Memories of Benslow (2021)
Instrumentation: Flexible single reed ensemble (5 parts)
Length: 6'00
Published by Saxtet Pubications
Pre-covid, the composer ran three saxophone courses a year at Benslow music with fellow tutor (and former-Saxtet member) Gerard McChrystal. When the pandemic hit however, residential courses sadly had to be cancelled, and in the year since, Alastair and Gerard have run four online courses together for Benslow. This piece was written for one such course, remembering the delights of previous courses at Benslow. “Summer Evening at Benslow” paints a picture of sitting in the beautiful gardens at Benslow relaxing after a long day of playing, whilst “Benslow Boogie” captures the infectious energy of students and staff at Benslow.
“Memories of Benslow” is scored for a mixed single-reed ensemble; the piece can be played by a mixture of five clarinets and saxophones, but it could easily be performed by a larger group. This makes it ideal for school, music service and other amateur ensembles.
The E-Edition PDF bundle comes with the following parts:
Part 1 – Bb instruments
Part 1 – Eb instruments
Part 2 – Bb instruments
Part 2 – Eb instruments
Part 3 – Bb clarinets
Part 3 – Bb saxophones
Part 3 – Eb instruments
Part 4 – Bb clarinets
Part 4 – Bb saxophones
Part 4 – Eb instruments
Part 5 – Bb clarinets
Part 5 – Bb saxophones
Part 5 – Eb instruments
Memories of Benslow (Single Reeds)
Listen to students at Benslow Music performing the piece virtually over lockdown: