Varios grupos de saxofones enormes

Several World Massed Saxophones

Be part of a performance of "Several World" by Rachel Stott!

On Thursday, 12th July at 7:30pm there will be a special performance of "Several World" by Rachel Stott for 100 saxophonists. You are invited to take part in this unique event.

There will be a rehearsal at 6pm on Wednesday 11th July in Younger Hall.

The piece will be conducted by Sarah Markham and features saxophone soloists Otis Murphy, Michael Duke, Lynn Klock, Alistair Parnell, Naomi Sullivan, Angela Space, Sally MacTaggart, Rachel Parry-Ridout, and Chris Jolly. A version of the piece can be heard here: www.sarahmarkham.eu

Please fill in the form below by MONDAY 2ND JULY, stating which saxophone you would like to play. There are parts for soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, and contrabass saxophones - these are available to download at the bottom of this page.

Download the form here

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SEVERAL WORLD

The original version of Several World was composed for Sarah Markham's birthday celebration in April 2010 and performed as part of that wonderful day of music for ever increasing numbers of saxophones. From the outset I was fascinated by the idea of writing for this huge family of instruments, from soprillo down to contrabass saxophone, and I searched for a concept which would suggest many and varied combinations of instruments within the large ensemble. I finally found this in Robert Herrick's two line poem 'Dreams':

Here we are all, by day; by night we're hurl'd, By dreams, each one, into a several world.

Knowing that a large but unspecified number of players would be involved, I decided to create a texture which is rather like a 21st century expansion of the 18th century concerto grosso, with nine solo, or "concertino" parts and seven "ripieno" parts, for which the number of players can be flexible. The nine solo players are grouped in three groups of three, but though they sometimes play as trios they also combine with members of other trios, as if, in dreams, they have crossed over and inhabited other worlds. The ripieno parts both underpin the soloists and contrast with them, while also continually grouping and re-grouping within themselves.

In revising the piece for performance at the World Saxophone Congress I was delighted to have the freedom to expand the fugal section in the middle, which was originally for solo players only. The ripieno players now have a greater and I hope more satisfying role in the piece as a whole. The revision also gave me scope to develop the musical material in new directions, to explore yet more different textures and combinations of instruments, and to establish a stronger overall structure. The piece is now seven minutes long and contains perhaps a hundred dreams, and as many individual worlds.

c. Rachel Stott 30th March 2012