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This recital took place in the Great Hall at Barts Heritage on Wednesday 19th January 2022. The programme features innovative new revisions of classic French saxophone repertoire, exploring how this music has been updated by modern generations of saxophonists as the instrument and its players continue to evolve. Arrangements of Ravel’s enchanting Sonatine (0:30) and a charming Canzonetta by Gabriel Pierne (34:30) stand alongside original saxophone works - Debussy’s Rapsodie ‘Mauresque’ (42:15) and Fernande Decruck’s Sonata in C# minor (16:45). The concert concludes with Astor Piazzolla’s passionate and nostalgic musical tribute to his father – Adios Nonino (54’30). Many thanks to City Music Foundation and Barts Heritage, and to Musicarta Media for the recording.

This beautiful carol was commissioned by the Nevis Ensemble for their recording project in December 2020 – a week of socially distanced music making in the midst of the coronavirus shutdown. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to take part in this project, as it was the first time I’d played with other musicians in months – the feeling was incredible! The poignant Gaelic text of this carol was written by Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, and read in the recording by the poet himself. It explores the darker side of the festive season, speaking of the poverty and hunger felt by many at this time of celebration, but finishes with a shimmering and joyful final verse full of love and hope for the new year.

The name Guillermo Lago is in fact a pseudonym used by Dutch saxophonist Willem van Merwijk, who was a founding member of the renowned Aurelia Saxophone Quartet - it is therefore no surprise that this music feels incredibly intimate for the ensemble, with constant interaction and conversation between the individual players. This piece uses all of the colours and timbres available from the players to artfully depict the consequences of ignorance, love and violence, giving the saxophone the opportunity to soar as a solo voice as well as seep into the textures of the string quartet. I am grateful to the Resol String Quartet for this memorable and rewarding collaboration.

Completed in 2002, this duo explores the similarities between the saxophone and clarinet, seamlessly blending their sounds together and making use of their virtuosic capabilities to create unique textures. The first of the movements featured in this clip – Elegy – was written in the wake of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, and is a deeply emotional reflection on the tragedy of these events. The music beings and ends in a solemn silence, slowly and organically growing until it reaches an intense climax of sighing and wailing in the high registers of each instrument, before retreating again into softer and more reflective colours. 

This piece is the third movement in a larger series of works entitled “Afterlife”, which was commissioned by fellow Scottish saxophonist Lewis Banks. I was lucky enough to attend the premier of this piece back in September 2019, and it left such an impression that I knew I had to get my hands on this music and play it myself! Much like the solo works of Bach this piece is packed full of different possibilities for interpretation and expression, and it was a great experience delving into this score and exploring all of these colours and nuances. After a lot of previous experience working on transcriptions of Bach’s partitas for Flute and Violin, it felt like a natural step to continue into contemporary solo repertoire which was inspired by his music.

This performance concluded the final recital of my Master of Arts degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and is a treasured memory – a brilliant way to bring to a close just over five years of study at the institution. I was lucky to be able to give this performance alongside my teacher Josef Pacewicz (alto saxophone), fellow students and alumni of the RCS Karen Dufor (tenor saxophone), Dean Garrity (alto saxophone) and Francisco Sanchez Diaz (soprano saxophone), as well as my dear friends and trio partners John-Anthony Craig (baritone saxophone) and Maria Urian (piano). The piece is heard here in a chamber version arranged by the Australian saxophonist Mary Osborn.