Philip Sparke
Biography
Philip Sparke (b. 29 December 1951, London) is a British composer.
Mr. Sparke studied composition, trumpet and piano at the Royal College of Music, where he gained an ARCM. It was at the college that his interest in bands arose. He played in the college wind orchestra and also formed a brass band among the students, writing several works for both ensembles.
At that time, his first published works appeared - Concert Prelude (brass band) and Gaudium (wind band). A growing interest in his music led to several commissions, his first major one being for the Centennial Brass Band Championships in New Zealand – The Land of the Long White Cloud.
Further commissions followed from individual bands, various band associations and the BBC, for whom he three times won the EBU New Music for Band Competition (with Slipstream, Skyrider and Orient Express). He has written for brass band championships in New Zealand, Switzerland, Holland, Australia and the UK, including three times for the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall, and his test pieces are constantly in use wherever brass bands can be found.
A close association with banding in Japan led to a commission (Celebration) from and eventual recording of his music with the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. This opened the door worldwide to his wind band music and led to several commissions, particularly from the United States. In 1996 the U.S. Air Force Band commissioned and recorded Dance Movements, which won the prestigious Sudler Prize in 1997. In 2005 Music of the Spheres won the National Band Association/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest.
His conducting and adjudicating activities have taken him to most European countries, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States. He runs his own publishing company, Anglo Music Press, which he formed in May 2000. In September 2000 he was awarded the Iles Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians for his services to brass bands.
Works for Winds
- Atlantic Odyssey (2010)
- Bacchanalia (2019/2020)
- Ballad for Benny (2001)
- The Bandwagon (2004)
- Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn (1985)
- Beethoven's Greeting (2008)
- Between the Two Rivers (2003)
- Big Sky Overture (2002)
- Blazon (2010)
- A Bluegrass Overture (2017)
- Bohemian Rhapsody as arranger) (1975/2011)
- Bolero (as arranger) (1928/2011)
- Cambridge Intrada (2007)
- The Camelot Chronicles (2007)
- Carnival (1997)
- Carol of the Shepherds (2001)
- Celebration (1993)
- The Centurion (1988/2000)
- Chorale and Variations (2004)
- Clarinet Calypso (2003)
- Clarinet Concerto (2003)
- Colditz March (as arranger) (1972/2014)
- Colorado Springs (2007)
- A Colour Symphony (2015)
- Concert Prelude (1976/2000)
- Concertino Classico (2010)
- Dance Movements (1995)
- Dance of the Whale (2013/2014), from Bestiarium
- David of the White Rock (as arranger) (1741/2003)
- Deserts (2008)
- Diamond Concerto (2012)
- Diversions (1999)
- Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (as arranger) (1790/2011)
- The Earl of Oxford's Marche (as arranger) (1581-91/2006)
- Earth, Water, Sun, Wind (2000)
- An English Sea Song Suite (2006)
- Euphonium Concerto No. 2 (2005)
- Exultation (2010)
- Fanfare for Saint Cecilia (2008)
- Fanfare, Romance and Finale (1990)
- Fantasy for Euphonium (1995)
- A Festive Tribute (J.S. Bach) (2007)
- Fiesta! (1998)
- Fiesta de la Vida (2005/2006)
- Five Festive Fanfares (2000)
- Flowerdale (2002/2010)
- Flying the Breeze (2002/2004)
- The Four Noble Truths (2003/2004)
- Four Norfolk Dances (2001)
- Gemini Concerto (2017/2019)
- Girl with the Flaxen Hair, The (as arranger) (1910/2007)
- Hail the Dragon! (2010)
- Harlequin (2004)
- Hanover Festival (2000)
- A Huntingdon Celebration (2003)
- In Memoriam: For the Fallen (2015)
- Infinity and Beyond... (2001)
- Invictus (2001)
- Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (as arranger) (1723/2004)
- Jubilee Overture (1983)
