Saxophone Ensemble,Woodwind Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.755338

Composed by Sy Brandon. 20th Century,Contemporary. 81 pages. Sy Brandon #6619959. Published by Sy Brandon (A0.755338).

Hope Collage was commissioned in honor of Hope College's 14th President, Matthew Scogin.

President Scogin was inaugurated in 2019 and exemplifies the qualities of hope represented in

this piece.

The first movement Castles In The Sky is in 6/8 meter with some of the syncopated rhythmic

figures that pit 3/4 against the 6/8. The major tonality is disguised by chromaticism either in the

melody or in the counterpoint and harmony. The form is basically AB with a Coda.

The slow second movement A Light at the End of the Tunnel has the tenor and baritone

saxophones representing the darkness of the tunnel using minor and slightly dissonant harmony.

The light at the end of the tunnel is represented by the alto and soprano saxophones. Even though

they are still in minor, their brightness and rising arpeggios represent a glimmer of hope. By the

time the movement nears the end, optimism has taken over and the entire ensemble is in

shifting major tonalities leading up to the quiet, yet, prayerful end in B major.

The third movement Knock On Wood has a Scherzo quality and is at an allegro tempo. The

opening theme sets the tone of optimism with its combination of quartal, quintal, and triadic

harmony along with staccato articulation. It is answered by the saxophones doing rhythmic slap

tongue in a pyramid formation that represents knocking on wood. The theme and its variations

alternate with the slap tongue throughout most of the movement. In several places, the theme

and slap tongue appear in canon. Towards the end, the theme becomes fragmented and the slap

tongue dominates. The fragments become pieced together leading to a final outburst of 16th

note joy before the last chord. The movement ends with foot stomps that rhythmically suggests

knock on wood.

The last movement Promised Land is in two parts. The first is meditative and prayer-like in

a moderate tempo. It has a passacaglia bass line and contrapuntal lines are added above it. It

also grows in intensity until it reaches the Allegro, which is the second part and is celebratory.

The Allegro begins with a sixteenth note motif that plays an accompaniment role in many

places throughout the last section to the slower moving declarative lines. Near the end, motifs

from the Moderato section are transformed in the Allegro, therefore linking the two sections.