"Concorde" by Rob Davies - FULL VERSION
Sheet Music Download
Score and Parts Composer: Rob Davies
Rob Davies
Composer and Arranger
Rob Davies has collaborated with Surrey Brass on numerous occasions, contributing major works to the brass ensemble repertoire. Rob has written music for many genres including classical, film, TV themes, and even video games.
"Concorde"
"Concorde" by Rob Davies was written afloat, while he was playing in a cruise liner band travelling around some exotic locations! Rob says "I try to create music that is a pleasure for both the audience and the performer".
Rob continues “Being a brass player myself I know the kind of music that works well and is a thrill to play; loud, fast and very high!!! The idea behind the music first came from Surrey Brass founder John Goodwin in the form of a six section story describing a journey of the fantastic aircraft. These were entitled; Hangar at 3am., Departure Lounge, Afterburner, Mach 2, Droop Snoot, and the Arrival".
"I wrote the music to try and represent these ideas and the sounds that John had envisaged and coupled these with a style of music that will hopefully achieve great energy and momentum. Surrey Brass is a great collection of talented individuals and together they will take every single note and give the music life. I hope the audience can identify the six different sections within the music, and enjoy the overall effect as much as I did writing it!”
With support from the RC Sherriff Trust, “Concorde” was commissioned by Surrey Brass to realise an original idea by its founder.
The first performance of "Concorde" was conducted by Tom Hammond on 4th May 2007 in the Wellington Hangar, Brooklands Museum , Weybridge.
The Brooklands Motorsport and Aviation Museum is the home of Concorde G-BBDG “Delta Golf”, the first production Concorde built in Britain, and at the first performance, the audience were treated to a guided visit to this iconic aeroplane.
Silent Film Music
Rob has also collaborated with Surrey Brass on their series of concerts to commemorate the work of pioneering cinematographer Cecil Hepworth, writing music to accompany silent films made in Walton on Thames between 1895 and about 1910.
Loud Music for Silent Films was one of these projects, particularly notable for Rob's work to write music for one of the first stop-motion animated films ever made - "Oh'Phelia" by Rob Davies. Stop motion animation is also used for another innovative series - "Wallace and Gromit".
Surrey Brass is proud to have commissioned "Concorde" by Rob Davies.
Read about the concept for Concorde. This piece is written for large brass ensemble with percussion. Forces are 6 trumpets/1 doubling flugel, optional 7th trumpet, 4 horns, 3 trombones, bass trombone doubling contrabass trombone, 2 tubas, optional euphonium, 3 percussion. The duration of the piece is 22 minutes.
This piece comes with a Surrey Brass health warning. Concorde is rather challenging and Surrey Brass recommend that a very competent conductor is employed to avoid a mid air collision between players. The style is highly rhythmic, with considerable periods of continuous playing of complex repetitive patterns with changing time signatures, which requires great concentration and stamina. There is a jazz section in the middle with solos for trombone, flugel, and vibraphone. Pacing and control is needed to maintain musical tension and retain sufficient energy for an impressive ending. And it works brilliantly!
This piece received its world premiere on 4th May 2007 at Brooklands to celebrate the beginning of the "Get Out and About" Elmbridge Cultural Festival 2007.
Want a sneak preview of "Concorde"? "Droop Snoot" is playing now - it's synthesised, but gives you an impression of just a small part of this fantastic new piece of music.
Surrey Brass recorded this piece on 6th May 2007 and a DVD is available from this site containing the music and a slideshow of images from the life of Concorde.
Product is delivered as digital download containing Score, Parts, Programme Notes, and listening tracks. This is a large file so it is delivered as a zip archive. Playing duration about 22 minutes in a single continuous movement.
