Brass Band Concert Music (Postage to EUROPE only)

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This cornet and trombone feature was written to celebrate the re-opening of the Preußenflügel at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, Germany. Premiered by the Folkwang Brass Band, conducted by Heinrich Schmidt and recorded by the Black Dyke Band.

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Featuring three Burns' songs; Duncan Gray, Afton Water and The Deil's awa', this piece is playable by most grades of band. Recorded by Yorkshire Building Society and Dalmellington Bands.

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Angels and Demons takes inspiration from the following passage in the Book of Revelation:

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon...
Revelation 12:7

These two lines of text provide the composer with the material for a series of sound pictures. It is for the listener to interpret and imagine the sequence of events in these pictures.

The work was commissioned by Le Brass Band Nord Pas de Calais, Music Directors Philippe Lorthios and Dr Luc Vertommen, and first performed by them in the Nouveau Siècle, Lille, France, on Sunday 25th January 2015.


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Battle is the third movement of the suite War of the Worlds which was commissioned by the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music Saxophone Orchestra and first performed by them in the Maeda Hall, Japan on June 29 2012, the composer conducting. The music is dedicated to Professor Shin-ichi Iwamoto. The transcription for brass band was first performed by the Brighouse & Rastrick Band, conductor David King, in the Bridgewater Hall Manchester on September 8 2012.
The suite takes inspiration from the 1953 film script adaptation of the famous HG Wells novel and key scenes from the film are set as individual movements:
Battle - mankind begin their fight for survival against the Martian war machine.
(Each movement of War of the Worlds is available separately allowing for a variety of "mini-suite" combinations eg: Movements 1,2 and 5 or 3,4 and 5 etc. For movements 2 and 4 see the BB Solos & Ensemble page. Complete suite also available below)

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Extracts performed by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conductor David King.
Full recording available on War of the Worlds - The Music of Peter Graham from World of Brass.com

From Porgy and Bess, an exquisite arrangement. Broadcast by Williams Fairey Band on Listen to the Band.

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Part of the Cry of the Celts suite (see below).

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Commissioned for the Black Dyke Band and recorded by them on the album Call of the Cossacks.
The Cossacks were a nomadic people whose ethnic makeup included Ukrainians, Tartars, Poles and Jews. A similarly wide range of Eastern European folk music features in this work, from Gypsy to Klezmer. Contains 5 movements: 1) Procession of the Tartars 2) Gypsy Dream 3) Cossack Fire Dance 4) Doyle's Lament 5) Cossack Wedding Dance

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Written for the brilliant Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel's Christmas Television Spectacular, this arrangement can be played as a concert item or for audience and band. Includes Silent Night, Away in a Manger, O little Town, Joy to the World, O come all ye faithful and others. Playable by all grades, contains carol sheet (with permission to photocopy inclusive.)

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Originally written for the Grammy nominated album, Evelyn Glennie meets the Black Dyke Band, this arrangement features the full band in some cat and mouse chases.

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Catnap is part of Cats Tales (see below) which pays tribute to four wonderful musicians who shared a love of jazz and New York City. New York born George Gershwin provides the inspiration for Catnap which is a jazz “contrafact” treatment of one of his most familiar songs. (Features solo trombone).

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Cats Tales pays tribute to four wonderful musicians who shared a love of jazz and New York City.

Film composer Elmer Bernstein is remembered in 1) Catalonia before a musical gear change that references the work of his contemporary colleague, “Bernstein East”, aka Leonard Bernstein. The presence of West Side Story looms large here.

Henry Mancini's most famous composition (which concerned a cat of the pink variety) provides the inspiration for the 2nd movement, 2) Catwalk before saxophone legend Sonny Rollins’s jazz standard Airegin is given a contrafact treatment in 3) Scat! allowing a number of instrumental soloists to shine.

NB: The suite can be extended by including the trombone solo Catnap (see above) and the Toccata (see below), available separately.

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Commissioned for the centenary of Rotary International, this march is available free courtesy of Rotary and Gramercy Music. Click on the links below for further details.
(See also wind band concert music pages for the wind version.)

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The finale from Call of the Cossacks (see above).

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A spectacular mini-concert. Contains 5 movements: 1) Nightmare, (includes Lord of the Dance and Stolen Kiss) 2) Suil a Ruin, 3) Breakout, Lament, and 4)Victory. Featured by Yorkshire Building Society Band.

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Variations on I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls. Set as a National Finals Test-Piece, 3rd Section.

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The latest in a series of "world music" features by Peter Graham (including Cry of the Celts, Windows of the World and Call of the Cossacks), Day of the Dragon is a joint commission from the Buy as You View Band and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales. The five movements are based on traditional Welsh Folk Songs and feature solos for cornet, trombone, horn, flugel, euphonium : 1) Overture (Ar lan y mor, Hunting the Hare) 2) Lullaby (Suo Gan) 3) Welsh Clog Dance 4) Ballad (By Kell's Waters) 5) Triumph (Men of Harlech)

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The much loved hymn in an arrangement made for BBC TV "Songs of Praise".

