Because I Have Been Given Much

The composer writes:Pilgrim was inspired it will be no surprise to learn by reading Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress - Vaughan Williams's great opera on the subject had fascinated me from its first performance yet it was a long time before I caught up with this essential item in any well-stocked library of English classics. It made a great impression not least because of its theme of a journey of self-discovery and a rediscovery or renewal of faith. These are ideas which have a strong interest for me not in religious terms but in their application to every aspect of human life (including great journeys) and this piece reflects my response in musical terms to this concern. The tempo of the whole piece which lasts about 18 minutes is basically slow. There are two quick episodes but these act somewhat like the trio sections of a classical scherzo save that the tempo relationships are inverted (the classical trios would have been slower not quicker) and the canvas is much larger being that of a single substantial slow movement. The form of the whole is perhaps fantasia-like rather than having any relationship to classical forms such as sonata or rondo - some motifs and themes are varied as the work develops and the opening chords are of primary importance throughout the work. There has been no attempt to convey any pictorial elements deriving from Bunyan's great book. There is however one feature which upon completion of the score struck me with some force which is that almost all the thematic material is essentially striving upwards - there is a constant upward movement (sometimes over a lengthy period) throughout the work. Pilgrim was commissioned by the Luton Music Club for the Raphael Ensemble with funds provided by the Eastern Arts Board and Bedfordshire County Council and is dedicated to the Luton Music Club. The first performance was given in Luton on February 10th 1997 and followed as part of a joint scheme by performances in the same week at the Music Clubs of Bedford and Leighton Buzzard.

Historical information about Händel's Water Music Suites is limited, but certainly these works were intended for two, possibly three, parties given by King George I on the Thames River, London, between 1715 and 1736. Händel and his orchestra played on a barge. Since then the some twenty-two separate original pieces have been organized into three Suites and nicknamed 'Water Music?, each having a separate key and likely corresponding to these river parties. This transcription of Water Music Suite II for saxophone quartet has two purposes: to make this music available to saxophonists for performance and education, and to provide in one volume the entire Suite II. The exception to the latter, because of the limits of endurance, is the exclusion of the short Adagio, a brief interlude between the fi rst two movements. Included though are the Allegro, Hornpipe, Minuet, Lentement, and Bourree. These works were originally meant for an outdoor performance, and one of the original intentions of the saxophone was to play in French military bands, also an open-air purpose. The original scoring of brass, woodwind, and string instruments (but no continuo) transcribe well for saxophones. Matching the ranges of instruments of the original to the saxophone quartet was a primary objective. In addition, this arrangement strives to disperse melodic material to all four saxophones so as to make the arrangement pleasing to all the members of the quartet while providing variety to an audience. Any dynamic, articulation, and tempo markings are to be taken only as suggestions so as to allow interpretation by the performers. The musical study and performance of all styles while using examples of composition and performance that represent excellence is necessary for saxophonists who wish to be well-rounded musicians. For the above reasons saxophonists are urged to listen to recordings of the original orchestration in order to learn and imitate proper interpretation of Baroque style. There are currently a number of excellent recordings of Handel's Suites on period instruments, such as (but not limited to) those by conductors John Eliot Gardiner, Christopher Hogwood, and the ensemble Tafelmusik. The Lewis-Clark State College Saxophone Quartet has for many years enjoyed performing Suite II for concerts, ceremonies and social settings, and I thank Advance Music for the opportunity to bring these great works to the profession. / 4 Saxophones (SATBar)

