click for larger image

Sample sheet music

Title	Hostile Skies
Category	Concert/wind/brass band
Subcategory	Concert music
Instrumentation	Bra (brass band)
Format	PrtStm (full score and parts)
Composer	Grantham, Richard
Difficulty level	5
Evaluation level of countries	C4 (Swiss 1st class)
Duration	11:20
Additional info/contents	Hostile Skies began its gestation after the composer, Richard Grantham read an article in a national newspaper about an RAF aircraft being shot down over Iraq. This led to thoughts about military flight both in technical terms and in terms of the brave pilots who have experienced not only the exhilaration of flight, but also the danger and indeed fear of aerial combat. The work opens dramatically with a short statement of the main thematic material before it quickly develops into a heroic theme. A more subdued melodic interlude treated canonically, reflects on the underlying danger of military flight but this is soon pushed aside as the main theme asserts itself once more. A slow mournful section follows which reflects on absent comrades lost in action. However, a sense of hope is never far from the minds of those involved in conflict and a solo trombone issues a "call to arms" which begins a build up of excitement as we once more take to the skies. The main theme defiantly returns in a blaze of colour. A busy fugue-like passage, based on elements of the main theme is interspersed with hymn-like fragments signifying the tension between stoic resolve and danger which as at the heart of the work. The material goes through a number of metamorphoses before a triumphant and joyful finale resolves many of the melodic and rhythmic tensions. Hope is fully restored and the work ends with a truly ecstatic victory fly-past. Hostile Skies pays tribute to the countless number of men and women pilots who have risked their lives to protect others. It is also a celebration of flight itself which like music, is a result of mankind's unlimited imagination and desire.
Sample sheet music	click here
Sample score	click here
Sound sample	click here
Video sample	click here
Available	yes
ergänzender Text	click here

add to shopping basket

In order to see the demo scores you need Adobe Reader, which you can download free. Just click on the following link.

In order to listen to the sound samples you need an MP3 player, which you can download free, for example: