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DEREK GRANGER | saxophonist & educator
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Cantate Domino by Hans Leo Hassler, for SATB saxophone mouthpieces
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Fantasia in D minor, K. 397 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for SATB saxophone quartet
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Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 1 (mvmt. 4) by Ottorino Respighi, for saxophone ensemble
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Auld Lang Syne, for SAAT saxophone quartet
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Halowe'en by Charles Ives, for SSAB saxophone quartet, piano, and bass drum
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Suite d'orchestre dans le style ancien, Op. 2 by Albéric Magnard, for reed quintet
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Sonata No. 73 in E Minor by Ernst Wilhelm Wolf, for SAB saxophone trio
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Three Short Organ Works by Florence B. Price, for saxophone octet or ensemble
For score inquiries feel free to contact me!
Cantate Domino by Hans Leo Hassler
Arranged for SATB saxophone mouthpieces (download score, parts, and practice tracks)
This arrangement was a product of being separated from my fellow saxophonists in the Ma'at Quartet due to the pandemic in March 2020. Lacking a baritone, I arranged this wonderful staple of the early Baroque choral repertoire for us. Our recording is available on my YouTube page for reference. To my knowledge, this mouthpiece quartet is the first of its kind, and there are more coming! This is a great teaching tool to develop aural skills and pitch flexility/accuracy on the mouthpiece.
soprano practice track
00:00 / 01:38
alto practice track
00:00 / 01:38
tenor practice track
00:00 / 01:38
bari practice track
00:00 / 01:38
Fantasia in D minor, K. 397 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Arranged for SATB saxophone quartet (available to purchase through Keepe Publishing House)
This arrangement was completed in April 2020. I have long admired this popular piano work by Mozart for its emotional depth within a succinct design. Its striking second theme, heralded by repeated notes atop sinking chromatic chords, was my impetus for arranging it. To me, the opening of the Fantasia sounds and feels similarly to the opening of Beethoven's later work, the ever-popular "Moonlight" Sonata. I believe the saxophone quartet can imbue this work for keyboard with both lyricism and brilliance. The chief challenge for the ensemble will be making the towering runs in the cadenzas pass smoothly between each voice of the quartet. All parts have cues added to facilitate this most efficiently. Program notes and performance notes are included.
Passo Mezzo e Mascherada from Ancient Airs and Dances, Sute No. 1 by Ottorino Respighi
Passo Mezzo e Mascherada from Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1 by Ottorino Respighi
Arranged for saxophone ensemble (with or without sopranino, 3 sop, 3 alto, 2 tenor, 3 baritone, 1 bass)
Arrangements of pre-existing (lute) music themselves, the three Ancient Airs and Dances suites are orchestrated in typical Respighi brilliance. They honor their source music, while also presenting orchestral beauty and flourish that easily stands alongside more modern approaches. Thus, arranging them again for saxophones was both a challenge and an opportunity. I believe that the rustic, communal joy of this final movement of the first suite is perfect for the saxophone ensemble. The textures alternate rapidly between satisfying
tutti sonorities and intimate chamber moments. Composed of multiple contrasting sections, this 4-minute movement stands alone as a complete piece, well-suited to the opening or closing of a concert. As the arrangement is in the original key, harp and/or harpsichord parts may also be added; parts are available on IMSLP, though these are optional. Program notes and performance notes are included.
Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne (Barbershop quartet version)
Arranged for SAAT saxophone quartet
This arrangement is an adaption of Don Gray's barbershop quartet version, which is available for free thanks to the Barbershop Harmony Society. I transposed the parts to fit the range of SAAT. This is a wonderful exercise in just intonation, which is central to barbershop harmony just as it is for saxophone quartet.
Hallowe'en
Hallowe'en by Charles Ives (originally string quartet, piano, and bass drum)
Arranged for SSAB saxophone quartet (see original score for piano and drum parts)
magnard
Suite d'orchestre dans le style ancien, Op. 2 by Albéric Magnard
Arranged for reed quintet (oboe/English horn, clarinet, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon)
This five movement dance suite (Francaise, Sarabande, Gavotte, Menuet, Gigue) blends olden dance forms with Romantic phrasing, orchestration, and harmonic shifts. Magnard is sometimes referred to as "the French Bruckner". The cyclical motivic construction brings a symphonic element to the Suite. Performance of the entire work is therefore encouraged, though movements stand alone effectively, as well. I have notated which orchestral instrument of member of the quintet is "playing" at all times, to assist in interpretation and performance.
Wolf
Sonata 73 in E minor by Ernst Wilhelm Wolf
Arranged for SAB saxophone trio
This three-movement sonata was originally for clavichord, a precursor to the harpsichord. One is immediately struck by the beautiful intimacy of this small but surprisingly instrument, which even has its own kind of vibrato. This arrangement for saxophone trio retains this intimacy with spare contrapuntal interplay, occasional flashes of arpeggiation, and a gorgeous second movement soprano feature.
Price
Three Short Organ Works by Florence B. Price
Arranged for SSAATTBB saxophone octet/ensemble
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