| Blend (2010)
for saxophone ensemble and organ
“Blend" for saxophone ensemble and organ was commissioned by Gerard De Clercq.
When writing Blend, I assumed that this composition will always be played in areas where the organ is at home: in churches. Churches by nature often have a very long reverb.
Of this reverb I made use to write for the saxophones in such manner that they address this reverb with short staccato notes stained with pitch and dynamics. Gradually, there comes out of this "percussive sound cloud" a melodic fragment by playing the melody notes longer and clearer on. This is done first by the saxophones, which grow to a polyphonic setting. This polyphonic setting vanishes when the organ starts, first with a brief percussive passage in the upper register where the reverb is also addressed. At the moment the pedal is played in depth, and from then on the organ starts to play more legato, the saxophones provide space for the organ by playing again more percussive, this time realizing a cascade.
A second cascade ends with a chord with 7 tones. Hereafter the organ plays solo. The organ is becoming more and more legato and starts playing clusters in sequence.
Once the pedal in the organ stops, the saxophones start again a melodic fragment. From here, the organ plays in the highest register and decreases gradually down to the depths. At the time the pedal only plays, saxophones build a percussive soundmass that disappears into the height.
Blend was created in St. Gertrude Church in Ternat on March 26 by Telos Ensemble conducted by Gerard De Clercq and Ben Van Nespen at the organ.
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specific
- length : ca 11"00'
- first performance : Telos Ensemble, cond. Gerard De Clercq, 26 March 2010, Ternat.
- commissioned by Telos Ensemble.
- editor : sonus mundi Musikverlag, München mlochar(@)ricordi.de
- remark : it is advisable to use electronics to ensure 4 seconds reverb.
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