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Verdi’s Requiem was first performed in May 1874 in Milan and was written to commemorate the life of the great Italian poet and writer Manzoni.

This arrangement comprises key moments from the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) section. The main Dies Irae theme is followed by the Tuba Mirum, where offstage cornets play the role of judgment day trumpeters. A transition in the style of Verdi (and utilising material from the work) leads to the majestic Rex tremendae.

Here the vocal soloists of the original are portrayed by the lyric voices of cornet, flugel horn, baritone and euphonium as the increasingly dramatic music draws to a conclusion.

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The Dream Team was originally commissioned by Ronald Holz for the 2012 Great American Brass Band Festival held in Danville, Kentucky. The event, subtitled Trumpetissimo, took the form of a salute to the founder of the GABBF, one of America's most revered trumpet players Vince DiMartino.
The Dream Team was first performed by six leading American trumpet players accompanied by the Atlantic Brass Band, and makes reference to Copland's famous trumpet call, Fanfare to the Common Man, before segueing into latin- styled solo breaks. This revised version includes a greater involvement from the trombone section to create an antiphonal cornet and trombone feature.

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Extracts performed by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conductor David King.
Full recording available on War of the Worlds - The Music of Peter Graham from World of Brass.com

Additional B4 Score: £44.95

Dynasty takes the form of a Symphonic Poem, a musical form first introduced to a contest audience at the Crystal Palace in 1913 by Percy Fletcher in his work Labour and Love.

Using key passages from the autobiography of Harry Mortimer, On Brass as the source for the narrative, the work opens with a four-note leitmotif (Harry's theme, “as if descending from the heavens”), and the timeline unfolds as follows:

1 - Harry
One's destiny decided at birth “I'll make him the best cornet player in England”.

2 - War
Why do the nations so furiously rage together? Fred volunteers for military service

3 - Theatre
And suddenly “I dashed to the rescue like a hero in the silent movies I was about to get to know so well”

4 – Journey
Comfort Ye A new life and new challenges

5 – Together
Come unto me “A golden age”

6 – Farewell
For behold, darkness “Fred's death surely marked the passing of an era”

7 – Amen
The Trumpet shall sound

Listeners familiar with brass band repertoire will recognise a few pertinent quotes within the piece.
In my imagination Harry is joined by Fred on cornet and the euphoniums of Alex and Rex for the quartet cadenza from Sovereign Heritage by Jack Beaver in Together.
The Amen section from Handel's Messiah provides the basis for a contrapuntal flight of fancy as the work moves towards a conclusion. Other less overt fragments contribute to the story.

Dynasty was co-commissioned by the British Open Brass Band Championships for the September 2019 contest, and the Brass Band Committee VLAMO for the Belgian Brass Band Championships 2019.

Peter Graham

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YouTube Cory Band (Full performance)

From Carnival of the Animals, this arrangement features the tuba section.

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A concert opener, the 25th anniversary of Kilmarnock Concert Brass.

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Flashback was written for Lee Rigg and the Wardle Academy Youth Band and opened their winning programme at the 2022 European Youth Championships (Development Section) in Birmingham England.
Prior to his transition to the conductors podium Lee was a long serving member of the Black Dyke Band and considered by many (including myself) to be perhaps the world's greatest repiano cornet player!

In many respects our careers have run in parallel and a number of my works over the years have included solos with Lee in mind. In its short span Flashback makes references to some of these plus my first forays into band writing Dimensions and Prisms, both of which have featured on occasion at the European competition.

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Commissioned by the Fodens Band, this exciting work follows in the Cry of the Celts style and features three traditional Irish tunes, The Minstrel Boy, Tossing the Feathers (both recently featured by The Corrs) and The Rocky Road to Dublin.

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Composer's Note:

Gannochy is a residential area of Perth in Scotland where my mother, Margaret Graham (Stewart), was born and raised.
One of my earliest musical memories was of visits to my grandparents house and of hearing the theme tune to the BBC Radio programme Listen With Mother (a lullaby, which I later found to be called Berceuse from the Dolly Suite by Faure).
A Gannochy Lullaby was written as a little christmas gift for my mother with fond memories of those days in Perth.

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Extracts performed by the Black Dyke Band, conductor Nicholas Childs.
Full recording available on Black Dyke Gold Volume II from World of Brass.com

Additional Score: £37.95

Study Score (A4) Score: £14.95

(Version for Concert Band available from Alfred Music)
Commissioned by Boosey & Hawkes for the Millennium National Brass Band Finals Championship Section.

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Fourth Section Test-Piece in four movements, 1) Haslemere Town 2) Beside the Way 3) Waverley Abbey 4) Charter fair. Recorded by Fodens Band.

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Heroes of the North was commissioned by Henning Annundsen for Skodvin Skulemusikk and pays tribute to the development of brass band activity in the Nordhordland region of Norway.

The music is a set of character variations based upon personalities long associated with both the band and the region. The opening 5 note motif (C D E F G) might be considered the starting point for beginner brass students, and this mini-theme is developed throughout the work.

