Boulder Brass

Updated this arrangement from about 12 years ago of the sublime 1791 motet by Mozart, Ave Verum Corpus - written just 6 months before his passing.

As I slowly rebrand my publications and update the woefully neglected SEO on the Boulder Brass website, I'm also seeking out cover art that is less generic and fits the tone of each chart - at least for me. This one was a challenge, but I can imagine hearing this music standing at the entrance to this valley. Albert Bierstadt - Staubbach Falls near Lauerbrunnen, Switzerland (1869).

I also found a wrong note (though it was kind of crunchy and cool, it just didn't fit), and rescored the final cadence so the chord in the trombones would ring a little more true. The audio track in this video doesn't do the music justice, but it's a step in the right direction.

Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartarranged for brass ensemble by Michael Allen2 Trumpets in B flat, 2 Flugelhorns, 2 Horns, 2 Tenor Trombones, Bass Trombone, Euphonium,...

Had to take this one off the shelf for a couple of years due to copyright restrictions - available again. This arrangement is the best 9 minutes of the full 16 minute work (or so I've been told).

Boulder Brass recorded this in 2002 on Landscapes and Portraits - see the comments for the link.

An American in Paris George Gershwinarranged for brass ensemble by Michael Allen423.11 - percCopyright © 2024 Boulder Brass Publicationsas performed by the Boulder Brass on "Land...

The Hills of Anacapri 444.12 [BB-BE220619] - $60.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music The Hills of Anacapri 444.12 [BB-BE220619] - Anacapri is a comune on the island of Capri, in the province of Naples, Italy. The Ancient Greek prefix ana means "up" signifying that Anacapri is located at a higher elevation on the island than Capri. Debussy was a regular visitor to....

Fugue in G minor 424.11 [BB-BE231015] - $65.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Fugue in G minor 424.11 [BB-BE231015] - Fugue in G minor, BWV 578, (popularly known as the Little Fugue), is a piece of organ music written by Johann Sebastian Bach during his years at Arnstadt (1703–1707). It is one of Bach's best known fugues and has been the subject of many a...

Liebestod - Finale of Act III of Tristan und Isolde 644.11 [BB-BE231024] - $70.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Liebestod - Finale of Act III of Tristan und Isolde 644.11 [BB-BE231024] - Isolde's famous and heart-wrenching Love Death aria ("Mild und leise" translates to softly and gently) from the finale of Tristan und Isolde.  This is often paired in concert with the Prelude to Act I. For...

Poco Allegretto from Symphony No 3, Op 9 [BB-BE231105] - $50.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Poco Allegretto from Symphony No 3, Op 9 [BB-BE231105] - Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90, is a symphony by Johannes Brahms. The work was written in the summer of 1883 at Wiesbaden, nearly six years after he completed his Symphony No. 2.  The premiere performance was given on 2 ...

Waltzes Opus 39 Volume 2 [BB-BE120303] - $59.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Waltzes Opus 39 Volume 2 [BB-BE120303] - Waltzes, Opus 39 is a set of 16 short waltzes composed for piano four hands (i.e. duet) in 1865. These waltzes were also arranged for piano solo by the composer, in two different versions – difficult and simplified. The three versions wer...

Jeux d'enfants [BB-BE181101] - $89.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Jeux d'enfants [BB-BE181101] - Jeux d'enfants (Children's Games) Op. 22, is originally a suite of twelve miniatures composed by Georges Bizet for piano four hands in 1871. Bizet's biographer, Winton Dean, considers the suite to be a forerunner of similar childhood-related works by...

Lincolnshire Posy [BB-BE170107] - $200.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Lincolnshire Posy [BB-BE170107] - Lincolnshire Posy, considered Grainger's masterpiece, was composed for concert band in 1937. The work is composed of six movements, each adapted from folk songs that Grainger had collected on a 1905–1906 trip to Lincolnshire, England. Grainger m...

Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin [BB-BE220601] - $50.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin [BB-BE220601] - Composed in 1849, "Lohengrin" remains one of Wagner's most popular music dramas.  The prelude to the third act sets the stage for the wedding feast of Lohengrin and Elsa. For 14-piece brass ensemble (444.11) and percussion Piccolo ...

Colonial Song 444.12 BE [BB-BE231224] - $65.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Colonial Song 444.12 BE [BB-BE231224] - Begun in 1905, Percy Grainger completed his Colonial Song as a yule gift to his mother in 1911 and is also titled "Sentimental No. 1." Originally written for violin, cello & piano (with two optional wordless singers), he rescored it in 1912....

English Folk Song Suite [BB-BE231215] - $71.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music English Folk Song Suite [BB-BE231215] - English Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams was first performed on July 4, 1923 by the band of the Royal Military School of Music. In three movements, the suite comprises folk songs from the Norfolk and Somerset regions of England, inc...

Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 4 [BB-BE200604] - $45.00 : Art of Sound Music Art of Sound Music Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 4 [BB-BE200604] - The Slavonic Dances by Antonín Dvořák are a series of pieces originally composed for piano four hands in 1878 (Op. 46)  and 1886 (Op. 72) and were inspired by Johannes Brahms's Hungarian Dances. These are more well-known as orchestr...

