Flying Colours (for alto sax & concert band)

Description

SCORE DETAILS

Composer: Matthew Orlovich  |  Date of Composition: 2010  |  Instrumentation: E-flat alto saxophone and concert band  |  Duration: c. 12 minutes  |  Composed for: Barry Cockcroft (Australia)  |  Publisher: Reed Music  |  Format: PDF Digital Download Score & Parts (RM666e / 979-0-7201-0095-1)

(To read about the saxophone and piano version, click here).

COMPOSER’S NOTE

Flying Colours, a concerto for alto saxophone and concert band, received its world premiere performance on 7th January, 2011 at the 34th International Saxophone Symposium, Washington DC, USA, with Barry Cockcroft as featured soloist with the United States Navy Band, conducted by Captain Brian O. Walden.

The title of the work is intended to suggest the rapid, free-flowing and often highly chromatic melodies played by the saxophone soloist. The title also reveals something of the inspiration behind the music and my current fascination with all things nautical.

Flying Colours commences with music of a bright and vigorous nature. The strong pulse heard at the introduction is maintained and serves to drive the narrative of the whole work. Weaving in and around the band orchestration, the soloist’s florid melodic lines are composed of ordered, balanced phrases. This is in keeping with the ‘crazy logic’ style of some of my previous works for saxophone in which ‘crazy’ melodic intervals are shaped into ‘logical’ or symmetrical sentences.

I warmly thank Barry Cockcroft and the United States Navy Band for giving the world premiere performance of the work. – MO.

SOUND BYTE

Title: Flying Colours (for alto saxophone and band) – Excerpt | Composer: Matthew Orlovich
Performers: US Navy Band with soloist MU1 Jonathan Yanik, conducted by Capt. Brian Walden.

PERFORMANCES

Some of the known performances of Flying Colours (for alto saxophone and concert band) include:

Saturday 22 October, 2022: Soloist 1st Sailor Miguel Ferreira Carvalho (soloist) & Banda da Armada Portuguesa, conducted by 2nd Lieutenant Samuel Pascoal @ Teatro-Cine Gouveia, Portugal.

Wednesday 12 June 2019: Barry Cockcroft (international guest soloist) and Banda Departamental del Valle del Cauca @ 3er Festival Internacional de Saxofón Bellas Artes Cali 2019, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

Wednesday 13 July 2016: Hélder Alves (soloist) & Banda da Armada Portuguesa, dir. by Délio Gonçalves @ Festival Internacional de Saxofone de Palmela – Cine-Teatro São João, Palmela, Portugal.

Friday 10 July 2015: French Premiere – Bayern Polizei Orchester, conducted by Prof. Johann Mösenbichler, with alto saxophone soloist, Jérôme Laran (Paris) @ SaxOpen XVII World Saxophone Congress and Festival, Cité de la musique et de la danse – Auditorium, Strasbourg France.

Sunday 3 May 2015: European Premiere – Performed by Jérôme Laran (soloist) & Banda Musical Arcos de Valdevez @ Festival International Saxofone, Escola Artística do Conservatório de Música Calouste Gulbenkian de Braga, Portugal.

Monday 28 October 2013: Performed by Dr Perry Rask & Millikin University Symphonic Wind Ensemble conducted by Dr Gary Shaw @ Kirkland Fine Arts Center, 1184 W Main St, Decatur, IL 62522, United States.

Sunday 6 October 2013: Performed by Dr Perry Rask & Millikin University Symphonic Wind Ensemble conducted by Dr Gary Shaw @ Kirkland Fine Arts Center, 1184 W Main St, Decatur, IL 62522, United States.

Monday 12 August 2013: Performed by the Decatur Municipal Band with featured soloist Dr Perry Rask (alto sax) @ City Appreciation Night, Central Park, Downtown Decatur, IL 62522, United States.

Friday 7 January 2011: World Premiere – US Navy Band (Capt. Brian Walden, conductor), with Barry Cockcroft (soloist) @ 34th International Saxophone Symposium, Washington DC, USA