Never Alone:
An Alto Saxophone Feature for Wind Ensemble

Description

Never Alone is an Alto Saxophone feature for Wind Ensemble. The introduction (0:08) is a quiet but growing cry of emptiness and despair. It serves to establish the first prominent motif of the piece which at this time represents the anguish of individuals, particularly artists, when they feel completely and utterly alone.

The development of this motif (1:16) is a depiction first of a growing sadness of the individual represented by the solo Alto Saxophone. As the piece goes on, one sees how the world, represented by the ensemble, amplifies that sadness they are feeling, feeding off of it and causing it to grow. The piano through this section represents the voice of support from friends, family, loved ones, or a higher power. It starts as a prominent voice but is slowly drowned out by the ensemble, the world.

After the climax of the previous section and a waterfall of tears have fallen, the individual represented by the featured soloist is given a choice. In a short dialogue with the trumpet section (3:06), they must decide whether to give in to the forces of the world and their own downwardly spiraling emotions or to listen to that voice supporting them, no matter how quiet, no matter how small. The soloist’s cadenza (3:40) is this internal struggle between giving up or pushing on.

Once the cadenza is complete, the soloist leaves the stage. This can mean several things depending on the listener’s interpretation, but with the individual’s voice dimmed to nothing and the world following suit, the silence gives quieter voices a chance to speak and be heard. This next section of the piece (6:10) establishes the second prominent motif of the piece which is first played by solo Oboe. This second motif represents the voice of support referenced earlier that had previously been drowned out by the world. The motif passes through different settings, different accompaniments as its message subtly changes from one of empathy to one of hope.

After making its statement, this voice of support is also given a choice. If its message is not immediately accepted, it must decide whether to continue or to fade away as the soloist did not long before. As those supporting others often do, it undergoes its own internal struggle, not unlike that of the anguishing individual represented by the solo Alto Saxophone. This struggle of the voice of support is represented by a Euphonium duet, an internal dialogue surrounded by an unchanging world.

The voice of support appears to fade into nothing, but then suddenly is invigorated (7:45). Hope drives the ensemble forward faster and faster until playing the first motif once more in unison. Up until this point the piece has primarily been in F-Minor. But here, after playing a VII7, which is the V7 of the relative major, Ab Major, it appears to move to Ab Major. However, within a few beats it is clear that in fact, the piece has moved to Ab Minor, representing that while giving up is never the right option and there is always hope for a brighter future, the road is never an easy one to trek even after you’ve decided to push on.

The final climactic section of the piece (8:00) is the grand finale of the conversation between our two voices; the individual feeling alone, the first motif now played primarily by the trumpet section, and that of the one(s) supporting them, the second motif now played primarily by the french horn section. It grows and grows through this short but powerful conversation until reaching the end of the piece at a high dynamic.

Performers

Sophia Salter, solo alto saxophone; Denaiah Viduya, Paige Langley, Vivian Pham, Nichole Johnson, Sunny Cai, Lauryn Richardson, flutes; Mark Watson, Erin Thraves, oboes; Kate Truong, Phillip Tran, bassoons; Sylvia Kunz, Marcus Gaoiran, Abby Bradley, Kellie Meeuwsen, Annika Kelson, Theresa Duenas, clarinets; Evan Perez, Megan Maynor, bass clarinets; Esau Piñeda Flores, Jacob Gunsch, Rachel Burns, tenor saxophones; Michael Koach, baritone saxophone; Dylan Rainey, Alex Brewer, Sam Henderson, Cameron Whitney, Marina Purcell, Alyssa Laabs, trumpets; Lindsay Lailic, Mia Tognoli, Aniya Heuss, Brianna Alvarez, Kathleen Taylor, french horns; Tyler Thraves, Andy Truong, Kevin Monterroso, Spencer Standen, Amber Conrad, trombones; Ryan Stuve, Jonas Dobbs, euphoniums; Brinley Dezember, Jason Mulvaney, tubas; John Stuve, double bass; Matteus Wilson, piano; Chase Dostert, Jacob Galbraith, Dustin Ban, Emma Bjorge, Marvin Madarang, percussion; Lucas Blevins, conductor

Video Credit: David Galbraith

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