- Jubiloso (2008/2009)
- A Klezmer Karnival (2004)
- The Land of the Long White Cloud (1980/1988)
- Letter from Home (2008)
- A Lindisfarne Rhapsody (1998)
- The Long Day Closes (as arranger) (1868/2007)
- MacArthur Park (as arranger) (1967/2005)
- Madrigalum (2006)
- Måndalen Landscapes (2004)
- Manhattan (2004)
- Marchissimo (2004)
- Mary's Boy Child (as arranger) (1956/2003)
- Masquerade (2003)
- Merry-Go-Round (2002)
- Morning Song (2002)
- Mountain Song (1990/1993)
- Music for a Festival (1985)
- Music of the Spheres (2004)
- Navigation Inn (2000)
- North Hills Fantasy (2021)
- Of Skies, Rivers, Lakes, and Mountains (2012/2013)
- Once in Royal David’s City (as arranger) (1849/2004)
- Orient Express (1987/1994)
- Out of the Darkness, Into the Light (2003)
- Overture for Woodwinds (2000)
- The Painted Desert (2004)
- Panis Angelicus (as arranger) (1872/2001)
- Pantomime (1988/1996)
- Pastime with Good Company (as arranger) (15--?/2005)
- Pentangle (2021)
- The Pioneers (2005)
- A Pittsburgh Overture (1992)
- Portrait of a City (2002)
- Postcard from Singapore (2004)
- Prelude to a Celebration (2007)
- A Quiet Moment (2007)
- Reflections (2011)
- Reflections on an Old Japanese Folk Song (2015)
- Rhythm and Blues (arr. Wheeler) (1986/2012)
- The Roaring Forties (2008)
- Sailing with the Tall Ships (2012)
- Salute to a Hero (2009)
- A Savannah Symphony (2010)
- Scenes from a Comedy (2007)
- The Seasons (2005)
- Shalom! (2001)
- Sierra Nevada (2006)
- Sinfonietta No. 1 (1990)
- Sinfonietta No. 2 (1992)
- Sinfonietta No. 3 (2001)
- Sinfonietta No. 4 (2012)
- Sinfonietta No. 5 (2021)
- Sleepers, Awake! (as transcriber) (1731/2002)
- Slipstream (1987/1990)
- Snow Valley Sleigh Ride (2007)
- Song and Dance (arr. Brand) (1984/2009)
- Song of Friendship (2017)
- The Song of the Bell (2012)
- Sounds of the Saint Lawrence (2008)
- Spirit of the Sequoia (2004)
- St. Paul's Suite (as arranger) (1912-1913/2017)
- Strathcarron (2002)
- Suite from Hymn of the Highlands (2002)
- Summer Isles (2002/2006)
- The Sun Will Rise Again (2011)
- Sunrise at Angel's Gate (2001)
- Symphonic Metamorphosis (2007)
- Symphony No. 1. See: Earth, Water, Sun, Wind
- Symphony No. 2. See: A Savannah Symphony
- Symphony No. 3. See: A Colour Symphony
- Tales of the River Wye (2007)
- Tallis' Canon (arr. Sparke) (/2012)
- A Tameside Overture (1989)
- Te Deum Prelude (as arranger) (1688-1698/2001)
- Ten Chorale Preludes (as arranger) (1914/2002)
- Theatre Music (1989)
- Three English Folk Song Miniatures (2013)
- Three Extraordinary Journeys (2006)
- Three Klezmer Miniatures (2009)
- Three Washington Statues (2015)
- To a New Dawn (2000)
- To a Wild Rose (as arranger) (1896/2002)
- Tokyo Triptych (2007)
- Trombone Concerto (2007)
- Tuba Concerto (2007)
- The Unknown Journey (2014)
- Valerius Variations (2005)
- Variations on a Fourth (2019/2022)
- Veni Immanuel (2003)
- Watch Your Step! (2017)
- A Weekend in New York (2008)
- The White Rose (2002)
- Wind in the Reeds (2017)
- Wilten Festival Overture (1999)
- A Winter's Tale (2010)
- Year of the Dragon (1984/1985)
- Year of the Dragon (2017 edition) (1984/1985/2017)
- A Yorkshire Overture (1991)
Resources
- Burrack, Frederick. "Pastime with Good Company." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 11, Compiled and edited by Richard Miles. GIA Publications, 2018, pp. 391-400.
- Camphouse, Mark, editor. Composers on Composing for Band. Volume 2. GIA Publications, 2004, pp. 225–252.
- McCutchen, Mathew G. "An Examination of the History and Winning Pieces of the National Band Association's Composition Contest: 1977-2008." PhD dissertation. Florida State University, 2009.
- Montemayor, Mark. "Philip Sparke." A Composer’s Insight Volume 3, edited by Timothy Salzman. Meredith Music Publications, 2006, pp. 173–198.
- Philip Sparke website
- Philip Sparke. Wikipedia. Accessed 25 July 2023
- "Sparke, Philip." G. & M. Brand Publications. Web. Accessed 18 February 2021
- "SPARKE Philip." HAFABRA Music. Web. Accessed 3 January 2021