Five variations follow: Mr Brevik's Galop (representing Tom Brevik, a key figure in Norwegian brass band music); Frode's Dance (with apologies to Edvard Grieg), portraying soprano cornet player Frode Rydland, one of Skodvin Skulemusikk's most famous “old boys”; Mr Bjørge's Walk representing Viggo Bjørge, “Mr Eikanger Bjørsvik Band”; Hymn for Knut-Harald, known as “Mr Skodvin Skulemusikk” having over many years played a central role in the teaching and training of the band, and finally Maestro Snell's Russian Adventure features music with more than a hint of Russian (Khachaturian to be precise) and calls to mind Howard Snell whose arrangements and presence have made such a huge contribution to Norwegian Brass Banding over many years.

Heroes of the North is playable by 4th section bands.

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This beautiful New Zealand melody features flugel to begin, rises to a full band climax and fades into the distance.

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Commissioned by the Black Dyke Mills Band and recorded by them on the CD The Essence of Time.Technically within the capabilities of most bands.

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The Hylton Legacy pays tribute to bandleader Jack Hylton, the three movements referencing the diverse stylistic characteristics which helped establish Hylton's reputation:

1) Hylton in the Hall, a full band feature, is cast in a Latin American dance style with an occasional reference to the popular classic In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg).

Movement 2, Hylton’s Bear Bones, is a trombone feature which makes reference to a novelty song from the period.

The finale, Jack meets Joshua combines the African-American spiritual Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho with a swing section before the Latin music from the first movement brings the work to a rousing conclusion.

The Hylton Legacy was commissioned by Chris Osborn and the University of Lancaster Music Society Wind Band with the generous support of Lancaster University* to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the University. The work was first performed at the University of Lancaster Music Society Last Night of the Proms Concert on Saturday 21st June 2014 in the Great Hall. This arrangement for brass band was made for the Atlantic Brass Band (USA), conductor Salvatore Scarpa.

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Hymn for Bram serves as homage to Bramwell Tovey (1953— 2022) the internationally renowned, Grammy-winning orchestral conductor.

The hymn is the central section from my large scale work Metropolis 1927, commissioned by Bram in 2014 for the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain during his tenure as the bands' Music Director.

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Hyperlink was commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (funded by Arts Council England and the Department for Education) for its 70th Anniversary Year. Since the anniversary coincided with other significant celebrations in 2022 (including the Royal Albert Hall/Ralph Vaughan Williams 150th and the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II) it was requested that these also be recognised in some way.

Where better to begin this challenging brief but with a computer search for the NYBBGB founder Dr Denis Wright (coincidently born in Kensington, home of the RAH). The subsequent rabbit warren of hyperlinks led me to structure the work through a series of “associations”:

Movement I – The Voice of Jupiter.
Alongside the discovery that Denis Wright had been a church organist was the realisation that while the RAH has hosted thousands of musical events the fabric of the building actually incorporates a musical instrument, the famous Henry Wills organ (aka The Voice of Jupiter).
Organ and J S Bach are synonymous (e.g. Toccata in D min) and so both become fundamental to the content of the movement. An opening 7 note quote from the Toccata leads to a mammoth sound cluster, as if every note on the huge RAH organ is sustained. The material which follows is based upon the notes BACH (in German notation). The notes are manipulated in various ways in a 12 tone matrix; reversed, inverted and so on. Other techniques employed in the movement are ones of which Bach was master, including ground bass and fugue.
Movement II – Remember Me.
The lives of Salvationist composer Ray Steadman-Allen (born 1922) and Ralph Vaughan Williams are remembered here, with “RSA” in musical notation and fragments of RVWs famous Tuba Concerto providing the source material.
While writing the movement my father passed away and to close his funeral service the family chose the uplifting Robert Lowry hymn They’ll sing a welcome home. It seemed fitting to conclude the movement with a reflective setting of the chorus, the repeated phrase “Welcome, welcome home” eventually disappearing into the ether.
Movement III – Vivat.
The finale takes the form of a short fantasy upon Hubert Parry’s marvellous coronation anthem I Was Glad, truly a celebratory note with which to conclude.
The first performance of Hyperlink was given by the NYBBGB conducted by Martyn Brabbins at the Royal College of Music, London on August 6th 2022.

Peter Graham

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The novels by Jules Verne have been a rich source of inspiration for composers over the years. Graham has taken elements of the epic work Around the World in Eighty Days as the outline for a series of adventures recorded in an imaginary diary by the hero of the story, Phileas Fogg.

Commencing with London bells in the background, the ensuing journey takes our hero by boat train to Paris (passing the Moulin Rouge en route), Russia (where he is chased by Cossacks), Vienna at night, Spain (where he is a spectator at a bull fight) before a final circumnavigation by sea (where we hear hints of foreign lands) brings him back to London with rich memories of his trip.

The Journal of Phileas Fogg was commissioned by Dr Nicholas Childs for the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain and was first performed by them in July 2012, conducted by Dr Robert Childs.

(The Journal of Phileas Fogg is the 2016 GB Regionals 4th section test piece.)

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Jules Verne's novel (in translation) can be downloaded from www.gutenberg.org

Additional B4 Score: £37.95

2005 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Jules Verne, and the event inspired Peter Graham to write a musical tribute to the author described as the "father of science fiction."

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is one of Verne's best known works. The novel takes the form of a sequence of diary entries by Axel, nephew of Professor Otto Lidenbrock. The pair follow coded instructions in a old document guiding them to Iceland where, together with their guide Hans, they enter the open crater of an extinct volcano Snæfells and pursue a trail to the centre of the earth. There follows “hair-breadth ‘scapes and ventures perilous” as the intrepid explorers encounter a vast interior world.

Peter Graham has taken some of the key scenes from the book and set them as a sequence of symphonic extracts. The subtitles are; (I) Snæfells, (II) Descent, (III) The Wonders of the Terrestrial Depths, (IV) The Day of Rest, (V) Lost in the Labyrinth, (VI) The Whispering Gallery, (VII) Rescue from the Abyss, (VIII) Battle of the Antediluvian Creatures and Ascent, (IX) Homecoming.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth was premiered by the Black Dyke Band as their contest winning own choice test at the 2005 European Championships in Holland.

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Jules Verne's novel (in translation) can be downloaded from www.gutenberg.org

Lady Stewart’s Air was commissioned by David King on behalf of the Federation of Australasian Brass Bands as a tribute to Lady Adrienne Stewart.
Lady Stewart has been a long-standing supporter, promoter, fund-raiser and patron of most arts organizations in New Zealand and has strong links with the brass band community in both New Zealand and Australia.

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Extracts performed by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conductor David King.
Full recording available on War of the Worlds - The Music of Peter Graham from World of Brass.com

A kaleidoscopic tour of London in music, featuring A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, London Pride, British Grenadiers and many more.

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Fritz Lang's 1927 science fiction epic Metropolis is considered to be a masterpiece of cinematic vision and a high point of German Expressionist filmmaking. Set in a future dystopian world the film introduces the viewer to two contrasting communities living in the vast city of Metropolis. Those above ground live a life of privilege and pleasure serviced by the underground-dwelling drone workers whose role is to maintain and operate the banks of machines which provide the city's power.

Lang's film, which can be considered a type of 20th century morality play, draws upon a range of themes and influences from Marxist ideals and social satire to overt religious symbolism.

The music does not attempt to precis the plot, such as it is, but simply reflects my musical responses to Lang's noirish visual style and set designs – the brooding machine rooms, the decadent nightclubs, the gothic cathedral and so on – paradoxically a world of terrifying beauty.

Metropolis 1927 was commissioned by Bramwell Tovey and The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain with funds provided by The Arts Council of England. The first performances took place in the Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare on Saturday 19th April and in the Cheltenham Town Hall on Sunday 20th April 2014.

This revised version was premiered by The Black Dyke Band, conductor Nicholas Childs, at the 38th European Brass Band Championships in the Konzerthaus Freiburg, Germany, on Saturday 2 May 2015.

Peter Graham

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The four movements of Northern Landscapes provide musical mood pictures of various aspects of Northern working life.
1) Industry opens the suite with the bustle of factory machinery, followed attacca by 2) Seascapes which evokes the calmness of local waters during a fishing expedition.

3) Earth Dance references the mining industry where the blackness of the environment is mirrored by the darkness of the music while 4) Flight evokes the path of an aircraft on its maiden journey in this tribute to the aircraft industry.

Northern Landscapes has its origins in music written for the Ulster Orchestra Brass Quintet. This revised and updated version for brass band was commissioned by the Boarshurst (Greenfield) Silver Band, with National Lottery funds, supported by the Arts Council of England. It was set as the 2003 National Brass Band Championships Area Third Section Test-Piece.

Recorded by The Black Dyke Band on The Regionals 2003 DOYCD143

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The much acclaimed 1997 National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain Championship Section Finals Test-Piece. Set test for the 2013 Swiss Open Brass Band Championships and the Grand Shield 2014.

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“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants”
Letter from Isaac Newton to Robert Hooke, 5 February 1676

The art of brass playing embraces a range of diverse approaches and styles. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the musical melting pot of the USA. On the Shoulders of Giants pays tribute to this diversity and to the great American brass virtuosi whose legacy has provided the foundation for countless brass giants of today.

The opening movement, Fanfares, reflects on the legendary Chicago Symphony Orchestra brass section. It has been suggested that the much-admired and distinctive style of the CSO Brass was initially driven by the Germanic repertoire favoured by the early music directors. Here the opening bars from the finale of Bruckner’s 8th symphony provide the departure point for the musical journey.

The work continues (attacca) with an Elegy. America’s role as the birthplace of jazz and two of her leading brass lights are remembered here – Miles Davis (through the sound world created for him by Gil Evans) – and the father of lyrical trombone playing Tommy Dorsey. In acknowledgement that jazz owes its origins to Negro spirituals, the gospel song Steal Away underpins the movement.

The finale, a Fantasie Brillante, pays homage to the turn of the century brass virtuosi of Sousa Band fame. The centrepiece of the movement finds Herbert L. Clarke, Arthur Pryor and Simone Mantia stepping from the mists of time to deliver snippets from their greatest solos (together with passing references to Sousa’s highest paid soloist, drummer August Helmecke). Moments of individual virtuosity lead to a series of ensemble power chords - giant footsteps in musical imagery. Finally, an allusion to the “chess-like” nature of brass band contesting brings the work to a dramatic conclusion.

