Philip Sparke

Philip Allen Sparke is an English composer and musician born in London, noted for his concert band and brass band music.
His early major works include The Land of the Long White Cloud – "Aotearoa", written for the 1980 Centennial New Zealand Brass Band championship. He subsequently went on to win the EBU New Music for Band Competition three times, including in 1986 with a commission from the BBC called Orient Express.
Since May 2000, his music has been published under his own label Anglo Music Press, and distributed by Hal Leonard.

WWW Official Site

Notable achievements

1997 Sudler Prize - Dance Movements
2000 Iles Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians - Services to brass bands
2005 National Band Association/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest - Music of the Spheres
2011 BUMA International Brass Award - Contributions to brass music
2016 National Band Association/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest - A Colour Symphony
2018 International Award - Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic

Works

Music for Wind Band and Brass Band

1973/1976 Gaudium
1975 The Prizewinners for Brass-Band
1978/1995 Fantasy for Euphonium
1979/1985 A Concert Prelude
1979 Capriccio for Brass-Band
1979/1987 The Land of the Long White Cloud "Aotearoa"
1981 A Tameside Overture for Brass-Band
1981 Fanfare, Romance & Finale for Brass-Band
1981 Song and Dance for Brass-Band
1982 Barn Dance & Cowboy Hymn for Brass-Band
1983 Rhythm and Blues for Brass-Band
1984 Aubade for Brass-Band
1984 Jubilee-Overture
1984 A London Overture for Brass-Band
1984 A Malvern Suite for Brass-Band
1984 Slipstream
1984/1985 The Year of the Dragon
# Toccata
# Interlude
# Finale
1985 A Celtic Suite for Brass-Band
# Dawns Werin
# Suo Gan
# Men of Harlech
1985 Masquerade for Brass-Band
1985/1987 Music for a Festival
# Con brio
# Andantino
# Vivo
1985 Skyrider for Brass-Band
1986/1992 Orient Express
1986/1994 Pantomime
1986 Party Piece for Brass-Band
1986 Prelude, Toccata & Fugue for Brass-Band
1986 Variations on an Enigma for Brass-Band
1987 Flying the Breeze
1987 Mountain Song for Brass-Band
1988 A Swiss Festival Overture
1988 Concertino for Tuba for Brass-Band
1988 Concerto Grosso for Brass-Band
1988 Endeavour a Programmatic Rhapsody for Brass-Band
# The unknown continent
# Terra Australis
# The new challenge
1988 River City Serenade for Brass-Band
1988 Serenade for Toni
1989 Partita for Brass-Band
1989 The sunken village for Fanfare Orchestra
1989 A Tameside Overture
1989 Theatre Music
# Overture
# Entr'acte
# Finale
1989 The Vikings
1989/1990 Two-part Invention
1990 Cambridge Variations for Brass-Band
1990 Fanfare, Romance, Finale
1990/1992 A Pittsburgh Overture
1990 Sinfonietta Nr. 1
# Overture
# Aria
# Scherzo
1990 Triptych for Brass-Band
1990 A Yorkshire Overture
1991 Celebration
1991 Concerto for Trumpet or Cornet for Brass-Band
1992 Euphonism for Brass-Band
1992 Jamaica Farewell
1992/1996 Jubilee-Prelude
1992 Serenade for Horns for Brass-Band
1992 Festival Overture
1992 Mountain Song
1992 Mambo Jumbo
1992 River City Serenade
1992 Sinfonietta Nr. 2
# Overture
# Serenade
# Finale
1992 Soliloquy for Brass-Band
1993 Processional Overture
1993 Song for Ina for Brass-Band
1993 Tijuana Trumpets
1994 Three Miniatures for Brass-Band
1995 Dance Movements
# Ritmico
# Molto vivo
# Lento
# Molto ritmico
1995 Euphonium Concerto No 1 for Brass-Band
1996 Fiesta
1996 White Rose Overture
1996 Music for Arosa
1997 Norwegian Rondo
1997 Time to Say Goodbye for Brass-Band
1998 Between the Moon and Mexico for Brass-Band
1998 Diversions – Variations on a Swiss Folk Song "Der Heimetvogel"
# Theme
# Variation 1
# Variation 2
# Variation 3
# Variation 4
1999 Earth, Water, Sun, Wind Symphony for Band
: Commissioned by the Northern Arizona University Wind Symphony for their Centennial Celebration
# Earth
# Water
# Sun
# Wind
1999 Hanover Festival
: Commissioned by the for their Fifteenth Anniversary
1999 Lindisfarne Rhapsody
1999 Tallis Variations for Brass-Band
1999 Wilten Festival Overture
2000 The Centurion for Brass-Band
2000 Five Festive Fanfares
2000 Navigation Inn
2000 Overture for Woodwinds
2000 Time Remembered
2000 To a New Dawn
2001 Carol of the Shepherds
2001 Ballad for Benny
2001 Four Norfolk Dances
# Pulham Prelude
# Diss Dance
# Lopham Lament
# Garboldisham Gigue
2001 Infinity and Beyond...
2001 Invictus
2001 A London Intrada
2001 Navigation Inn for Brass-Band
2001 The Prince of Denmark's March
2001 Shalom!
# V'ha'ir Shushan & Havdala
# Hanerot Halalu & Ba'olam Haba
# Mishenichnas Adar, Ani Purim & Yom Tov Lanu
2001 South Down Pictures for Brass-Band
2001 Sunrise at Angel's Gate
2001 Te Deum Prelude
2001 Time Remembered for Brass-Band
2001 Two Norwegian Folk Tunes
2002 Alladale from Hymn of the Highlands for Brass-Band
