Exam: HSC Saxophone Alto

Sigmund

RM317e Sigmund Gilmour ALTO SAX/PNO
RM317e Sigmund Gilmour ALTO SAX/PNO
Digital Download eScore
Composer: Russell Gilmour
Composed: 1998 Duration: 4 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Alto & Piano Level C
Exam Grade: HSC Saxophone Alto
ISMN: M-720067-75-9 Catalogue: RM317
Level: C Country: Australia

 

Hoe Down

RM310 Hoe Down Davidson ALTO SAX/PNO
RM310 Hoe Down Davidson ALTO SAX/PNO
Printed Book
RM310e Hoe Down Davidson ALTO SAX/PNO
RM310e Hoe Down Davidson ALTO SAX/PNO
Digital Download eScore
Composer: Lachlan Davidson
Composed: 1996 Duration: 4 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Alto & Piano Level D
Exam Grade: AMEB Saxophone Alto Grade 6,
HSC Saxophone Alto
ISMN: M-720067-67-4 Catalogue: RM310
Level: D Country: Australia

Also available for Alto sax solo with Big-band A jazz band with a violin solo, a sax quartet featuring Soprano Sax, a big band featuring violin or marimba have all performed “Hoe Down”. It does have a strong Funk element and is built around the pentatonic scale but also contains jazz and blues licks around primary triads (I, IV and V). My recorded tempo is at the upper limit but it does work very nicely at slower tempos, but not too slow. The jazz articulations at various times in the piece are hard not to swing but try to keep the even semi-quavers going and the energy up.

Altotude (12 pieces)

RM309e Altotude (12 pieces) Marshall ALTO SAX/PNO
RM309e Altotude (12 pieces) Marshall ALTO SAX/PNO
Digital Download eScore
Composer: Paul Marshall
Composed: 2003-2005 Duration: 15 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Alto & Piano Level A, 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-720067-66-7 Catalogue: RM309
Level: A - Easy, C Country: Australia

Contents: Holiday in Morocco, Sophie's Strut, Hill-Billy Blues, Bad Attitude, Rock Salt, Ga Ga Rag, Hi-Five, Cement Mixer, Hairy Habanera, Tango Magnifico, A Little Blues Bird, Chasin' the Bass

 

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
Digital Download eScore
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.

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
Digital Download eScore
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.

Mosaic (7 pieces)

RM267e Mosaic (7 pieces) Spiewak ALTO SAX/PNO
RM267e Mosaic (7 pieces) Spiewak ALTO SAX/PNO
Digital Download eScore
Composer: Tomasz Spiewak
Composed: 1997 Duration: 11 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Alto & Piano Level B
Exam Grade: HSC Saxophone Alto
ISMN: M-720067-19-3 Catalogue: RM267
Level: B Country: Australia

Contents: Penguins' Meeting , An Olde Serenade, By the Shores of Lake Cadibarrawirracanna, Emus on Parade, Promenade of the Wombats, Capriccio , Folk Dance

The Listener

RM260 The Listener Davidson ALTO SAX/PNO
RM260 The Listener Davidson ALTO SAX/PNO
Printed Book
RM260e The Listener Davidson ALTO SAX/PNO
RM260e The Listener Davidson ALTO SAX/PNO
Digital Download eScore
Composer: Lachlan Davidson
Composed: 2003 Duration: 4 mins.
Instrumentation: Sax Alto & Piano Level C
Exam Grade: AMEB Saxophone Alto Grade 6,
HSC Saxophone Alto
ISMN: M-720067-10-0 Catalogue: RM260
Level: C Country: Australia

Performed by Rompduo

As I was warming up my sax while Kath was getting hers out for a lesson, I played a few random notes which caught my ear. They were the first six notes of this piece. Later that day, after some exploration, I recorded a semi-improvised piano part and then semi-improvised the sax part. What you see on the page is a cleaned up version of what I did that day. This is the only time I've ever composed this way. Kath is a great Listener and reminded me of it's importance. You should allow your performance to build gradually through the first page and then really soar through the second page before settling down fairly quickly at the end. See if you can make it sound like you improvised it. Get together with the pianist early or play with the midi version of it from the website. It will help you understand the pace and intensity. If you add any jazz inflections, make sure they sound good and that you stay in tune. The beginning is very difficult in that regard so don't try to play any softer than you are able but do work on dropping your dynamic as far as possible and bringing it up as high as you can at the climax.