Inspirit – to enliven, encourage, to fill with vigour

Inspirit was written to celebrate Bilton Silver’s 125 years of music-making. The piece aims to be melodic, uplifting and catchy, and to allow the band to demonstrate not just the “traditional” march style that everyone thinks of when they hear “brass band”, but also the warmth and lyrical sound of a band playing a pretty tune with rich harmonies. To this end, the piece starts and ends with a lively and rhythmic section, with a more gentle and reflective treatment of the same theme in the central section.

There is something for every section to do, with the countermelodies, chords and rhythmic accompaniments just as important as the main melody. The percussion section features throughout, and the euphonium and cornet have a chance to show off with semiquavers towards the end of the piece.

Inspirit also has a simplified youth band version, designed to allow more confident players to stretch their wings without intimidating the less experienced players. Both versions can be played on their own, or they can be played together.