Saxophone

In eleven movements, this work can for Saxophone Quartet be played by Soprano Sax, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax and Baritone Sax or 2 Alto Saxes, Tenor Sax and Baritone Sax.

Each works presents various challenges, but more than anything else the movements force the group to work together as a unit. It is highly recommended for a High School ensemble and beyond.

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In 2 movements evocative of nighttime inspired moods. The Turning Mind is a colorful chaconne that commences with ominous chords and builds to a brisk climax. Disquietude is up-tempo, fiercely rhythmic, and maintains a state of excitement and suspense throughout. Learn More

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SATB: This well-known African American spiritual (the foot bone's connected to the leg bone, the leg bone's connected to the...), arranged by Howard Buss, makes a memorable concert feature as well as a rousing musical offering in church. Multiple players may be used on each part to expand the ensemble. This arrangement is hugely influenced by jazz. The extended two-part introduction begins hymn-like and then breaks out in a jubilant jazzy section. This is followed by a more traditional rendering of the spiritual; however, as the music reaches its climax, the jazz "licks" from the introduction are brought back as counterpoint against the main melody of the spiritual. The result is exhilarating, and for a bit of humor, just as the work ends, there is a "tongue-in-cheek" plagal cadence. Learn More

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unaccompanied

Eloquence is the first in a series of works for unaccompanied wind instruments. The term Eloquence (deriving from the Latin eloquentia) means a fluent, forcible, elegant or persuasive style of speech. It is also a term used to express strong emotions. The intent is for the melodic ideas portrayed in this work to evoke such emotions through timbre, range, extended techniques and virtuosic display.

- Lori F. Ardovin

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This colorful and inventive composition explores a sequence of emotional states which develop over a talea, a fixed pattern of time values. Except during the extended saxophone cadenza, this repeating rhythmic pattern can be heard throughout the work in varying degrees of intensity. At times it is forcibly presented by the musicians moving in rhythmic unison. On other occasions the talea is fragmented and distributed among the players. Frequently this rhythmic pattern is embedded in the presentation of melodic material similar to the technique of isorhythm as it was employed by 14th-century masters such as Machaut and de Vitry. The continuous variation of the unifying talea coupled with the work’s intriguing melodies and exotic timbral contrasts, make this an accessible and enjoyable concert work. Percussion distribution: Percussion 1: Timpani (4), temple blocks, snare drum, and 2 suspended cymbals; Percussion 2: Orchestra bells, xylophone, maracas, triangle, 2 cow bells, suspended cymbal, and chime tree; Percussion 3: Vibraphone, tam-tam, roto toms, and claves; Percussion 4: Marimba, guiro, and 2 suspended cymbals. “By far the night’s most memorable piece.” - The Los Angeles Times. Learn More

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SATB:

Fort Worth Funk was written to provide a light-hearted, engaging selection for Saxophone Quartet.  It begins with a dramatic statement from the Baritone Saxophone, who lays down the opening groove.  The other members of the quartet enter one at a time, while the composition builds to a virtuostic moment for the full quartet.  The staggered entrances also provide an opportunity to stage theatrics as well.  Appropriate rhythms and articulations are meticulously notated to help players achieve an authentic “funk” style in their performance.  The piece is loosely based on the chord changes to the jazz standard “Well You Needn’t”, which appears briefly in swing style at the end of the piece.  Chord changes and written solos are provided during the improvised sections, to bring the piece within the grasp of a wide spectrum of players. 

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Composed for Saxophone Quartet (SATB), this piece is in 3 movements:

I. Billy Boy

II. A Story That Has No End...

III. A Frog Went a-Courtin'

Many of the immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Mountains of the American southeast came from the British Isles.  They brought with them folksongs that evolved, over long periods of time, into favorite American songs.  John Jay Hilfiger has used three of these songs as the basis for the three movements of this work.  The settings are not in typical folksong style.  Instead, each tune is treated in a unique way, expanded upon, and shaped in an idiomatic way for the instruments.  The result is a work in which the superposition of familiar tunes with unexpected contrasts offers a new perspective on well-known melodies that are shared among all the players.  

 

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FUGA VII from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, BWV 876, by Johann Sebastian Bach for sax quartet (soprano, alto, tenor & baritone) transcribed by Howard J. Buss. Rather than intending to elicit a strong emotional response from listeners, this elegant music is designed to showcase compositional craftmanship and stilulate the intellect. This outstanding transcription makes a wonderful addition to a concert and is especially appropriate for performance in church. Learn More

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