Concerto for Alto Sax and Orchestra

Instrumentation

Standard symphony orchestra with alto sax

Score, download - 0.44MB

Other Information

The recording here is a medley of samples from the 3 movements, with Sibelius accompaniment - not the LSO but it should give some idea! In particular the instrument balance should be taken with a pinch of sodium chloride.

About 2005 I had the idea of writing a concerto for alto sax - a popular instrument, but not widely used in ´serious´ music. The 1st movement began to take shape, slowly and hesitantly at first but with gathering momentum, and the concerto was largely finished by Christmas 2008.

It was first played through at a rehearsal by the ´Wednesday Band´, a local orchestra conducted by Peter Bridle, on Wednesday the 13th May 2009. I had just returned from playing in a jazz festival in Borneo and was in a somewhat sorry state - the extreme heat melted the copious amounts of wax in my ears, and I had become profoundly deaf! After some cajoling our much-loved NHS cleared my ears in time, and the evening went well.

The Concerto is in C major and follows the classical 3-movement form. The first movement (Allegro non troppo) starts at an easygoing 2-in-a-bar tempo, with the second theme changing to 4/4. A cadenza leads in to the coda, and (for the technically minded) a repeated chord of F#7-5 near the end moves up to G7-5 which resolves on the tonic! The second movement (Andante con moto) is a more sombre affair in F minor. We go back to Allegro non troppo for the third movement, but this time in 6/8. The second theme is a complete contrast, being a sardonic woodwind passage in 3/4. After a virtuosic coda the responsibility for a successful and humorous ending rests with the bassoon.

The first public performance was 15th May 2010 in Sutton Town Hall with the Sutton Coldfield Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Goldring. It was a considerable success and has encouraged me to persevere with the ultimate goal of a place in the standard repertoire.