Country: Australia

Sonata

RM302e Sonata Spiewak TENOR SAX/PNO
RM302e Sonata Spiewak TENOR SAX/PNO
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Composer: Tomasz Spiewak
Composed: 2005 Duration: 24 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Tenor & Piano Level D
Exam Grade: AMEB Saxophone Tenor Grade 7,
HSC Saxophone Tenor
ISMN: M-720067-59-9 Catalogue: RM302
Level: D Country: Australia

For the Person Next To You…

RM301e For the Person Next To You... Carter TENOR SAX/PNO
RM301e For the Person Next To You... Carter TENOR SAX/PNO
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Composer: Taran Carter
Composed: 2004 Duration: 5 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Tenor & Piano Level D
Exam Grade: AMEB Saxophone Tenor Grade Certificate of Performance,
HSC Saxophone Tenor
ISMN: M-720067-58-2 Catalogue: RM301
Level: D Country: Australia

Performed live by Rompduo

Blues Train (5 pieces)

RM284 Blues Train (5 pieces) Kay ALTO SAX/PNO
RM284 Blues Train (5 pieces) Kay ALTO SAX/PNO
Printed Book
Composer: Martin Kay
Composed: 2005 Duration: 8 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Alto & Piano Level A, Sax Alto & Piano Level B
Exam Grade: HSC Saxophone Alto
ISMN: M-720067-51-3 Catalogue: RM284
Level: A - Easy, B Country: Australia

Contents: Rain In Spain , Coal Train, Mostly Mist , Papapap, Blues for Ma

 

Phospheric Variations

RM283e Phospheric Variations Stanhope ALTO SAX/PNO
RM283e Phospheric Variations Stanhope ALTO SAX/PNO
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Composer: Paul Stanhope
Composed: 1998 Duration: 5 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Alto & Piano Level D
Exam Grade: AMEB Saxophone Alto Grade AMusA,
HSC Saxophone Alto
ISMN: M-720067-52-0 Catalogue: RM283
Level: D Country: Australia

Performed by James Nightingale

The term “variations” in this work is used somewhat loosely and does not conform to the strict connotation of the classical “Theme and Variations” form. Rather, it is used in the sense that the presented themes are decorated and varied over a repeated ground bass in much the same way as in a Chaconne. Material for this work was drawn from an earlier work Phospherics. This title came from a series of word associations:

Phosphorous: phosphorescent, luminous, green, nature. Spherics: spherical, circular, cyclical, cycles.

Versions of phosphoric Variations were originally composed for alto saxophone and piano, then later for clarinet and piano and flute and piano.

Lokked In (8 pieces)

RM282e Lokked In (8 pieces) Davidson TENOR SAX/PNO
RM282e Lokked In (8 pieces) Davidson TENOR SAX/PNO
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Composer: Lachlan Davidson
Composed: 1994-2004 Duration: 15 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Tenor & Piano Level A, Sax Tenor & Piano Level B, Sax Tenor & Piano Level C
Exam Grade: AMEB Saxophone Tenor Grade 2,
AMEB Saxophone Tenor Grade 3,
AMEB Saxophone Tenor Grade 4,
HSC Saxophone Tenor
ISMN: M-720067-53-7 Catalogue: RM282
Level: A - Easy, C Country: Australia

Contents: Swing Thing,  Jewell in a Stone , Cathy's Dream , A Lane in Wales, One Step at a Time, A Good Time Was Had By All , Duddles Chuckles , Heritage

Swing Thing: This piece began life as an easy saxophone quartet but translates well to sax and piano. Be sure to play the longs and shorts accurately as it really helps it swing. Accent beat 2 and 4 for the same reason. When there is a quaver on the second half of a beat followed by a rest, it should always be short (staccato as marked) it is good to imagine that there is a note on the following beat to help place the last quaver.

Jewel in a Stone: Written for Julia, this is the most recently written of the tunes in Lokked in. Julia decided that she didn't feel like playing the C naturals that I had written so she played C sharps instead. I liked them so much that I changed the tune. There is much potential for some rubato and a very emotional performance of this piece. Some music turns out that way. Don't play it too slowly but don't hurry from one phrase to the next.

Cathy's Dream: Cathy had Chronic Fatigue syndrome at school and bravely fought through it. Her dream was to be healthy. I played this at her wedding recently where she seemed extremely well. The feel is Latin American influenced and the syncopations can be tricky. Very slow practice with the metronome, thinking in quavers and leaving the ties out can help gain an understanding of the rhythms. This is a good one to practise with the piano part slowly from the early stages of its preparation.

