Christmas Express

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John BloodGZ 036
Treble 1 in C (optional), Treb.1,2 in Bb, Alto in Bb, Tenor in C, Bass 1,2 in C, Perc. (3 players), Piano (optional) | Duration: 8 minutes

Commissioned, in 1990, by Bedford Modern School for their Christmas wind band concerts, Christmas Express soon became a firm favourite and later no more so than with the wind band of St Peter’s School, York.

It describes a train, merrily rattling along on Christmas Eve passing by, amongst others, Wenceslas Castle, a skating party, a harbour and a cathedral before hurtling into the terminus.

Skillfully scored for any combination of Bb and C instruments and with optional parts for piano and a whistle tooting guard. Great fun!

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Score and parts

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12 Variations on HARRY

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John BloodGZ 148
Piano | Duration: 13½ minutes

These light hearted character pieces are a set of 12 variations all based on the five letters of the name HARRY – with a slight phonetic cheat for the ‘Y’! Through letters and emails, a friendship between Harry Presburg (who lives in Florida) and the composer and his partner has flourished for many years and these pieces are by way of a thank you for all the gentle kindness shown by Harry, a keen pianist.

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  • 1 Fanfare
  • 2 Saturday stroll
  • 3 Valse melancolique
  • 4 The fidgets
  • 5 March
  • 6 Toccata
  • 7 Daydreams
  • 8 Pyotr Illich
  • 9 The stoic
  • 10 Tarentella
  • 11 Habenera
  • 12 N Y Burlesque

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Vermilion Sonata

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John BloodGZ 145
Cello and Piano | Duration: 13 minutes

The three movements of this sonata all grow from the piano’s brief five note opening phrase with which the work begins. The first movement has an energetic forward drive led by an angry sounding cello which is then followed by a presto second movement where the two instruments try to engage in a more balanced dialogue. Unfortunately this conversation eventually disintegrates and the final, slow movement is a sad acknowledgement of this failure to communicate.

A companion piece to the Cobalt Sonata for violin, this sonata was written for Allan Heron, principle cellist of the LGSO.

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The Sleeping Beauty Act II No.15 Pas d’Action (Scène d’Aurore de Désiré)

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Tchaikovsky arr. John BloodGZ 149
Cello and Piano

This is an arrangement for cello and piano of the beautiful and passionate Pas d’Action for solo cello from the second act of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Sleeping Beauty. Unfortunately, in the ballet, this number segues into the next dance without having a real conclusion but this arrangement finds a satisfying solution by recourse to the slow movement of the composer’s fifth symphony, written at the same time as the ballet, and with which this piece bears more than a passing similarity.

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Web cover GZ 149

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