On the Shoulders of Giants was commissioned by The Cory Band and The National Youth Brass Band of Wales with additional funding from Ty Cerdd – Music Centre Wales. The work was published for the 158th British Open Brass Band Championships, 2010.

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Pentium was commissioned by the West Lothian Schools Wind Band and premiered by the group at the 1999 BASBWE Conference held in Manchester, England.
The work is an extended and developed version of the composer's earlier Praeludium and this recently transcribed brass version returns the piece to its brass band origins.
Described by conductor Brian Duguid as “a short ride on a PC”, Pentium displays some common traits with the minimalist techniques of John Adams.
A five-note figure, first heard in the cornets and horns after the opening swirl and flourish, provides the essential building block for the rondo-like movement.
Pentium takes it’s name from the “silicon glen” where computer chips are manufactured, near the West Lothian Schools Wind Band base.

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Phoenix is the fifth and final movement of the suite War of the Worlds which was commissioned by the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music Saxophone Orchestra and first performed by them in the Maeda Hall, Japan on June 29 2012, the composer conducting. The music is dedicated to Professor Shin-ichi Iwamoto. The transcription for brass band was first performed by the Brighouse & Rastrick Band, conductor David King, in the Bridgewater Hall Manchester on September 8 2012.

The suite takes inspiration from the 1953 film script adaptation of the famous HG Wells novel and key scenes from the film are set as individual movements:
Phoenix – saved from extinction, mankind commence the rebuilding of the ruined cities. The symbolism of the Phoenix, the mythological bird which rises reborn from the ashes of destruction clearly resonates with the Japanese people in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami of 2011. Their spirit and determination has become a present day reminder of mankind’s ability to overcome adversity.

(Each movement of War of the Worlds is available separately allowing for a variety of "mini-suite" combinations eg: Movements 1,2 and 5 or 3,4 and 5 etc. For movements 2 and 4 see the BB Solos & Ensemble tab. Complete suite also available below.)

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Extracts performed by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conductor David King.
Full recording available on War of the Worlds - The Music of Peter Graham from World of Brass.com

(In association with Intrada Music Publishing UK) An original work from the doyen of brass and wind composers. Commissioned and broadcast by the Yorkshire Building Society Band.

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Commissioned by David King and Yorkshire Building Society Band for their exciting recording, Introduction, on the Polyphonic label, this version features an extended Wagnerian coda.

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Rameau Revisited takes themes from the operas and keyboard works of the great Baroque composer Jean-Phillipe Rameau and recasts them to exploit the various colours of the modern brass band. The two outer movements, Marche and Tambourin are tour de force display pieces for the full ensemble while the three inner movements, Rondeau, La Joyeuse and Danse showcase the horn, cornet and lower brass sections in turn.

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Extracts performed by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conductor David King.
Full recording available on War of the Worlds - The Music of Peter Graham from World of Brass.com

The Red Machine was commissioned by the London-based Band of the Coldstream Guards. Among the band’s duties is the famous changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace where their reputation for precision marching has led to them being described as the “Red Machine”.

The music reflects the title and heritage of this fine group; from the aggressive, machine-type music of the opening, the contrasting nostalgic French-flavoured waltz through the recapitulation and vivace finale. Listeners may hear references to music associated with the band, from Holst (the Planets) through the opening phrase of the chorale Ein Feste Burg - familiar to British Guards Bands from the troop march Huguenots.

The version for brass band was made for the Black Dyke Band, Music Director Nicholas Childs, and premiered by them during the Gramercy Music 10th Anniversary Concert in the Maxwell Hall University of Salford, on May 7 2004.

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From Mouret's Symphonie des Fanfares, an ideal concert opener.

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Seize the Day was written for the London-based International Staff Band of the Salvation Army, conductor Dr Stephen Cobb, the title serving as the theme for the band’s USA West Tour 2010.

As befits music being performed during a trip to the United States the work is based upon three traditional American spirituals. The first, The Gospel Train, is introduced following a carillon-like intrada in trombones and bells with supporting cornet flourishes. Ostinati drive the musical locomotive along until an abrupt halt ushers in another kind of vehicle, the celestial Sweet Chariot, featuring euphonium and trombone soloists.

The finale, Amen, celebrates the arrival at our destination with some tongue-in-cheek West Coast (and Swinging London!) references before a reprise of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot brings the music to a majestic and joyful conclusion.

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Sirocco was commissioned for the Doncaster Concert Band, Musical Director Karen Roberts, by the Hothouse Festival and was premiered at the Festival in March 2007. A Sirocco is a wind that originates in the Sahara and sweeps across the Mediterranean through North Africa to Southern Europe. Taking this route as his inspiration, Peter Graham has fashioned a tour-de-force for band that features three Mediterranean folk songs.

