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Does anybody know of the other pieces that Bulla has composed? My HS band is playing "Firestorm," which has replaced itself as my favorite piece for band, (well maybe not first, but probably second to my real favorite piece, "Of Sailors and Whales," by McBeth.)
Thanks, Aaron "Tubafatness" Hynds

Images for Brass - I think is a stephen bulla piece , last movment is a tribute to Pearl Harbour ( If I remember rightly)
Cityscapes - I think this was written for the 1988 UK 3rd section national Finals.
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www.curnowmusicpress.com for full listings

Here is his biography from the site listed above.

http://www.curnowmusicpress.com/stephenbulla.htm

Images for Brass is a brass band tune and is a tribute to Iwo Jima. It has qoutes from many American themes Like Eternal Father and the National Anthem. A very good tune. I do not know if there is a concert band version of this yet.

Firestorm is a nice tune for brass band and concert band. If you like this, you should check out Tournament, for concert band, and also Festivity, also for concert band. they are easier tunes, but very nice.

Stephen Bulla also finished Sousa's "Library of Congress March" at the encouragement of Maestro Loras Schissell - who works in the Library of Congress and is conductor of the Virginia Grand Military Band.

The score and band parts are still available for free download at this site:

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MARCH
http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.n ... fault.html

He has also contibuted repertoire to the SA American Instrumental Ensemble Series - these are essentially 4 part arrangements with an optional 5th part (Euph) - which floats around and fills in. I recommend this series (well the Christmas stuff at least) - to any flexible group who are looking for some super arrangements of Christmas standards. The sets are graded 1 to 4 (in ability) with parts for absolutely everything.

Andrew Murray

I remember playing an "arrangement" of Gershwin tunes by Stephen Bulla. It was called "Quintessential Gershwin." The arrangements had a bit of a contemporary feel to them, quite interesting (although not 100% audience friendly).

Sorry to say so: Firestorm is a very badly constructed piece of music! If it is music at all!

For me it rather is a piece of agitprop in the old Soviet style only filled with US clichés.

All countries, including my own, have had their share of music for keeping up national spirits during rough times. The well-known abuse of "Les Preludes" was so much more tragic/comical, as it was written by the Hungarian born Liszt Ferenc.

As for Firestorm it was the test piece at our national championships for concert bands in 1994 in the top division. And yes, I played in the winning band. I played my part loyally, which however didn’t prevent me from officially protesting against playing warfare agitprop from whatever country.

If the clones currently running my country down the hills asked me to contribute to their causes in a musical fashion, I would refuse.

National anthems are OK, especially if they are good like the ones of the US, the UK, Germany, France, Finland, Norway, and some more countries.

My own country is in the odd situation of having two anthems: one related to the Royal House (a brilliantly good tune and setting taken from the incidental and choir music of a 19th-century stage play) and one related to the country, which partly sounds like the inner parts of a chart for Count Basie’s band. Sadly the latter prevails. Young boys call it the "soccer-song", as it is sung before every national game of soccer (and of any other sport).

Nobody would doubt about my engagements in politics or in music. Only I am not too happy about the mix of these ingredients.

As long as you keep Bulla’s music on the western side of the pond, he is all OK with me.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre