UNQUIET WATERS
concerto for solo alto saxophone, saxophone
ensemble, and additional, optional parts
(2020/2022, arr. 2023)
PUBLISHER: Murphy Music Press, LLC | ca. 15 minutes | GRADE 5/ADVANCED
KEVIN DAY/ARR. JOSH TRENTADUE | © 2023 KEVIN DAY MUSIC (BMI)
INSTRUMENTATION
SAXOPHONES: SOLO ALTO SAX, 2 Sopranos, 3 Altos, 3 Tenors, 2 Baris, 1 Bass (optional)
STRINGS (optional): Double Bass, Harp
PERCUSSION (6-7 players recommended): Timpani, Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Marimba (5 octave), Suspended Cymbal,
Snare Drum, Wood Block, Low Timbale, Bass Drum
COMMISSIONED BY: Shawn O’Kelley and the Owasso Saxophone Ensemble
WORLD PREMIERE: December 20, 2023 | Dr. Matthew Tracy (solo alto sax), Owasso Saxophone Ensemble (Shawn O’Kelley, director) | The 77th Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
ORIGINAL VERSION DETAILS
COMMISSIONED BY: Dr. Jordan VanHemert (sonata for alto saxophone and piano);
Dr. Nicki Roman (concerto for alto saxophone and wind ensemble)
WORLD PREMIERE:
—SONATA: March 8, 2020 | Dr. Nicki Roman (alto sax), Casey Dierlam Tse (piano) | North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference (2020), Katzin Concert Hall, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona | WINNER OF THE 2020 NASA COMPOSITION COMPETITION
—CONCERTO: April 1, 2023 | Dr. Nicki Roman (solo alto sax), University of Southern Mississippi Wind Ensemble (Dr. Catherine Rand, conductor) | North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference (2023), The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Unquiet Waters is a three-movement musical depiction of the "waters of our mind". This is the second composition of mine that deals with this idea and is inspired by a quote by Prasad Mahes: "The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear."
The movement titles are different states of the mind that we all deal with in some way:
fast, turbulent
still
disturbed
I often find it difficult to focus or to still my mind, being that life has become increasingly busier and more chaotic. The chaotic moments in the music dirfit in and out of the calmness, as search more and more for mental clarity and peace of mind.
-program notes by Kevin Day
—please credit Kevin Day when reproducing these program notes in excerpts or in full
Of the music that Kevin Day has written over the last few years, Unquiet Waters is undoubtedly (and admittedly) one of my favorites. From its original version as an alto saxophone & piano sonata, to a fully realized concerto for alto saxophone and wind ensemble, it's a musical work that has truly captivated performers and audiences across the globe with a subject matter that I believe to be both timeless and continuously relevant. With Kevin's steadfast approval, I was grateful to have been asked by Shawn O'Kelley and the Owasso Saxophone Ensemble to create this new arrangement of the piece for their 2023-24 concert season, featuring Dr. Matthew Tracy - an extraordinary and brilliant performer, artist, and teacher - as their soloist.
Keeping in mind Kevin's initial conceptual ideas for Unquiet Waters, I sought to approach this particular arrangement with the intention of honoring each of its predecessor editions in some capacity. This saxophone ensemble version is therefore arranged directly from the original sonata and enhanced with the accompanimental intentions of the concerto version. The solo part is, naturally, exactly the same. Regardless of the idiomatic differences wind ensemble and saxophone ensemble, the orchestration is slightly different from the concerto version and does not directly follow the same approach that Kevin took when he scored this for band. Auxiliary percussion largely remains the same from the concerto version, although some additional music was added to a few of the parts. Finally, parts for double bass and harp (which were made optional for this arrangement) are carried over from the concerto version and have been cross-cued in other instruments for the sake of necessity, including the additions of vibraphone and marimba to the percussion section.
It has been such an enjoyable experience collaborating with Kevin, Shawn, Matt, and the Owasso Saxophone Ensemble, and I was delighted for the opportunity to create this new arrangement of Unquiet Waters for the saxophone repertoire.
-arranger’s notes by Josh Trentadue
—please credit Josh Trentadue when reproducing these arranger’s notes in excerpts or in full