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.

This piece is dedicated to the Rhapsodie Saxophone Quartet.


© David John Lang 2014

Harry's Fugue was premiered in 2014 by Rhapsodie Saxophone Quartet (Sarah Byron, Nikki Sanders, Rhiannon Trimby and Kate Flint) at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Duration: 3 minutes
Difficulty: Advanced

Instrumentation

Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone