eight

          I always enjoy listening to pieces with different instrumentation, especially when they include or feature saxophone. Arrangements and transcriptions are an integral part of saxophone performance practice; because of the instrument's recent origins, there is not as much music written when compared to other instruments (violin, organ, trumpet, etc.), and the instrument is not represented in the music of some of the most amazing composers before the saxophone's invention. A piece such as J.S. Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" that is instantly recognizable to even those who do not regularly listen to Bach is a wonderful choice for a saxophone choir because of its popularity. Both the differences and similarities in timbre between this ensemble and an organ are part of what makes this performance captivating; the interweaving parts and coordination between players further extends the musicality of Bach's amazing use of counterpoint, and allows each melodic line to have a more distinctive voice, especially during the fugue. An amazing composition performed by an amazing group of musicians playing (in my opinion) an amazing instrument can create an amazing performance.