A Darkened Protest

Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Woodwind Ensemble

by
Steffan Brunette

Ensemble: Chamber Winds

Solo Instrument: Tenor Sax

Grade: 3.5

Duration: 11:30

Year of Composition: 2010

Premiered by: Middlefield C.I. Senior Wind Ensemble (Kededra Patterson, tenor sax; Miguel Malaco, conductor)

Date of Premiere: April, 2011

Publisher: self-published

Available: Yes

How to Acquire: Composer

Links:

Sample Audio

Perusal Score 

Instrumentation

Solo Tenor Sax
2 Flutes
3 Clarinets
Bass Clarinet
2 Alto Sax
Baritone Sax
Horn
Drum Set

Score and parts available from the composer at no charge. Solo part approximately concert band Grade 4 level.


Program Notes:

This is the second “junior” concerto written for the senior ensemble at MCI. The featured soloist was grade 12 saxophonist Kededra Patterson. The title of the composition is an anagram of the letters of Kededra’s name. There was no intention to convey any musical meaning to the sense of the title.

The ensemble of this particular year featured all woodwinds, a horn player, and a percussionist. The central musical gesture of this piece is a series of chromatic chords, with the upper voices descending while the lower voice rises. The first movement is characterized by a folk-like melody introduced by the soloist. The second movement borrows a concept from Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra. Within the school’s senior group were many talented grade 12 students, and an effort was made to feature each of them. The horn player, percussionist, and soloist all have feature moments throughout
as they are singular instruments. In addition, there were two grade 12 flautists, two grade 12 clarinetists, and two grade 12 alto saxophonists. The second movement is modeled after the “Game of Pairs” sequence in Bartok’s Concerto, and throughout three short episodes, the pairs of
instruments get a brief feature. Like the Bartok Concerto, the soloists are featured at a fixed intervallic distance.

(Steffan Brunette)