Percy Grainger Colonial Song. Many are familiar with the version for military band, but Grainger composed this 7 years before dishing it up for band in a "Version for 3-Some (fiddle, cello & piano)" Grainger's inscription reads "Composed as yule-gift for mother, 1911." This one also includes some optional wordless voices (soprano and tenor). There is also a solo piano version from 1912 (also a yule-gift to his mother).

Not an arrangement of folk melodies but, rather, an original composition meant to express his feelings for the scenery of his native country, Australia. One of my all time favorite Grainger tunes.

Colonial Song Percy Graingerarranged for large brass ensemble by Michael Allen444.12, timp, glockenspiel. suspended cymbal, gongaudio is Note Performer from the Finale fil...

I. March - Seventeen Come Sunday

March - Seventeen Come Sunday Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)arranged for 423.11 brass ensemble by Michael Allen(Trumpet in E flat, Piccolo in B flat, B flat Trumpet, Flugelhorn, 2 H...

Folksongs from Somerset.

Folksongs from Somerset from English Folk Song Suite (1923) Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)arranged for 423.11 brass ensemble by Michael Allen(Trumpet in E flat, Piccolo in B flat, B flat Trumpet, Flugelhorn, 2 H...

Intermezzo - My Bonny Boy
Complete suite forthcoming.

My Bonny Boy from English Folk Song Suite (1923) Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)arranged for 423.11 brass ensemble by Michael Allen(Trumpet in E flat, 2 B flat Trumpets, Flugelhorn, 2 Horns, 2 Tenor Tr...

Rufford Park Poachers Percy Aldridge Grainger, from Lincolnshire Posyarranged for brass ensemble by Michael Allenaudio is Note Performer midi mockup from the Finale file.Cover art...

Wassail Song Traditional English Carol, setting by Ralph Vaughan Williamsarranged for brass ensemble by Michael Allenhttps://www.boulderbrass.org/product-page/wassail-son...

Carol of the Bells Mykhalo Leontovicharranged for brass ensemble by Dave Hansonhttps://www.boulderbrass.org/product-page/carol-of-the-bellsTrack is from the Boulder Brass Chris...

From Songs of a Wayfarer - When my Sweetheart has her Wedding Day.

Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht When my Sweetheart has her Wedding DayGustav Mahler, from Songs of a Wayfarerarranged for brass ensemble by Michael Allen423.11 (Piccolo in B flat, Cornet in...

Mahler Symphony No. 3 - Finale, Opening Chorale.

Opening Chorale from the Finale of Symphony No. 3 Langsam. Ruhevoll. Empfunden. (Slowly. Tranquil. Deeply Felt.)Gustav Mahlerarranged for brass ensemble by Michael Allen423.11 (Trumpet in E flat, Trumpet in ...

I'm cleaning up some old files and making new audio - working on the Wayfarer songs today. Gleaming, searing...his heart is pierced from lost love.

Found a cool 19th century painting by Arnold Schulten of a waterfall in the alps. Mahler was a young man in transition at this time (1890) - Budapest, Hamburg, Vienna. The painting seemed to capture what's in my mind's eye when I hear these pieces.

I Have Gleaming Knife From Songs of a Wayfarer by Gustav Mahlerarranged for brass ensemble by Michael Allen423.11 timp and percussion - Trumpet in E flat, Trumpet in B flat doubli...

New chart - Third movement of Symphony No. 3.

Poco allegretto (third movement of Symphony No. 3, Op. 90) Johannes Brahmsarranged for brass ensemble by Michael Allen2+2 2 3.1 (Trumpets are Piccolo in B flat, E flat Trumpet), 2 Flugelhorns, 2 Horns, 2 Tenor Trombo...

Liebestod - Tristan und Isolde, Act III Finale Richard Wagner, arranged for large brass ensemble by Michael Allen4 Trumpets (2 Piccolos in A, 2 C Trumpets), 2 Flugelhorns, 4 Horns, 2 Tenor Trombones, 2 Ba...

While I was on the road with the Dallas Brass (spring of 1987), I wrote an arrangement for the Summit Brass sitting in a hotel room in northern Iowa somewhere. SB recorded it later that summer on Toccata & Fugue (DCD 101). That arrangement was the origin story of Boulder Brass Publications as well as a piece of the origin story for Summit Records.

I took it out of the catalog 20 years ago (don't remember why) and then lost track of my files (and the original hand copied score and parts). I'm sure they are around here somewhere, but it's only 68 bars of music and I have 35 years of experience doing these things. So I decided to rearrange the original yesterday. Here 'tis.

Little Fugue - Fugue in G minor, BWV 578 Johann Sebastian Bacharranged by Michael for large brass ensemble443.11 (Trumpets are B flat Piccolo, E flat Trumpet, B flat Trumpet, Flugelhorn), 4 Horns, 3...