Saxophone Quartets

[Mamos]

I love the sound of a sax quartet

Anyone play in one?

Got any good suggestions for SQs I sould be listening to

With all the people recording themselves on here maybe we could put together a sax quartet with people sending in their parts

Maybe Pete could write a piece especially for the site

Nationwide Saxophone Quartet

mamos

 

[AlanU]

I've got a couple of albums by The World Saxophone Quartet and The 29th St Saxophone Quartet. Don't listen to them much though.
I'm sure they must be great fun to play in, but I find them a bit tedious to listen to after a while.

 

[dooce]

The Daventry Massive attends quartet sessions arranged by our own very lovely Sharon (Sax Kitten). When I say quartet, last time out it was 2 altos, 1 tenor and 1 soprano....... Even so, when it all hangs together it sounds great and I find it one of the most rewarding things I do with the instrument.

 

[Lodger]

Yes, I'd love to play with a small group (duet, trio, quartet) as an alternative to playing in the wind band, but I haven't yet found anyone living near enough who is able to give it a try.

 

[Justin Chune]

I've been playing saxophone quartets for years and I really enjoy it. In fact playing sax quartets would be my idea of Heaven. I do agree with Alan's opinion that they are more fun to play than to listen to. Our second alto died recently and he always said that if such a thing were to happen to him he would be looking down from Heaven and thinking "You lucky people".

A couple of years ago we started a sax. choir and that is coming along quite nicely. We have all of the instruments from nino to bass and have done a few gigs.

Many years ago, at a CASS event, I bought a cassette tape of the now long gone English Saxophone Quartet playing Don Ashton arrangements. Awesome stuff. Grab any chance you get to play in a saxophone quartet. You'll love it.

Jim.

 

[Mamos]

Thanks Justine

Lovely post

I play tenor and my wife has just started playing Alto so we are half way there.

We have just signed up to a music school in Falmouth and we are hoping for a few more sax players to sign up so we can do some ensemble work.

Bari players are few and far between in these parts though

mamos

 

[Justin Chune]

Too bad about the shortage of baris where you are Mamos. We had an outing last Sunday with the choir and seven out of the nine players present own baritones. When we started, we played trios when we couldn't get a four together.

When our original baritone player retired I bought his sax and have been playing baritone ever since. That sax opened doors for me. I was invited to join a dance band that plays the 1930s music that I like. Playing in that band and the quartet is the most fun I've ever had.

The friend who started us off has a great collection of sax music, for duets, trios, quartets and now choir. We are never stuck for something to play.

I hope you get started soon.

Jim.

 

[Mamos]

Perhaps I should get a baritone

mamos

 

[SLoB]

Been playing in a Sax Quartet for about a year now. A group of friends from the Wind Orchestra I play in. It's great fun and there is so much stuff out there of all types, difficulty, etc. We have done a couple of gigs in old people's homes (they at least cannot hear the bum notes! ). They really appreciate it and we have a couple of sing-alongs for them. If you get the chance to join one do so. OR, form your own. We have SATB arrangement, but also have stuff for AATB and even ATBB. A good site for some music is http://www.4a4quartet.com/. You will see there is some music for a variety of combinations and numbers of players.
Stephen

 

[Justin Chune]

Sax Quartets

As a matter of fact I was tempted to suggest that you and your wife could share a baritone. You know it makes sense

Jim.

 

[Mamos]

My wife is only about as tall as a baritone

mamos

 

[Justin Chune]

That makes no difference. I play with little gals that can blow up a storm on the baritone and even the bass sax. You can carry it for her. Sorted.

Jim.

 

[Pjonah]

I absolutely love saxophone quartet music. For me the Zenith was reached back in the 70's with The ESQ - English Saxophone Quartet headed up by Anthony Houghton fueled mainly from professors at the Royal Northern College of Music.

In a close second would come the LSQ - London Saxophone Quartet headed up by Paul Harvey and Christopher Gradwell and the Royal Millitary School of Music at Kneller Hall.

The ESQ specialised in the Franco-Americal School with composers, Jean Absil, Jean Francais and Sammy Nestico. Jean Francais penned the genre standard - Petit Quatour Pour Saxophone, a must have piece.

The medium also works well in Mediaeval music, something Paul Harvey managed to exploit to the full with many arrangements of old music and some original compositions, it works really well too.

Of the current crop, the Adelphi Saxophone Quartet are well worth a listen, try this link: http://tiny.cc/rGG4y

The Apollo Sax Quartet are a bit "out there" for me, but also try Kintamarni too.:welldone

 

[SLoB]

In our Quartet the women play the bigger instruments and the men play the smaller (does this say something about us men?). That said our Bari player is almost as tall as me and I am 6'1"!

 

[Pjonah]

Petit Quatour Pour Saxophone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkym6vuVHNU

Thar she blows, not the best rendition but still wonderfully atmospheric.