A Lane in Wales: In 1993, on a “round the world walkabout,” I visited my relatives in Wales and went on some long, solitary walks. This tune seems to capture the spirit of some of the lanes I walked along. I enjoy playing this tune and love the more classical feel of it. It suits a more classical sound and a softer dynamic. I love the sound of this piece at a slower tempo too. Be gentle but firm with it. Be aware of when the phrases are one, two or four bars long and be careful not to break it up too much.

One Step at a Time: Named for Steph, to motivate her to practise. Well it didn't work for her but it is a really fun piece to play with elements of rock in the eighties and a touch of David Sanborn. Thanks Dave.

Dig hard into the groove, the accents and the staccatos to really make it rock.  A brighter sound and a generally stronger dynamic will suit this piece. The metronome is your best friend on this one.

A Good Time was Had by All: After a tour to Queensland with the school Stage Band, Yuki, a trombonist, asked me to write a piece for her VCE. I was honoured to do so and this was named as a celebration of the good time everyone had on the trip. It suits the saxophone just as well as the trombone and should be approached with a simple, not over-jazzy (or too cool) swing feel, emphasising the off-beat quavers and enjoying the fun in the music. The piano part really adds to the party so check it out as soon as you can.

Duddles Chuckles: I conceived this tune on the way home from a gig, named it after the unique laugh of one of my students, “Duddles” and arranged it for sax quartet before converting it to sax and piano. Play it with a bouncy swing feel in two, but emphasise (accent) the off-beats where quavers are slurred across the beat. There are some unusual staccatos which add to the character of the tune and make it less groovy or jazzy but more fun.

Heritage: I first took this tune (then un-named) to a gig at Bennetts Lane with unLokked (my jazz quartet) and subsequently recorded it on “A hot night in Burwood” released through Newmarket music. I consider it one of my best tunes. It has an obvious celtic influence but I know that Jan Garbarek and the Disney song, “Colours of the wind” were in the mix here too. This version is a simplified version of the original with far fewer ornaments than I would normally play but it still maintains its integrity and emotion. Play it with strength, commitment and honesty.

Three Places for a New Millennium

RM279e Three Places for a New Millennium Greenbaum ALTO SAX/PNO
RM279e Three Places for a New Millennium Greenbaum ALTO SAX/PNO
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Composer: Stuart Greenbaum
Composed: 2006 Duration: 5 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Alto & Piano Level B, Sax Alto & Piano Level C
Exam Grade: AMEB Saxophone Alto Grade 4,
AMEB Saxophone Alto Grade 5,
HSC Saxophone Alto
ISMN: M-720067-35-3 Catalogue: RM279
Level: B, C Country: Australia

Performed by Rompduo

Contents: I. In Orbit , II. Departure Lounge , III. In Traffic

Program Note

I. In Orbit
This was written wondering what it would be like to see the Earth from space. It also serves as a hymn to the technology of satellites that increasingly connect our humble human communications.

II. Departure Lounge
Most commonly, this is at an airport. When travelling alone, this can be a place to contemplate the state of one’s existence while trying to find the right angle to perch one’s hand luggage as a foot stool. But this can also be at a train station – and Sydney Central boasts a (very) modest lounge for travellers waiting for the night train to Melbourne.

III. In Traffic
Statistics bear out that lane swapping in heavy traffic to maximise time and position is mostly a waste of time and dangerous into the bargain. What’s worse is nipping into the fast lane on a slight opening, only for it to become the slow lane. My advice? Take the bike or public transport.

These pieces have been published with key signatures for ease of reading, though were not conceived as conventionally ‘tonal’ pieces.

Echoes of Another Age

RM277e Echoes of Another Age Abbott TUBA/PNO
RM277e Echoes of Another Age Abbott TUBA/PNO
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Composer: Katy Abbott
Composed: 2001 Duration: 4 mins.
Instrumentation: Tuba & Piano
Exam Grade: HSC Tuba
ISMN: M-720067-32-2 Catalogue: RM277
Level: C Country: Australia

As a note of curiosity, the opening theme of the piece was composed on the evening of September 11th Eastern Standard Time (EST) of that year at the exact moments that the World Trade Centre in New York was being attacked. The composer had no idea of the events on the other side of the world at the time of writing and the musical content is not related to these events. However, the title, Echoes of Another Age is an acknowledgment of the change in awareness these events created of how we now live and perceive our world.