Imagine someone who has worked as an international saxophonist, an educator, a technician, a consultant, and as a designer, and you can imagine Peter Ponzol. For the first time, Peter offers details from his famous Saxophone Workshops. Learn about: ? Maintenance ? Reeds ? Mouthpieces ? Ligatures ? Sound ? Flexibility This exciting and informational pocket book will be a much needed addition to your musical library! Convenient pocket-sized book - 3.5 x 5.5 - perfect to toss in your gig bag! 64 pages. Peter has been around saxophones for decades, doing it all from manufacturing horns to reeds to mouthpieces. As well, he is a seasoned player. What he discusses in this book is coming from one of the sources-read carefully! - David Liebman, Sax artist/ author/ clinician. Read this review from Sax On The Web: The information in this book is right up SOTW?s alley, with answers regarding reeds, necks, mouthpieces, saxes, maintenance, and the like. I would assume that the number of redundant threads started could be reduced almost in half simply with a reading of this book and those owning it could refer back to it at their leisure, as needed. And there is enough info in this book which contradicts some of our SOTW urban legends to make an episode of MythBusters. If you catch the right posts at the right time, much of the info in this book is already posted here on SOTW. But you have to see it and if hunting for it, you have to find it. OTOH it?s all conveniently gathered and organized here in this primer - plus more. There are suggestions such as replacing the neck cork once or twice a year, which I would, if posting a response, say is not necessary. But here?s the difference. Many of us on the forum are experienced musicians but few have the experience and depth that Ponzol has. We can write with credibility - Ponzol writes with authority. And this is based on decades not only as a top-echelon player, but as a successful and innovative sax, neck and mpc designer. The book is a 61 page pocket reference booklet which, in addition to topics mentioned above, include thoughts on ligatures, sound and flexibility. It is based on items of interest asked by attendees at workshops he has given over the years, hence the title. He begins by pointing out that at these workshops one of the first things he does is look at the condition of attendees' equipment with the observation that at least 90% of them need some kind of work and adjustments. What follows in the book?s 61 pages are recommendations generated by this observation. Included are interesting comments such as: aging store-bought reeds by letting them sit for several years is fairly useless since the aging process stops once the bark has been cut away from the reed; not earth-shattering but interesting and certainly myth debunking. Again something that fits right in with many of the conversations on this forum. Interesting thoughts follow regarding the future of natural cane reeds, or how to select and get the most from your reeds - things I wouldn?t think of like sanding the heel of your reed. SOTWers might also get a kick out of, and relate to, the title of his section on mouthpieces, ?Now the Fun Begins?. There are also interesting side comments we don?t often hear like: in the 70s so many young players like Ponzol were trying to get Trane?s recorded sound by working on metal Links because that?s what they saw in photos and yet, Trane often recorded with hard rubber mpcs because, in Trane's opinion, it didn?t have as much spit in the sound for him. It?s interesting how some things come around back to you. There are two exercises I recommend to my students and have recommended on the forum regarding volume and embouchure control and flexibility. I?ve never heard anyone else recommend these exercises and yet here they are in Peter?s book. Then it hit me. The only other one I know who uses them is a former teacher of mine and I remembered that years ago he said he had had some lessons with Ponzol. So ?the circle is unbroken? LOL. I would highly recommend it for beginners and intermediates, as well as for more advanced players to recommend to their students. It has made me re-think even some of my most basic assumptions regarding equipment and maintenance, which has made the read well worth it. I wish every SOTW newbie would start out their Forum time with this booklet at their disposal.

Complete Brandenburg Concertos-In 1721 Bach collated six concertos as a gift for the Margrave of Brandenburg. Having been composed over a long period they had little in common musically and were primarily intended as a job application. Bach received neitherthanks job nor payment from the venerable Margrave. They were given the title Brandenburg Concertos 150 years later by Bach's biographer Philipp Spitta. The concertos are of great historical importance because they weremuch influenced by Italian music and the work of Vivaldi: they managed to break away from the standard German Concerto Grosso form. Using many combinations of textures and solo instrumentalists they were obviously written forvirtuoso players. The concertos have achieved immense popularity and the fact that a recorded excerpt from the 2nd concerto was placed on the Voyager spacecraft is a tribute to their importance and popularity. Thesix Brandenburg Concertos are a pinnacle of musical invention and they underline Bach's position as one of the world's supreme musical geniuses.