Paul Carr
UNUSUAL QUIETNESS OF SNOW SAX+STRQU
Goodmusic GM304
Elegy for soprano saxophone and string quartet. This work is an arrangement of the slow movement from Paul Carr's Concerto for Saxophone.
The unusual quietness of snow is a slow and poignant expression of sadness and loss. At a difficult time in my life, a few days before my Mother's death, it seemed strange that a heavy, early morning snow fall in the first days of March could have provided a sense of calmness and unity at a time of extreme emotion. It was a snow fall and a quietness I shall never forget, and I remember thinking how comforting and beautiful it was - the large heavy flakes falling slowly and silently, as if out of a mark of respect. Opening with quiet sustained chords in the strings the saxophone enters with an expressive theme that continually rises and falls, deepening in emotional intensity. Eventually the theme is taken up by the strings and joined by the saxophone as it reaches its highest point - leaving the movement to subside into calm, quiet, and eventual rest. Paul Carr
Duration 6½ minutes
Score and parts included.
The unusual quietness of snow is a slow and poignant expression of sadness and loss. At a difficult time in my life, a few days before my Mother's death, it seemed strange that a heavy, early morning snow fall in the first days of March could have provided a sense of calmness and unity at a time of extreme emotion. It was a snow fall and a quietness I shall never forget, and I remember thinking how comforting and beautiful it was - the large heavy flakes falling slowly and silently, as if out of a mark of respect. Opening with quiet sustained chords in the strings the saxophone enters with an expressive theme that continually rises and falls, deepening in emotional intensity. Eventually the theme is taken up by the strings and joined by the saxophone as it reaches its highest point - leaving the movement to subside into calm, quiet, and eventual rest. Paul Carr
Duration 6½ minutes
Score and parts included.
