Honour and Glory
Program notes for the new compact disc release by

The New England Brass Band

Douglas Yeo, Music Director Notes by Douglas Yeo

Honour and Glory is an album which finds at its heart a broad theme - that being the fact that the New England Brass Band has prided itself, since its early days as an ensemble, as being "In The British Tradition." Following upon the success of our first commercial CD release, Christmas Joy! the board of directors of the New England Brass Band decided to have its second release feature music primarily by British composers and arrangers, focusing mostly on the noble themes such as those espoused by the title track, "Honour and Glory." In the process of choosing music for the album, the New England Brass Band drew deep into its library, some of which is decades old, and discovered a number of significant works which have been out of print for many years and which had never been recorded, or which had not been recorded in modern times. The result is an exciting album which tells a story of the British brass band throughout history - a history replete with marches, patriotic songs, dramatic themed tone poems and sacred music inspired by and written for the Salvation Army. Enjoy Honour and Glory !

Honour and Glory
composed by Hubert Bath
"Honour and Glory" was chosen as the test piece for the 1931 British Open Championship. Hubert Bath's title evokes images of the British Empire and a nobility and grandeur of a time gone by. Originally published by R. Smith, "Honour and Glory" has been out of print for over 60 years, and the original plates and all copies owned by the publisher were lost in World War II. This recording is the first known recording of the work which begins in the most noble of keys, E flat - chosen by Beethoven and Richard Strauss for their most heroic works.

Jerusalem
text by William Blake
music by Hubert Parry
arranged for brass band by Sydney Herbert
William Blake's epic poem, "Milton" contains, in its early pages, the text known today as "Jerusalem." Blake (1757-1827) - perhaps the first of the great English romantic poets as well as a printer, engraver and painter, was attracted to Christian mysticism at the same time he was horrified by the terrible working conditions brought on by the industrial revolution. "Jerusalem" refers at its outset to the old legend that Jesus visited England before he began his public ministry in Biblical Israel (a legend which also figures in the Arthur legend, which holds that Joseph of Arimathea was Jesus' uncle who came to Glastonbury, the legendary location of King Arthur's court and the Knights of the Round Table).

Moving from Christian symbolism to the reality of Blake's then modern times, the poem speaks eloquently of people standing firm against social injustice and the perils of entering the industrial age including abusive working conditions ("the dark Satanic mills"). The movie "Chariots of Fire" takes its title from the the second verse of the poem and the tune figured prominently in the movie as well.

Along with "I Vow To Thee My Country," "Jerusalem" has become of Britain's great national hymns. Sydney Herbert's arrangement captures the drama of the text climaxing in a strong positive affirmation to accomplish what is good and right, "In England's green and pleasant land."

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the Holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

The British Grenadiers
text and music author unknown (traditional)
arranged for brass band by Gordon Langford
The British Grenadiers were a regiment of soldiers organized in the 18th century who kept order in England's overseas colonies. The song was often sung in the times of the American Revolution to a snappy tune. Gordon Langford's arrangement captures the feel of the Grenadiers on the march, gradually coming into sight and finally disappearing over the horizon. The tune, along with "Rule Brittania," has become synonomous with England's patriotic spirit from the days of Empire.

• Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules,
  Of Hector and Lysander, and such great names as these,
  But of all the world's great heroes,
  There's none that can compare,
  With a tow, row row row, row row row,
  To the British Grenadiers.
• None of these ancient heroes ne'er saw a cannon ball,
  Nor knew the force of powder to slay their foes with all,
  But our brave boys do know it and banish all their fears,
  Sing tow, row row row, row row row,
  For the British Grenadiers.
• When e'er we are commanded to storm the palisades,
  Our leaders march with fuses, and we with hand grenades;
  We throw them from the glacis about the enemies' ears,
  Sing tow, row row row, row row row,
  For the British Grenadiers.
• And when the siege is over, we to the town repair.
  The townsmen cry 'Hurrah, boys, here comes a Grenadier'.
  Here come the Grenadiers, my boys, who know no doubts or fears.
  Sing tow, row row row, row row row,
  For the British Grenadiers.
• So let us fill a bumper, and drink a health to those,
  Who carry caps and pouches, and wear the louped clouthes.
  May they and their commanders live happy all their years.
  Sing tow, row row row, row row row,
  For the British Grenadiers.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
text by Joachim Neander
music by composer unknown, first appeared in the Stralsburg Gesangbuch, 1665
arranged by Gary Bricault
arranged for brass band by Nigel Horne
This is one of the strongest and most familiar of hymn tunes which first appeared in the early 17th century in Germany. The arrangement by Gary Bricault (of Rochester, New York) was first made for trombone choir; Nigel Horne (from Yorkshire, England) arranged it for brass band. Each verse gets a different treatment from the band - the lovely lyrical middle section is almost chamber music-like while the tune builds to a joyous conclusion replete with contributions from four percussion players.

• Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
  O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
  All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
  Join me in glad adoration!
• Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
  Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
  Hast thou not seen how Thy desires e'er have been
  Granted in what he ordaineth?
• Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
  Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
  Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
  If with His love He befriend thee.
• Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
  All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
  Let the Amen sound from His people again:
  Gladly forever adore Him.

In Tudor Days
composed by Henry Geehl
The brass band has long been used to evoke the excitement and poetry of the middle ages and Renaissance (see Ralph Vaughn Williams piece, "Henry the Fifth," below). Henry Geehl, a name once prominent but now long forgotten in brass band circles, contributed a charming account of the days of the Tudors. The first movement, "Tournament" depicts a jousting match. The middle movement, "The Prince's Pavan" is an elegant dance while the finale, "The King's Hunting Jig" is a fast paced fugue. This is the first known recording of "In Tudor Days."

The Passing Years
composed by Kenneth Cook
The Salvation Army is responsible for having inspired and commissioned thousands of works for brass band including many solos. While solos for cornet, trombone and euphonium were quite common to hear, it was not until the mid part of the 20th century when the first Salvation Army solo for bass trombone was written, Kenneth Cook's "The Passing Years."

In Britain, the bass trombone in G was the instrument of choice for composers through the mid 20th century. It was distinguished by a very long slide which required the player to use a handle in order to reach the outer positions. Movement of the slide was necessarily a bit cumbersome, but a fierce technique was developed by the great masters of this noble instrument for which Elgar, Vaughn Williams and Britten wrote magnificent parts.

For most of its history, music composed for the Salvation Army was required to include a hymn tune or a chorus which would be recognizable to the audience/congregation. "The Passing Years" is based on a chorus of a song by Edward Joy, "Singing Ebenezer as the years roll on." The title is a paraphrase of the first line of the chorus:

• All through the years His providence has led me
  His abounding goodness has been all my song;
  All through the years I tell His love and mercy
  Singing "Ebenezer" as the years roll on.
   
• In his notes to the first published version of the solo, Ray Steadman-Allen wrote:

• "This is the first bass trombone solo to appear in our [Salvation Army] Band Journals...Those who are prone to look for the "programme" of every piece they encounter should perhaps be warned that there is no evident chronological sequence of ideas. The music is presented in varying mood with the logic of its own art; certainly the final "Presto" is not suggestive of senile decay! "A certain Wagnerian flavour permeates the opening statement of "All through the years"; surely the parallel with the beginning of the "Mastersingers" overture is not coincidental, especially as another operatic reference appears later in the course of the work."
  The work unfolds as a series of variations on the opening theme. Allen continues:

• "The previously mentioned operatic reference makes its apparance. A glance at the soloist's part will reveal that homage is paid to the well-known aria from "Pagliacci" - "On with the motley." Those familiar with the opera will recall that this is sung by the broken-hearted clown. Evidently we are being reminded here that life has its bitter moments; note the term "un poco lugubre" (a little mournfully)."
  After the lively coda, the soloist plays his final note, written as a low B flat rather than the pedal B flat which has become traditional as in this recording because a G bass was incapable of offering a pedal B flat.

Reflections in Nature
composed by Robert Redhead
Salvation Army composer Robert Redhead hails from Australia and has contributed immeasurably to the high quality of Salvation Army music for brass band. His meditation "Reflections in Nature" is based on the tune, "Fewster" (by Ernest Fewster), and tells of four reflections on the life of Jesus (text by Catherine Baird). Beginning with a simple unison which unfolds with elegant simplicity, the piece takes the listener through all four verses of the hymn, each with a dramatic and heart rending, culminating in the joyous refrain, "The Lord Shall Live Again!"

• When Jesus looked o'er Galilee, so blue and calm and fair,
  Upon her bosom, could he see a Cross reflected there?
• When sunrise dyed the lovely deeps, and sparkled in His hair,
  O did the light rays seem to say: A crown of thorns He'll wear?
• When in the hush of eventide, cool waters touched His feet,
  Was it a hymn of Calvary's road He heard the waves repeat?
• But when the winds triumphantly swept from the open plain,
  The Master surely heard the song: The Lord shall live again!

The White Rider
composed by Denis Wright
The name Denis Wright is one of the most well known in all of brass band history although "The White Rider" is virtually unknown in his prodigious output. Chosen as the test piece in the 1927 British National Championship, it is a substantial work of compelling drama. The titlel page tells the following story, written by the composer:

• "Kralyevitch Marko, (Marko the King's son) one of the heroes of the past ages in Serbian history, has become the subject of many legends in Serbia. One of these legends runs to the effect that in a cavern amongst the lofty mountains Marko lies sleeping, his sword driven into the rock, and beside him stands his horse, Sharatz, nibbling the moss. Some day the sword will fall to the floor of the cave; marko will wake, mount his horse and ride forth to lead his people to a victorous onslaught against their enemies.
• "Many a Serbian avers that he saw Marko appear in the dark days of November 1912 when the Turks, after 500 years of supremacy, were finally driven out of Serbia, and again when, after a Homeric struggle which the writer witnessed in September 1918, the Bulgarians were dislodged from the natural mountain strongholds they had held for nearly three years and the Serbians once again regained their country from the invaders.
• "The connection between this legend and the music is one of mood rather than attempt to illustrate the actual story, though the music may be roughly divided into four sections: the struggle against heavy odds, leading to a brooding realisation of temporary defeat; then, after a clarion call, the struggle is renewed, but with a new hopefulness, and finally a joyful paean of triumph signifies final victory."
• Originally published by R. Smith, the original plates and copies of "The White Rider" were lost during World War II. The New England Brass Band is pleased to bring back to life this long neglected major work of the band repertoire.