2002 Big Sky Ouverture
2002 Mary's Boy Child
2002 Merry-Go-Round
2002 Morning Song – for Horn Quartet and Band
2002 Pathfinders March
2002 Portrait of a City
2002 Sinfonietta No 3
# Promenade
# Ballad
# Interlude
# Scherzo
2002/2003 Suite from "Hymn of the Highlands"
# Ardross Castle
# Alladale
# Dundonnell
2002 Flowerdale from "Hymn of the Highlands" for Brass-Band
2002 Lairg Muir from "Hymn of the Highlands" for Brass-Band
2002 Strathcarron from "Hymn of the Highlands" for Brass-Band
2002 Summer Isles from "Hymn of the Highlands" for Brass-Band
2002 The White Rose
2003 Aria for Brass-Band
2003 Clarinet Calypso
2003 Clarinet Concerto
2003 A Huntingdon Celebration
: Commissioned by the Huntingdonshire Concert Band to celebrate their 10th Anniversary
2003 Kaleidoscope – Five Variations on the "Brugg Song"
# Introduction
# Theme
# Variation I
# Variation II
# Variation III
# Variation IV
# Variation V
2003 Masquerade
# Overture
# Elegy
# Interlude
# Finale
2003 Out of the Darkness, Into the Light
2003 Prelude and Scherzo for Brass-Band
2003 Simple Sarabande
2003 Ten Chorale Preludes
2003 Veni Immanuel
2003 Westminster Prelude
2004 Between the two Rivers
2004 Choral and Variations
2004 A Klezmer Karnival
2004 Flying the Breeze
2004 Harlequin
2004 La Caracolá
2004 Mandalen Landscapes
2004 Manhattan
2004 Marchissimo
2004 Music of the Spheres for Brass-Band
# t = 0 – Big Bang
# The Lonely Planet
# Asteroids and Shooting Stars
# Music of the Spheres
# Harmonia
# The Unknown
2004/2005 Portrait of a Music
2004 Postcard from Singapore
2004 Summer Scene for Brass-Band
2004 The Bandwagon for Brass-Band
2004 The Four Noble Truths
# Dukkha
# Samudaya
# Nirodha
# Magga
2005 Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair
2005 Jubilate for Brass-Band
2005 The Painted Desert
2005 The Pioneers
2005 Variants on an English Hymn Tune
2005 In The Bleak Mid-Winter
2005 When the Spirit Soars
2006 Valerius Variations
2006 Tuba Concerto
2006 Trombone Concerto
2006 Dances and Alleluias for Brass Band
2006 Parade Of The Clockwork Soldiers
2007 Albion Heritage for wind ensemble
: Commissioned by The Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) for the 2008 International Honor Band. World premier on 15 March 2008 in London, UK, at the AMIS 2008 International Band and Choir Festival.Harmony Music for Brass-Band
2007 Legend of Celobrium commissioned by the Harmonie de Soleuvre, Luxembourg, to celebrate their 100th Anniversary
2007 A Monmouth Overture commissioned for Monmouth School Symphonic Wind band
2007 Tales of the River Wye commissioned for Monmouth School Junior Symphonic Wind Band
2007 Music for Battle Creek for Brass-Band
2007 Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes from Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony
2008 Letter From Home commissioned by the James Madison University Brass Band, Harrisonburg, VA
2008 The Roaring Forties for wind ensemble
2009 Neapolitan Holiday for wind ensemble
: Commissioned by the Green Hope High School Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble directed by Brian Myers. World premier on 21 May 2009 at the Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.
2009 A Winter's Tale for concert band
: Commissioned by the Western Plains Wind Consortium, Daniel Baldwin, Founder and Director. World premiere on 1 December 2009 at the OPSU Centennial Theatre by the Oklahoma Panhandle State University Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Matthew C. Saunders in Goodwell, Oklahoma, United States.
2010 "Atlantic Odyssey" for concert band
: Commissioned by the Oakton High School Bands of Vienna, Virginia, United States. World premiere by director Dr. Cheryl Newton at Oakton High School on 12 June 2010 by the Oakton High School Symphonic Band.
2010 "March Celebration" for concert band
: Commissioned by the Harmonie royale des sapeurs-pompiers d'Athus Bands of Athus, Belgium. World premiere on 23 October 2010 for the 135th anniversary of the Harmonie royale des sapeurs-pompiers d'Athus under the direction of Dr.Jean-Luc Becker at Centre Clemarais by the town's bands.
2011 "Evolution: Five States of Change" for Brass Band
2014 "A Colour Symphony" - Symphony No.3
: Commissioned by the "sinfonischen blasorchester wehdel", Thomas Ratzek, conductor, with funds provided by Stiftung Niedersächsischer Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken and Volksbank eG Bremerhaven-Cuxland. They gave the premiere on 22 November 2014 in the Stadttheater Bremerhaven, in the presence of the composer.
2014 Wind Sketches
: Commissioned by the Tacoma Concert Band from Washington State, USA.
# Trade Winds
# Becalmed
# Riding the Storm
2017 "Festival Prelude 'AD Excel'"
: Commissioned by the AD Concert Band to celebrate their 40th anniversary, by musical director Dr Trevor Farren.

