Bankaccount Blues

NTEQ plays live from University of Tennessee!

Rivier - Grave et Presto

Luciano Berio - Sequenza IXb for alto saxophone

The world premiere performance of my Songs of Ascent, given by the RNCM Brass Band and musical director James Gourlay at the 2019 RNCM Brass Band Festival.

PROGRAMME NOTE 

'Songs of Ascent' was composed for the Royal Northern College of Music Brass Band, as part of their programme for the 2019 RNCM Festival of Brass. In my view, the festival itself is the leading showcase for original contemporary music for the medium (in a concert setting) in the world and therefore an ideal place to explore new ideas and sounds, which was a notion fundamental to the construction of this work.

The piece is subtitled 'Out of the Depths, I cry to you, O Lord'; the opening line of Psalm 130 (which forms part of a set of 15 psalsm, 120-134 known as the Songs of Ascent") which forms the main inspiration for much of the musical material. Following an extended opening for four individual tuba lines, there are a number of solos for members of the band off stage, with bleak and deep accompaniment lines, reflecting the words of Psalm 130. 

Amongst these 'songs of ascents', the most common and strong themes are repentance and redemption; with the central core of this work emerging 'from the depths' to reveal one of very few calming and reflective passages of the work utilising the tune of 'Guide Me O Thy Great Redeemer' in a new setting, featuring the Solo Horn and Bass Trombone, before returning to the ethereal and dark timbres that form much of the music up to this point.

In terms of compositional technique, this work is solely based on a set of 4 9-note scales in their various unique transpositions (below). Each of these scales provide a set of 2 whole tone scales, 6 minor triads, 6 major triads and is built on 9 augmented triads. Whilst most of the music in this work is based melodically on the set of notes (heard right at the outset in the motif in the tuba line), the central section delves into the harmonic capabilities of these 'modes', using a number of the 7 'keys' which can be derived from the minor & major chords derived in each scale. All 4 scales are used independantly to each other, with whole sections of the work focussing on each mode.

Songs Of Ascent (Brass Band)

Artvark and the Apollo Saxophone Quartet met for the first time whilst both groups were on tour in South Africa in 2014.

As a contemporary classical quartet, with a big sound, great technique and performance the Apollo Quartet present a huge repertoire of commissioned music from the great contemporary composers of our time, to crossovers in jazz and beyond. Alongside composers such as Richard Rodney Bennett, Michael Nyman, Graham Fitkin & Michael Torke, they have also collaborated with Django Bates, Kenny Wheeler, Chick Corea, Iain Ballamy & Julian Arguelles, and a track on their latest CD 'Perspectives' features jazz giant Bob Mintzer. In the beginning of their long existence they have won the Erasmus Competition (NL) and the Tokyo International Chamber Music Festival, and the group now tours internationally. 

Jazz quartet Artvark played at major festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Bohemia Jazz Festival, Jazz Brugge and toured in Ireland, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa. They have collaborated with a huge variety of artists, including the legendary drummer Peter Erskine (USA), Senegalese master drummer Doudou N'Diaye Rose, the classical soprano Claron McFadden and singer Ntjam Rosie from Cameroun. In 2017, after several intense and fruitful collaborations over the past few years, Artvark released a new ‘solo’ album as a quartet: ‘TRANCE, a 7 part suite.

There was an immediate chemistry between both quartets: the mutual musical respect was evident and a great friendship soon arose. Plans were immediately made to undertake something together somewhere in the future….

Five years later this collaboration actually took place: 'Artvark and Apollo - Two Quartets Collide & Merge’. Artvark flew to Manchester for some intense rehearsals with the eight saxophonists, each one of them having written an original composition especially for this new ensemble. The result was beyond expectation: a hugely versatile program with eight strong pieces that excite and inspire all of the musicians. It is a unity in diversity, music that ranges from spherical and atmospheric to driving grooves and pieces with elements of minimal music contrasted with jazz inspired improvisations. The sound possibilities are endless and the two quartets can’t wait to share this music with audiences everywhere.

"In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed" - Charles Darwin

Artvark (NL - Rotterdam): Rolf Delfos alto sax, Bart Wirtz alto sax, Mete Erker tenor sax and Peter Broekhuizen baritone sax.
http://www.artvarksq.com/

Apollo (UK – Manchester): Rob Buckland soprano sax, Carl Raven alto sax, Andy Scott tenor sax and Jim Fieldhouse baritone sax.
http://apollosaxophonequartet.com/

Jacob's Ladder

Composed by Carl Raven, A Sugar-Filled Journey is a medium tempo tango with elements of the Cha-Cha and rhumba thrown in for good measure. Graded at the medium level, this piece is ideal for intermediate clarinet groups whilst still being a welcome addition the the library for more accomplished ensembles.

Demo CD

A Sugar-Filled Journey, Clarinet Ensemble by Carl Raven

Falling Forward is a saxophone quartet arranged by Jeff Driskill featuring one Alto, two Tenor and one Baritone Saxophones.

Ian Smith is playing Alto/Tenor Saxes and Chris Caldwell is playing Baritone.

Sax Quartet - Alto/Tenor Saxes by Ian Smith

Saxophone Instrumental Jazz, Relax with Sax

Sax Relax - Blue Lagoon Cafe

Blaze was written by Jim Fieldhouse as a personal composition challenge during the coronavirus lockdown of 2020. The piece came about from a desire to contribute to the contemporary euphonium repertoire and a need for some material for the composer to practice while the UK's brass bands were on pause due to Covid-19. This piece means business! It starts with a bang and is definitely not for the faint hearted. Much of the material centres around repeated semiquavers and requires razor sharp precision to bring off the page. The relentless melodic lines are laid over funk influenced grooves and driving bass riffs. Playing with good time and feel are really important for switching between the more traditional brass band style and the all out jazz Funk sections. While the euphonium 1 part is predominantly a high register part and euphonium 4 is very much the bass of the quartet, all four parts present their own challenges of virtuosic technique, range and stamina.
https://youtu.be/-IFVMKz4Rp0

Blaze - for euphonium quartet

Blaze Quartet

NMP specialise in original and arranged music for woodwind and brass. Whether you are looking for light concert music for sax quartet or something to make an impression at a brass band festival we hope you'll find something to suit.

A Sugar-Filled Journey, Clarinet Ensemble by Carl Raven

Nefarious Music Publications