Share My Yoke
Words and music by Joy Webb
arranged for solo cornet and brass band by Ivor Bosanko
Singing is an integral part of the Salvation Army's musical mission, and "Share My Yoke" first appeared in the "Musical Salvationist" in July 1987 as a selection for four part choir. Ivor Bosanko's touching arrangement for cornet solo has great beauty and an evocation of nearly heart-wrenching suffering which is slaked by the comforting words of the Lord:

• When I'm tired and nothing's going right for me
  When things I've counted on just do not come my way
  When in my mind the thick grey folds of doubt arise
  It's then I seem to hear him say.
• (chorus)
  Share my yoke and find that I am joined with you
  Your slightest movement I shall feel and be there too!
  Share my yoke and come the way that I must go!
  I our "togetherness" my peace you'll know;
  The world beholding us will see it so!
• When I'm perplexed and no one's understanding me
  When even safest thoughts collapse in disarray
  When I've lost the things that always seemed so sure
  It's then I need to hear him say...
• When I'm alone and nothing's getting through to me.
  An isolation that increases day by day
  When closest friends can seem a thousand miles away
  It's then I long to hear him say...

Overture for Brass Band: Henry the Fifth
Composed by Ralph Vaughn Williams
Ralph Vaughn Williams, who despised it when people would not pronounce his name properly as "Rafe," stands along with Purcell and Elgar as one of England's most significant home grown composers. His symphonies and choral works are staples of the repertoire around the world although he is not known for being much interested in the brass band genre. After his death, "Henry the Fifth" was discovered among his papers, likely composed in 1933-34. The piece evokes a distant past of English history in four connected sections, taking as their melodic material old French and English songs:

• · "Agincourt Song" (Old English Battle Song)
• · "Magali" (Provencal Folk Song)
• · "Reveillez vous Piccars" (Old French Marching Song)
• · "The Earl of Oxford's March" (Old English March)
• The result is one of the most thrilling pieces in the brass band repertoire, requiring a huge amount of dynamic contrast and great endurance to present the two battle scenes. It is interesting to note that in the mid-1940's, when William Walton was composing music for the film "Henry V," Vaughn Williams suggested that he use "Reveillez vous Piccars" to represent the French army. Little did Walton know that Vaughn Williams had done just that in his own work of the same title which lay hidden in a drawer.

March: Patriotic
Composed by Samuel Cope
The march form is inextrably connected with the history of brass band music, whether a snappy concert march indoors, a Salvation Army March played as part of a worship service, or a Whit Friday march played on parade. Samuel Cope's march, "Patriotic," is a lively quick step which sounds complete enough until the repeat of the final strain when the score calls for the trombones (and baritones) to stand for the playing of the national anthem. The anthem is, of course, the English National Anthem, "God Save the Queen," which for those in the United States has a double significance as the tune was appropriated for the American patriotic song, "America" ("My Country, 'Tis of Thee").

• God Save the Queen [or King]
• God save our gracious Queen!
  Long live our noble Queen!
  God save the Queen!
  Send her victorious,
  Happy and glorious,
  Long to reign over us.
  God save the Queen!
• O Lord our God arise.
  Scatter her enemies,
  And make them fall.
  Confound their politics,
  Frustrate their knavish tricks.
  On thee our hopes we fix.
  God save us all!
• The choicest gifts in store.
  On her be pleased to pour,
  Long may she reign!
  May she defend our laws,
  And ever give us cause,
  To sing with heart and voice,
  God save the Queen!
• America ["My Country, 'Tis of Thee"]
• My country, 'tis of thee,
  Sweet land of liberty,
  Of thee I sing!
  Land where my fathers died,
  Land of the Pilgrim's pride,
  From every mountainside
  Let freedom ring!
• My native country, thee,
  Land of the noble free,
  Thy name I love;
  I love thy rocks and rills,
  Thy woods and templed hills;
  My heart with rapture thrills
  Like that above.
• Let music swell the breeze,
  And ring from all the trees
  Sweet Freedom's song;
  let mortal tongues awake,
  Let all that breathe partake;
  Let rocks their silence break,
  The sound prolong.
• Our fathers' God, to Thee,
  Author of liberty,
  To Thee we sing;
  Long may our land be bright
  With Freedom's holy light;
  Protect us by Thy might,
  Great god, our King!

With the musically patriotic double entendre which reaches across the "pond," The New England Brass Band, New England's premiere brass band "In The British Tradition" brings Honour and Glory to a rousing close.