Harry's Fugue

Saxophone Quartet

A Foot-stomping, Finger-clicking, Four-part Fugue

Program note:

This fugue is kind of C major, but not very much. It starts and finishes there, but spends most of its time trying out as many other keys as it possibly can. It runs a long way from home and even threatens to become atonal. But eventually it makes it back in one piece.

It is called Harry’s Fugue because it was originally intended as a birthday present for Harry. I wrote a Harry-sounding theme, which felt like it wanted to become a fugue. I tried writing it for Harry’s instrument (flute) and piano, but it just wouldn’t work. Then I realised that perhaps Harry plays the wrong instrument, because his theme would sound much better played by saxes. And six months later, here is the finished birthday present, and Harry isn’t even going to be able to play it himself. I think I owe him another one.


© David John Lang 2014

Harry’s Fugue was first performed by Rhapsodie Saxophone Quartet (Sarah Byron, Nikki Sanders, Rhiannon Trimby and Kate Flint) on 23rd February 2014 at Adelaide Studios, Glenside, SA, Australia.

Duration: 3 minutes
Difficulty: Advanced

Instrumentation
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

this piece also exists in a version for flute quartet