Battle of Britain

Hardback-This volume presents newly engraved and edited scores of all Walton's popular film scores including the various Shakespeare suites and for the first time on sale his music for the film Battle of Britain.

When the Second World War began the British March King Kenneth J. Alford (pseudonym for Major F. J. Ricketts R.M.) was increasingly in bad health and had composed relatively little music recently. As Hitler's armies marched victoriously across Europe Britain was soon alone facing the Nazi peril. Alford's great contribution to the war effort was the composition of two of his great masterpieces ARMY OF THE NILE celebrating the first Allied victories over the Germans in North Africa and EAGLE SQUADRON. The latter of these marches celebrates American airmen who travelled to England during the early years of the war (before the entry of the United States into the conflict) tovolunteer for service with the Royal Air Force serving with great distinction during the Battle of Britain. Alford skillfully weaves a number of well-known tunes into the fabric of the music including the Royal Air Force March and The Star-Spangled Banner while also including a reference to the Siegfried motive from Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung. Mark Rogers' edition of this classic march includes a handsome full score and concert size set of parts.

Commissioned in 1994 by the Royal Air Force 'Scramble!' is a concert overture for symphonic wind band inspired by images of the RAF's airfields during the Battle of Britain immortalised for ever in such films as 'Reach for the Sky'. The pastoral opening depicts the lull before the storm: the young pilots sitting in wicker chairs outside their barracks on a sunlit morning. The peace is of course deceptive suddenly amid siren sounds there is a shout of 'Scramble!' and a rush to the waiting planes. In no time at all the squadron is airborne heading for a skirmish over the English Channel and beyond. A lyrical central section featuring a solo cornet depicts the stillness manypilots described as they flew to engage the enemy before the battle breaks out once more. For those who returned it would be only a short while before once again they would hear the familiar shout of 'Scramble!'

King Arthur was the first of 28 scores Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) composed for radio between 1937 and 1947. It was an ambitious dramatisation of King Arthur’s life and times – part pageant part play part cantata – written by D.G. Bridson. This colourful suite incorporates the Introduction a dramatic Wild Dance some of the music underscoring the scenes for Galahad and The Holy Grail and two vivid battle scenes ending with The Final Battle and Apotheosis. King Arthur (scenes from a radio drama) for brass band should not be confused with a much longer orchestral suite which Paul Hindmarsh devised from the same source in1995. King Arthur (scenes from a radio drama) will be played by the 20 First Section finalists on 16th September 2018 at this year’s National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.

Rorate Coeli for unaccompanied chorus was written in 1973 in response to a commission from the National Federation of Music Societies in Great Britain. It was first performed by the Thomas Tallis choir in Greenwich. It is a setting of two interleaved poems of the famous Scottish poet William Dunbar (written circa 1500). One poem is the Nativity poem of the title the other is the poem about the Resurrection: 'Done is a battle on the dragon black'. The work is framed by the rich chords of the opening line where full chorus is echoed by soloists. This setting of both poems simultaneously reminiscent of medieval polytextural techniques shows the future victory of theResurrection along with present joy of the Nativity. The chords of the opening return at the end combined with an exultant Gloria.

A touching and dramatic motet by the immensly gifted composer Vaughan Williams. Composed for the dediation service of the Battle of Britain Chapel in Westminster Abbey on July 10th 1947. He has wonderfully set this biblical text for STB Soloists and SATB Unaccompanied.

Apple Records was a noble experiment created in the spirit of the 1960s by four musicians who came to represent everything that was best about those tumultuous, experimental, and liberating times. The Beatles started out with the greatest of intentions, but reality soon got in the way. Much has been written about this period in the history of The Beatles' evolution and dissolution---some of it true, some of it wildly exaggerated, but not much of it first-hand. The Longest Cocktail Party is a rare exception. Written by Richard DiLello, who served as Apple Record's 'House Hippie' from 1968 to 1970, this unusual first-hand glimpse into The Beatles' empire humorously chronicles the stranger-than-life stories that were to become legendary, including visits by the Hell's Angels and endless tales of celebrity antics. Alfred Music is proud to offer this latest edition, which features a new and insightful foreword by the author. Originally published by Playboy Press in 1972, The Longest Cocktail Party has proven itself a timeless chronicle of this most colorful period in pop history. / Divers