Urbis Saxophone Quartet
 from UK The Urbis Saxophone Quartet made their debut at the inauguration of the Royal Northern College of Music's (RNCM) Carol Nash Recital Room in 2010. They gave the UK Premiere of Friedrich Cerha's Saxophonquartett as part of the RNCM festival of Cerha's music with a delighted Cerha in the audience. Urbis's passion for contemporary music led to their being offered the chance to perform John Casken's Distant Variations Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Wind Orchestra with the RNCM Wind Collective at Manchester University's Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall. Following their performance in the final of the Trevor Wye Memorial Prize competition the Quartet were invited to perform Will Gregory's Lost Bronze at the RNCM's Help For Japan benefit concert. Urbis comprises Anthony Brown, William Upton, Eleanor Pike and Kyran Matthews. |
Teddy Bears' Picnic - John Walter BrattonThis arrangement combines elements of freewheeling jazz with twisting Eastern European melodies and sonorous harmonies. It was inspired by British saxophonist Iain Ballamy's recording with accordionist Stian Carstensen on their album The Little Radio.Saxophone Quartet, Opus 102 - Florent Schmittii. Vif
iii. Assez lent
iv. Anime sans exces
Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) is regarded as one of the most significant French composers of his generation. His individuality of style and subtle blending of French and German idioms paved the way for such pioneering composers as Stravinsky and Ravel. Despite Satie's instruction to young composers to kill themselves 'rather than orchestrate as badly as Florent Schmitt' his Saxophone Quartet has become a cornerstone of the repertoire, expertly juxtaposing the ensemble's vast range of colours. |
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