Composer: Ryan Linham (1991-)
Duration: 10 minutes
Price: £35
Grade: 5-7
Instrumentation: Medium Brass Ensemble (8 parts) and Percussion

Part A-C Trumpet in Bb
Part D Trumpet in Bb, Horn in F OR Horn in Eb
Part E-F Trombone OR Euphonium
Part G Euphonium
Part H Tuba OR Eb Bass

Perc 1 Triangle and Cymbals
Perc 2 Triangle and Snare Drum
Perc 3 Vibraphone and Bass Drum

Written for the 2016 Advanced Ensemble on the Brass Academy, 3 Brass Dances is another fun educational piece for strong young players. Noticing a distinct gap in the market for music of this difficulty, this original composition is aimed exactly at those advanced students who don’t quite have the range or stamina of Grade 8 players.

The first movement is broad and evocative Sunrise over the mountains. Perfect for blending sound and working on dynamic range, this movement features gets the lower instruments playing soaring long melodies. The second movement is a sweet Pastorale, beginning with musical bird calls and leading to a flowing 6/8 melody. Movement 3 is a Nocturne, which with it’s bluesy harmonic language and solo parts for the tuba and euphonium gives a rich and sonorous sound. The final movement is a very fun Alpine Polka, reminiscent of a Bavarian folk melody perfect for working on articulation.

The piece is written as semi-flexible 8 parts (plus percussion) so it should be suitable for most medium sized ensembles. If you have a different line-up, get in touch!

Sample Audio:

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