Par KOHLER THEODOR. / Contemporary / Date parution : 2020-10-15/ Répertoire / Saxophone Soprano et Piano

Jack Brymer premièred this work originally called 'Sopsonare' in 1973 at the American School at St. John's Wood playing on Michael Krein's Selmer soprano saxophone. This Sonata the first composition for saxophone by Colin Cowles was inspired by the acquisition of a soprano saxophone whilst teaching in Hemel Hempstead in the early 1970s. Although having played on a simple system soprano as a boy (an instrument borrowed from and taught him by his father) this re-introduction to the instrument was to kindle a life-long love of the complete saxophone family and the composition of an almost endless 'library' of works for it at all levels. It was also at a time whenthe composers had made recent acquaintance with the eminent saxophonist Peter Ripper and had been introduced to the saxophone quartet by the recently formed London Saxophone Quartet whose leader Paul Harvey was to play this Sonata and the Elegy for Soprano Saxophone and String Orchestra. He in fact premiered the latter work which Jack Brymer then played in public on a number of occasions. It was recorded by Peter Ripper with the composer at the piano at the BBC Maida Vale Studios. It is a totally non-esoteric work but like so much of the composer's music it is fun and approachable bearing repetition without becoming tedious. The composer has always favoured the Bb saxophones (soprano and tenor) which is reflected by his output. Of particular note are: • Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra• In Memoriam for Tenor Saxophone and String Orchestra• Sonata for Tenor Saxophone and Piano • Three Bala Sketches for Tenor Saxophone and Piano. This Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano and the Elegy for Soprano Saxophone and Strings are particular favourites of the composer.

for soprano saxophone and chamber orchestra. Par BRYARS GAVIN. The piece is dedicated to John Harle and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, who commissioned it with funds made available by South West Arts. It makes use of the saxophone's ability to play long expressive melodic passages, and was written too, having seen the Sinfonietta perform, with some of its individual players in mind. Although played without a break, the piece does fall into a number of recognisable sections delineated by a change of tempo, or by a substantial shift of texture. For example, shortly before the end, there is a passage where the saxophone is accompanied by 21 solo strings - the entire string section playing divisi, followed by a coda, which contains simultaneous 'laments' (for saxophone, cor anglais, French horn, and solo violin). The Green Ray is the title of a romantic novel by Jules Verne, set in the West of Scotland, in which a peculiar atmospheric phenomenon plays the key part. A 'green ray' is seen at sunset in certain latitudes, and in certain coastal conditions, just as the sun touches the horizon and, for a brief moment, the orange sun emits a green ray of light. In the Verne story the simultaneous sighting of the ray will seal a couple's love, and the attempts of a young man to do this are constantly frustrated (by sudden clouds, by a yacht passing along the horizon, and so on). This part of Western Scotland is also the place where certain piping traditions originated. Male pipers practised in one cave on the seashore, females in another ( the 'piper's cave' and the 'pigeon's cave'). As they played their laments at twilight a triangulation, similar to that in the Verne story (male-ray-female) may well have occurred without the knowledge of the innocent participants, hence the sequence of simultaneous laments in the coda. On one occasion I witnessed the green ray in Southern California. I was returning along the coast after having climbed up Mt. Tecate, on the top of which is a house, now empty, where Evans-Wentz translated The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Gavin Bryars./ Répertoire / Saxophone Soprano et Piano

Composed for John Harle in 1990 and is based strictly on a sequence of four chords.

RANT! is a portrait of the saxophonist Jess Gillam: her energy, her sound and her presence, painted in music from her own part of England. A ?rant? in the tradition of English folk music is an energetic dance and means ?to make merry? a reflection of Jess?s fearless and exuberant performances. RANT! draws on Cumbrian folk tunes sourced from Ed Heslam?s unique folk music resource Music of Cumberland and Westmoreland, as well as several tunes composed by Ed himself. This advanced piece is suitable for soprano saxophone or clarinet with piano accompaniment.