Clearlight

Instrumentation

Alto saxophone and string quartet

Other Information

Clearlight (1997) for alto saxophone and string quartet. The up-beat work has a strong, steady rhythmic feel throughout and is dominated by the saxophone, with some sections given to improvisation. There are indications regarding pitches on which to base the improvisation, but the only other constraint in improvised sections is the duration (as indicated).

The work was written following a glorious holiday in Colorado in the summer of 1996. The extraordinary scenery and wonderful weather made a refreshing change for me, but I also came back home with a refreshed faith in the ability of others to look at life in a positive way. The title of the work arose from this outlook and from the atmosphere of the Rocky Mountains.