2003 Westminster Prelude
2004 Between the two Rivers
2004 Choral and Variations
2004 A Klezmer Karnival
2004 Flying the Breeze
2004 Harlequin (Euphonium Solo)
2004 La Caracolá
2004 Mandalen Landscapes
2004 Manhattan (Trumpet Solo)
2004 Marchissimo
2004 Music of the Spheres for Brass-Band
t = 0 – Big Bang
The Lonely Planet
Asteroids and Shooting Stars
Music of the Spheres
Harmonia
The Unknown
2004/2005 Portrait of a Music
2004 Postcard from Singapore
2004 Summer Scene for Brass-Band
2004 The Bandwagon for Brass-Band
2004 The Four Noble Truths
Dukkha
Samudaya
Nirodha
Magga
2005 Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair
2005 Jubilate for Brass-Band
2005 The Painted Desert
2005 The Pioneers
2005 Variants on an English Hymn Tune (Euphonium Solo)
2005 In The Bleak Mid-Winter (Re-arg)
2005 When the Spirit Soars
2006 Valerius Variations
2006 Tuba Concerto
2006 Trombone Concerto
2006 Dances and Alleluias for Brass Band
2006 Parade Of The Clockwork Soldiers'
2007 Albion Heritage for wind ensemble
Commissioned by
The Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) for the 2008 International Honor Band. World premier on 15 March 2008 in London, UK, at the AMIS 2008 International Band and Choir Festival.
Harmony Music for Brass-Band
2007 Legend of Celobrium commissioned by the Harmonie de Soleuvre, Luxembourg, to celebrate their 100th Anniversary
2007 A Monmouth Overture commissioned for
Monmouth School Symphonic Wind band
2007 Tales of the River Wye commissioned for
Monmouth School Junior Symphonic Wind Band
2007 Music for Battle Creek for Brass-Band
2007 Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes from Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony
2008 Letter From Home commissioned by the James Madison University Brass Band, Harrisonburg, VA
2008 The Roaring Forties for wind ensemble
2009 Neapolitan Holiday for wind ensemble
Commissioned by the
Green Hope High School Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble directed by Brian Myers. World premier on 21 May 2009 at the
Meymandi Concert Hall in
Raleigh, North Carolina , United States.
2009 A Winter's Tale for concert band
Commissioned by the Western Plains Wind Consortium, Daniel Baldwin, Founder and Director. World premiere on 1 December 2009 at the
OPSU Centennial Theatre by the
Oklahoma Panhandle State University Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Matthew C. Saunders in
Goodwell, Oklahoma , United States.
2010 "Atlantic Odyssey" for concert band
Commissioned by the
Oakton High School Bands of
Vienna, Virginia , United States. World premiere by director Dr. Cheryl Newton at Oakton High School on 12 June 2010 by the Oakton High School Symphonic Band.
2010 "March Celebration" for concert band
Commissioned by the
Harmonie royale des sapeurs-pompiers d'Athus Bands of
Athus , Belgium. World premiere on 23 October 2010 for the 135th anniversary of the
Harmonie royale des sapeurs-pompiers d'Athus under the direction of Dr.Jean-Luc Becker at Centre Clemarais by the town's bands.
2011 "Evolution: Five States of Change" for Brass Band
2014 "A Colour Symphony" - Symphony No.3
Commissioned by the "sinfonischen blasorchester wehdel", Thomas Ratzek, conductor, with funds provided by Stiftung Niedersächsischer Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken and Volksbank eG Bremerhaven-Cuxland. They gave the premiere on 22 November 2014 in the Stadttheater Bremerhaven, in the presence of the composer.
2014 Wind Sketches
[9]
Commissioned by the
Tacoma Concert Band from Washington State, USA.
Trade Winds
Becalmed
Riding the Storm
2017 "Festival Prelude 'AD Excel'"
Commissioned by the AD Concert Band to celebrate their 40th anniversary, by musical director Dr Trevor Farren.
National Championships of Great Britain test pieces
A number of Philip Sparke's compositions have been chosen as test pieces in the
National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain . His pieces have been selected for various sections, both at the area contests and the national finals.
