About the work, Philip Sparke says, “I’ve tried to keep the emphasis on ‘traditional’ brass band values, both in the writing and scoring.”
Read more about Philip Sparke: https://www.philipsparke.com/
Baltic Legends - Vaida Beinariene
The Challenge Section set work is Baltic Legends by Lithuanian composer Vaida Beinariene.
It takes inspiration from two well-known Lithuanian folk legends. Witches Hill evokes the mysterious nocturnal atmosphere of the Hill of Witches near the village of Juodkrante. The hill is covered with almost 100 wooden sculptures carved by local folk artists to illustrate Lithuanian folk legends, one of which concerns the nocturnal escapades of a coven of witches, goblins, fairies and fortune tellers, who roam the hill all night, frightening, confusing, luring and tormenting any human who crosses their path. Amber Castle is based on the legend of Jurate, goddess of the sea, and the source of the amber that still keeps arriving to the shores of the Baltic Sea - the remnants, it’s said, of Jurate’s undersea palace after its destruction by the God of Thunder.