Two of the three movements are well known in their respective countries. Firstly, the fast and furious Tarantella is commonly heard as part of traditional Italian wedding celebrations whilst the Romanza can justifiably lay claim as one of Spain’s most enduring melodies, synonymous with the Spanish guitar.

The final movement has its roots in traditional Greek dance music, being a mixture of slow and fast versions of the hasapiko. The best-known example of the form is the famous Zorba’s Dance, and in the same manner the Sirtaki’s sedate opening bars soon give way to a frenzy of activity as the entire ensemble whip up their own musical storm.

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A brilliant showpiece for band based on The Sussex Carol. Broadcast by Sellers Engineering Band on Listen to the Band.

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Strange New Worlds was commissioned by Nicholas Childs for the National Children's Brass Band of Great Britain with funds provided by Arts Council England.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary for the 2020 course to transition from residential to virtual and the work was designed to accomodate this change. The participants individually filmed themselves to a click track and the videos were collated to create a “virtual” performance. The premiere was streamed live on YouTube on August 7, 2020.

The work is in 5 movements with a narrative dictated by the individual movement titles. Although to me this narrative is clearly defined, multiple scenarios present themselves. Some may interpret the story as being one from the ancients while others might identify with the science-fiction of H.G. Wells. Others still will relate to the recent surge of interest in 1980s culture and the Netflix series Stranger Things (to which the title of my work pays homage). Nor would it be unreasonable to consider the piece an analogy reflecting events in 2020. Listeners will decide the story (or message) for themselves.

The five movements are:
I - Things to Come
II - Descent to Darkness (featuring Cornets, Trombones and Percussion)
III - Resistance (featuring Horns, Baritones, Euphoniums, Basses and Percussion)
IV/V - Aftermath/A New Hope

Peter Graham

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A Fanfare and Prelude which features the Cornet and Trombone sections in antiphonal staging. Written for the National Youth Band of Wales and currently in Black Dyke programmes.

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A full band setting of O Lord my God which grows to a massive climax. Featured on BBC TV Songs of Praise.

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Within The 39th Parallel (South) lies the New Zealand district of Whanganui and at its heart the Whanganui river - Te Awa Tupua.

This work is cast in two parts; Part 1, a musical evocation of the course of the river from Mount Tongariro to the sea, is constructed according to golden ratio proportions (the fundamental mathematical principle governing nature). Running in parallel a sequence of metrical modulations finds the tempo of the music increase incrementally over the course of the movement.

Part 2 – Apakura – ("Lament" in the Maori language) develops a theme previously hinted at in Part 1 but now fully realised. This “Home” theme is an elegy to the late Kevin Jarrett – a towering figure in the New Zealand music scene who for many years lived and worked in the town of Whanganui. The elegy includes references to music which formed a significant part of Kevin Jarrett's musical experiences both as a New Zealand Army Band musician (echoes of the Urbach march Through Bolts and Bars) and through his long association with the National Band of New Zealand (hints of fellow countryman Sir Dean Goffin's classic Rhapsody in Brass).

The work concludes with a reprise of the “Home” theme.

The 39th Parallel was commissioned by the Brass Band Association of New Zealand, in memory of the late Kevin Jarrett, with funds primarily provided by WNG Loan Finance & Investment Co; McDonnell Coleman Trust; Brass Whanganui; Riki & Rhys McDonnell; Jonathan Wallace; Graham Hickman; Ian & Denise Levien; and the New Zealand Army Band.

Peter Graham

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Three Jazz Pieces is scored for brass band** but can be performed by as few as five players plus percussion. Ideal for intermediate and school groups but an equally effective concert item when played by more advanced groups. The three pieces are: (I) Tuned In (II) Midnight Blues and (III) Ready to Rumba?

**See Score Image for instrumentation.

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To Boldly Go was commissioned by the Melbourne Staff Band of the Salvation Army, Bandmaster Ken Waterworth, in celebration of the band's 125th Anniversary in 2015.

Ken Waterworth requested that the new work echo the flavour and style of the composers' earlier Shine as the Light; accordingly this new work gives special prominence to well-established Salvationist songs, in this case I'll go in the strength of the Lord (Turney and Bosanko) and I'll not turn back (Gowans and Larsson).

As the band celebrated and refected upon the past 125 years of service, the message of the songs serves as a reminder of the continuing journey and mission of the Melbourne Staff Band in the 21st century.

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Toccata is part of Cats Tales (see above) which pays tribute to four wonderful musicians who shared a love of jazz and the New York City. New York resident “Bernstein East”, aka Leonard Bernstein, is the inspiration behind Toccata. The presence of Bernstein’s masterpiece West Side Story looms large here.

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The Torchbearer was commissioned by Kapitol Promotions and the Federation of Australasian Brass Bands as the test piece for the 2009 National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain and the FABB Open Contest respectively. The commission was initiated by the Federation’s Music Advisor, Professor David King, whose support and encouragement for the idea of a piece commemorating the 20th anniversary of Eric Ball’s death is greatly appreciated.

The variations are based upon the first phrase of the trio from Eric Ball’s Salvation Army march, Torchbearers.

After opening statements of the theme, variation 1 (an energetic allegro brillante utilising fragment A) commences at bar 35. Cadenza passages for Eb Bass and Euphonium lead to variation 2 (an andante appassionato based upon fragment B) at 104. Variation 3 (142 - a vivace featuring C as an ostinato) is followed at 205 by variation 4, the central andante e sciolto molto for solo cornet (utilising D1 as a counterpoint and D2 as a 2nd phrase).

The work culminates at bar 291 in a reprise of the cornet solo, now fully metamorphosised and mirroring in music a concept at the centre of Ball’s broader philosophy, that of transformation.

I have endeavoured to retain the main compositional characteristics and harmonic flavour of Eric Ball’s Salvation Army and contest music. His scoring techniques are a model for any student of the medium and whilst I have aimed for similar colours and clarity of line in texture, concessions have been made in the instrumentation of the 21st century brass band. A slightly more developed percussion section is utilised employing timpani and xylophone in dominant roles.

Eric Ball will be remembered as a composer whose classic works for brass shine through with integrity and sincerity. I have been no less sincere in my efforts to pay musical tribute to the 20th century’s most influential composer of brass band music.

Peter Graham
Cheshire
July 2009

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Triquetra takes the form of a free fantasia on the familiar hymn Old Hundreth. The tune appears in full in four different guises – harmonically and rhythmically altered on each occasion. Fragments of the melody are also used to generate new ideas, most notably in the contrasting middle section where the opening phrase of the hymn appears in inversion.

As to the title, the Triquetra (from the Latin triquetrus meaning three-corned) symbol is representative of the Christian Trinity and in that respect relates to the final line of text in Old Hundreth, also known as the Doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Triquetra was written for Stephen Cobb in recognition of 30 years outstanding service as conductor of the International Staff Band of the Salvation Army.

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The Triumph of Time was commissioned by Professor Nicholas Childs for the Black Dyke Band and was premiered by them at the 37th European Brass Band Championships held in Perth Concert Hall, Scotland, on the 3rd of May 2014.

As I began preparations for the commission it occurred to me that 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the publication of one of my earliest works for brass band, The Essence of Time. Listening to the piece for the first time in a number of years I was struck by its energy, optimism and sheer joie de vivre. Reflecting on these impressions I wondered if I might capture something of the spirit of The Essence of Time in a new work, and whilst not using any of the existing musical content perhaps draw upon some of the structural elements.

Like The Essence of Time, The Triumph of Time is a set of variations for band which follow roughly the same moods and characteristics of its older relative.

Many years ago as I took up a university post and embarked on postgraduate compositional study, my friend and colleague Ron Holz offered me some sage advice; to explore and assimilate unfamiliar compositional concepts and to develop and strengthen my technique, but never to stop writing tunes! This piece is dedicated to Dr Ronald W. Holz in gratitude.

Peter Graham, June 2015

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Part of the Cry of the Celts suite (see above).

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On March 17 1923 my grandfather, John Graham, set sail from Glasgow Scotland on the TSS Cameronia, ultimately bound for the coal fields of West Virginia. As Europe struggled to recover from the aftermath of the war to end all wars a generation of young immigrants looked to the USA for the opportunity of improved prospects and a better life.

Voyage to Worlds Unknown seeks to capture the mixture of emotions of this epic sea voyage and as such is unashamedly programmatic in character. The work follows a clearly defined timeline in five continuous sections:

1) TSS Cameronia - the grandeur and majesty of the vessel
2) Full ahead – a Scottish jig and reel of increasing tempo
3) Ae Fond Kiss - the haunting Burns song - separation from a loved one
4) The Crossing - in the teeth of an Atlantic gale - memories
5) The New Colossus - journey’s end as New York harbour and the Statue of Liberty emerge from the mists:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

From The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus (1883)

Voyage to Worlds Unknown was first performed by Ronald Waiksnoris and The New York Staff Band in the Carnegie Hall New York, March 22 2012. This revised version was made for the Black Dyke Band.

Recorded on the CD The Triumph of Time and available from www.worldofbrass.com

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MP3 File (full performance by Black Dyke Band).

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War of the Worlds was commissioned by the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music Saxophone Orchestra and first performed by them in the Maeda Hall, Japan on June 29 2012, the composer conducting. The music is dedicated to Professor Shin-ichi Iwamoto.
The transcription for brass band was first performed by the Brighouse & Rastrick Band, conductor David King, in the Bridgewater Hall Manchester on September 8 2012. Epic in scope, the suite takes inspiration from the 1953 film script adaptation of the famous HG Wells novel and key scenes from the film are set as individual movements:

1) Wrath depicts the arrival of the alien advance party on Planet Earth.

2) Reflections – (duet for Flugel and Tenor Horn).
Here mankind contemplates a life forever changed as the invaders progress their colonization of Planet Earth.

3) Battle - mankind begin their fight for survival against the Martian war machine.

4) Deliverance – (solo for Soprano Cornet or Tenor Horn Eb). The survivors seek sanctuary in the Church of Santa Maria, still standing among the burning ruins of Los Angeles, and pray for deliverance from the invaders.