National Championships of Great Britain test pieces

A number of Philip Sparke's compositions have been chosen as test pieces in the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain. His pieces have been selected for various sections, both at the area contests and the national finals.

Year	Piece	Section	R/N	Winning Band	Ref
1985	A Malvern Suite	4th	R	Horsham Borough South Leicester and Desford B Amington Lanchester Llanrug & District Irvine Youth Abertillery & District Youth Royal British Legion Crownhill Hambleton Brass
1987	Harmony Music	Ch	N	Desford Colliery Dowty
1990	Music for a Festival	3rd	N	Blidworth Welfare
1991	Triptych	3rd	R	Wantage Silver A Ifton Welfare Langbaurgh Flixton MCR Kelty & Blairadam Brass Deiniolen British Steel Stinchcombe Aceprint Gawthorpe Victoria
1992	A London Overture	1st	N	British Telecom
1993	A Celtic Suite	3rd	N	Skelmanthorpe
1994	Partita	Ch	R	Regent Brass William Davis Construction Group Ever Ready BNFL Leyland Band CWS (Glasgow) Cory Flowers Band Yorkshire Building Society Hammonds
1995	The Land of the Long White Cloud "Aotearoa"	1st	R	City of Cambridge Rolls-Royce EYMS Band United Northwest Co-operative Bon Accord Silver Beaumaris Swindon Pegasus Brass Stocksbridge Engineering Steels
1996	A Malvern Suite	4th	N	Manx Concert
1998	Between the Moon and Mexico	Ch	N	Brighouse & Rastrick
1998	Three Miniatures	3rd	N	Oldham Brass 97
2000	Variations on an Enigma	Ch	R	Aveley & Newham Desford Colliery Ever Ready Fodens Courtois CWS (Glasgow) Buy As You View Cory Flowers Yorkshire Building Society
2001	Diversions – Variations on a Swiss Folk Song "Der Heimetvogel"	2nd	N	Ammanford Town
2004	Kaleidoscope – Five Variations on the "Brugg Song"	2nd	R	Becontree Brass Hathern Ellington Colliery Old Hall Brass Barrhead Burgh Llanrug Otterbourne Brass Yorkshire Building Society Concert
2004	The Four Noble Truths	4th	N	Potters Bar
2006	Valerius Variations	4th	N	Dodworth Colliery M.W.
2007	Music for Battle Creek	Ch	N	Grimethorpe Colliery
2008	The Saga of Haakon the Good	1st	N	Seindorf Beaumaris
2010	Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes from Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony	4th	R	Battle Town Shipston Town Stape Silver Hazel Grove Dumfries Town Crwbin Test Valley Brass Worsbrough Brass
2011	Portrait of a City	2nd	N	Brunel Brass
2013	Harmony Music	Ch	R	Regent Brass Jaguar Land Rover NASUWT Riverside Leyland Whitburn Tongwynlais Temperance Flowers Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
2013	A Malvern Suite	4th	N	Ebbw Valley Brass
2017	The Land of the Long White Cloud "Aotearoa"	1st	R	TBD
2020	A Tale As Yet Untold	Ch	R	N/A GUS NASUWT Riverside Fodens The Cooperation Band Tredegar Camborne Town Black Dyke