Year
Piece
Section
R/N
Winning Band(s)
Ref
1985
A Malvern Suite
4th
R
Horsham Borough (L&SC) South Leicester and Desford B (Mids N)
Amington (Mids S) Lanchester (NoE) Llanrug & District (NW) Irvine Youth (Sco) Abertillery & District Youth (Wal) Royal British Legion Crownhill (Plymouth) (WoE) Hambleton Brass (Yorks)
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
1987
Harmony Music
Ch
N
Desford Colliery Dowty
[19]
1990
Music for a Festival
3rd
N
Blidworth Welfare
[20]
1991
Triptych
3rd
R
Wantage Silver A (L&SC) Ifton Welfare (Mids) Langbaurgh (NoE) Flixton MCR (NW) Kelty & Blairadam Brass (Sco) Deiniolen (Wal N) British Steel (Port Talbot) (Wal S) Stinchcombe (WoE) Aceprint Gawthorpe Victoria (Yorks)
[21]
[22]
[23]
[24]
[25]
[26]
[27]
[28]
[29]
1992
A London Overture
1st
N
British Telecom
[30]
1993
A Celtic Suite
3rd
N
Skelmanthorpe
[31]
1994
Partita
Ch
R
Regent Brass (L&SC) William Davis Construction Group (Mids)
Ever Ready (NoE)
BNFL Leyland Band (NW)
CWS (Glasgow) (Sco)
Cory (Wal) Flowers Band (WoE)
Yorkshire Building Society Hammonds (Yorks)
[32]
[33]
[34]
[35]
[36]
[37]
[38]
[39]
1995
The Land of the Long White Cloud "Aotearoa"
1st
R
City of Cambridge (L&SC) Rolls-Royce (Mids) EYMS Band (NoE) United Northwest Co-operative (Rochdale) (NW) Bon Accord Silver (Sco) Beaumaris (Wal) Swindon Pegasus Brass (WoE) Stocksbridge Engineering Steels (Yorks)
[40]
[41]
[42]
[43]
[44]
[45]
[46]
[47]
1996
A Malvern Suite
4th
N
Manx Concert
[48]
1998
Between the Moon and Mexico
Ch
N
Brighouse & Rastrick
[49]
1998
Three Miniatures
3rd
N
Oldham Brass 97
[50]
2000
Variations on an Enigma
Ch
R
Aveley & Newham (L&SC) Desford Colliery (Mids)
Ever Ready (NoE)
Fodens Courtois (NW)
CWS (Glasgow) (Sco)
Buy As You View Cory (Wal) Flowers (WoE)
Yorkshire Building Society (Yorks)
[51]
[52]
[53]
[54]
[55]
[56]
[57]
[58]
2001
Diversions – Variations on a Swiss Folk Song "Der Heimetvogel"
2nd
N
Ammanford Town
[59]
2004
Kaleidoscope – Five Variations on the "Brugg Song"
2nd
R
Becontree Brass (L&SC) Hathern (Mids) Ellington Colliery (NoE) Old Hall Brass (NW) Barrhead Burgh (Sco) Llanrug (Wal) Otterbourne Brass (WoE)
Yorkshire Building Society Concert (Yorks)
[60]
[61]
[62]
[63]
[64]
[65]
[66]
[67]
2004
The Four Noble Truths
4th
N
Potters Bar
[68]
2006
Valerius Variations
4th
N
Dodworth Colliery M.W.
[69]
2007
Music for Battle Creek
Ch
N
Grimethorpe Colliery
[70]
2008
The Saga of Haakon the Good
1st
N
Seindorf Beaumaris
[71]
2010
Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes from Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony
4th
R
Battle Town (L&SC) Shipston Town (Mids) Stape Silver (NoE) Hazel Grove (NW) Dumfries Town (Sco) Crwbin (Wal) Test Valley Brass (WoE) Worsbrough Brass (Yorks)
[72]
[73]
[74]
[75]
[76]
[77]
[78]
[79]
2011
Portrait of a City
2nd
N
Brunel Brass
[80]
2013
Harmony Music
Ch
R
Regent Brass (L&SC) Jaguar Land Rover (Mids) NASUWT Riverside (NoE)
Leyland (NW) Whitburn (Sco) Tongwynlais Temperance (Wal) Flowers (WoE)
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Yorks)
[81]
[82]
[83]
[84]
[85]
[86]
[87]
[88]
2013
A Malvern Suite
4th
N
Ebbw Valley Brass
[89]
2017
The Land of the Long White Cloud "Aotearoa"
1st
R
TBD
2020
A Tale As Yet Untold
Ch
R
N/A (L&SC) GUS (Mids) NASUWT Riverside (NoE) Fodens (NW) The Cooperation Band (Sco) Tredegar (Wal) Camborne Town (WoE) Black Dyke (Yorks)
[90]
[91]
[92]
[93]
[94]
[95]
[96]
[97]
References
External links
International National Academics Artists People Other