5) Phoenix – saved from extinction, mankind commence the rebuilding of the ruined cities. The symbolism of the Phoenix, the mythological bird which rises reborn from the ashes of destruction clearly resonates with the Japanese people in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami of 2011. Their spirit and determination has become a present day reminder of mankind’s ability to overcome adversity.

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Extracts performed by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conductor David King.
Full recording available on War of the Worlds - The Music of Peter Graham from World of Brass.com

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A six movement sequel to the popular Cry of the Celts, reflecting world music styles from Latin American to Irish Folk. Each movement 1) Amazonia 2) Rainforest 3) The Rising Sun 4) Drums of Thunder 5) Celtic Dream 6) Earth Walk can be individually programmed. Featured soloists include Soprano Cornet, Trumpet/Cornet, Flugel Horn, Tenor Horn, Baritone, Trombone, Euphonium and Percussion. Windows of the World was premiered by the YBS Band at the Millenium European Championships Gala Concert, held in Symphony Hall Birmingham.
(Please note: The Rising Sun is also available as an extended full band feature entitled Hinode).

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Drums of Thunder Optional Ending
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With Fire and Sword evokes memories of the music which accompanied the great action-adventure movie serials of the 1930's. Often set in some exotic location full of "eastern promise", the scene might involve the strong-jawed hero of the hour being chased through a sweltering market-place by a band of sword- yielding villains.
This scenario will be familiar to fans of the Indiana Jones series, Steven Spielberg's cinematic homage to these early serials. As Dr Stephen Arthur Allen has observed, "Would that all international relations could be this much fun!"

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Extracts performed by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conductor David King.
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A festive march based on See Amid the Winter Snow. In the style of the composer's S.A. march The Shining Star.

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Wrath is the first movement of the suite War of the Worlds which was commissioned by the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music Saxophone Orchestra and first performed by them in the Maeda Hall, Japan on June 29 2012, the composer conducting. The music is dedicated to Professor Shin-ichi Iwamoto. The transcription for brass band was first performed by the Brighouse & Rastrick Band, conductor David King, in the Bridgewater Hall Manchester on September 8 2012.

The suite takes inspiration from the 1953 film script adaptation of the famous HG Wells novel and key scenes from the film are set as individual movements.
Wrath depicts the arrival of the alien advance party on Planet Earth.

(Each movement of War of the Worlds is available separately allowing for a variety of "mini-suite" combinations eg: Movements 1,2 and 5 or 3,4 and 5 etc. For movements 2 and 4 see the BB Solos & Ensemble tab. Complete suite also available above.)

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Extracts performed by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conductor David King.
Full recording available on War of the Worlds - The Music of Peter Graham from World of Brass.com

Additional B4 Score: £44.95

Z 1920 is the second work in a planned trilogy of pieces based upon silent movies from the 1920s (the first in the trilogy being Metropolis 1927). This second work is inspired by the genre-defining 1920 Douglas Fairbanks silent movie The Mark of Zorro, an adaptation of Johnston McCulley’s 1919 pulp fiction novel The Curse of Capistrano.

The main characters are represented within the piece as follows:

Don Diego - Cornet 1
Zorro (Don Diego’s alter ego) - Cornet 2
Lolita (love interest) - Flugel Horn
Captain Ramon (the oppressor) - Euphonium

The narrative of the movie translates to a musical journey in five scenes with a degree of creative license employed in ordering the sequence of events:

Scene 1 - Capistrano - a people oppressed - the arrival of Zorro
Scene 2 - Lolita, a damsel in distress
Scene 3 - Captain Ramon and Zorro prepare to duel - the sword fight
Scene 4 - Don Diego’s broken heart - a tango at the hacienda
Scene 5 - The final duel - the oppressor vanquished - Zorro unmasked and Lolita reunited

The era of the swashbuckling hero, adventure, romance and passion find echoes in traditional brass band values of lyricism, virtuosity and bravura.

Z 1920 was commissioned by the Brighouse & Rastrick Band, Music Director David King, and first performed in Palanga Concert Hall Lithuania on 4 May 2024.

Peter Graham

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The Stuart Pullin Collection


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Published for the Butlins 2009 Brass Festival, Haydock Variations was commissioned by the Valley Brass (Haydock) Band in 1999 and was premiered by massed bands at a joint concert with the Marple Band in 2000. It was also part of a submission for the degree of MA in Composition at the University of Salford, for which the composer gained a distinction.

The form of Haydock Variations is a double set of variations. The first theme is stated in the opening bars and the second theme derived from the accompaniment to the first (bars 9 - 12). The variations on the themes return in the final marziale section.

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This piece was written originally as the middle movement of a short suite for brass band, called Musings. The inspiration for the piece came from the death of a fellow player in a motorcycle accident aged only 25, and the feelings generated following his funeral.
Ian Jackman played trombone, hence the haunting final rendition of the theme on trombone. (notes by Stuart Pullin)

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This exciting young composer's first published work for brass band. In three movements, set as the 1997 Boosey & Hawkes Youth Championship Advanced Test Piece.

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Written for horn soloist Sheona White, this gorgeous setting has already been performed in Westminster Abbey.

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