Assembly Quartet Pedagogy Project

Driven by our passion for creating new music for the saxophone and sharing our love of chamber music with the next generation, the Assembly Quartet has embarked on a long-term, large-scale commissioning project of new works for SATB and AATB saxophone quartet that are artistically fulfilling and playable by driven high school and early collegiate level musicians. While much music of great quality has been written for our genre of saxophone quartet, much of that music can be quite challenging for a young musician. Additionally, much of the entry level music is often transcriptions of baroque and classical period music. This project seeks to enrich that repertoire with new faces, diverse perspectives, and re-imaginations of what chamber music can be for young musicians. Below you can find a list of the works that have resulted from the endeavor as well as some works that we recommend from the existing canon:

Repertoire List

Commissions

Chris Evan Hass Moonlit Village SATB/AATB Gr. 4
*World Premiere January 2024
Gala Flagello Red Giant SATB/AATB. Gr. 4
*World Premiere January 2024
Avner Dorman Kedma SATB/AATB. Gr. 4
*World Premiere January 2024
Russell Holland Relic AATB Gr. 4
*World Premiere January 2024
Josh Bradford Supplication and Celebration AATB Gr. 4
*World Premiere January 2024
Marc Mellits Let the Funk Out SATB/AATB Gr. 4
Chris Evan Hass Final Boss SATB/AATB Gr. 4
Andrew David Perkins Some Assembly Required SATB Gr. 4
Grace Baugher Dunlap Mountain Mornings SATB Gr. 3
Om Srivastava SHAKTI SATB Gr. 5
Ryan Todd The Three Semi-Wise Men AATB Gr. 3
Steven Bryant Dusk (version for Saxophone Quartet) AATB Gr. 3

ASQ Arrangements

John Mackey Sheltering Sky (arr. Heisler) SATB Gr. 3
Frank Ticheli Four Shaker Songs (arr. Heisler) SATB/AATB Gr. 3
Astor Piazzola Street Tango (arr. Heisler) SATB Gr. 4
Thomas Morley Morley Madrigals (arr. Younglove) SATB/SAAB/ Gr. 4
AATB/AAAB

ASQ Recommended Original Quartets:

Warren Barker Scherzo for Saxophone Quartet SATB/AATB Gr. 4
Chen Yi Distance Can’t Keep Us Two Apart SATB Gr. 4
Robert Clerisse Introduction and Scherzo SATB Gr. 4
Henry Cowell Sailor’s Hornpipe AATB Gr. 3
Fernande Decruck Pavane SATB Gr. 3
Robert Dillon Nightshade for Saxophone Quartet AATB Gr. 3
Percy Grainger Shepherd’s Hey (arr. Zajac) SATB Gr. 4
Pedro Iturralde Suite Hellenique SATB Gr. 5
William Levi Saxophone Cantabile AATB Gr. 4
Marc Mellits Let the Funk Out (from: Ex Machina) SATB Gr. 4
Sammy Nestico A Study in Contrasts SATB Gr. 3
William Pitts Turbo Scramjet SATB Gr. 5
Takamasa Sakai Arioso e Toccata SATB Gr. 4
Jean-Baptiste Singelee Allegro de Concert SATB/AATB Gr. 4
William Grant Still The Jovial One (from: Lyric Quartet) SATB Gr. 5
Erika Svanoe Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein SATB Gr. 4
Alan Theisen Tornado Revisited SATB Gr. 5
Barry Ulman Pollywog’s Lake Talk AATB Gr. 4
Andre Waignein Rendez-Vous SATB/AATB Gr. 3
Gavin Whitlock Celtic Suite SATB Gr. 5

Recommended Repertoire for Emerging Saxophone Quartets

Arcari, Tyler Curse of Tortuga AATB Gr. 2
Bach, J.S. Little Fugue in G Minor (arr. Leonard) SATB Gr. 4
Bach, J.S. Sarabande and Badinerie (arr. Johnson) AATB Gr. 4
Bennett, David Saxophone Symphonette AATB Gr. 4
Bizet, Georges Habanera from Carmen (arr. Marlatt) SATB/AATB Gr. 3
Bolcom, William A Schumann Bouquet SATB Gr. 6
Borgo, Elliot del Irish Suite AATB Gr. 4
Bozza, Eugene Andante et Scherzo SATB Gr. 5
Brahms, Jonannes Hungarian Dance #5 (arr. Balent) AATB Gr. 3
Clerisse, Robert Serenade Melancolique SATB Gr. 4
D'Rivera, Paquito Wapango SATB Gr. 4
Daugherty, Michael Steamboat SATB Gr. 5
Day, Kevin Converging Spectrums SATB Gr. 5
Desenclos, Alfred Quartet SATB Gr. 5
Dorff, Daniel It Takes Four to Tango SATB Gr. 4
Dorff, Daniel Scherzo (from: Prelude, Scherzo, SATB Gr. 5
and Nocturne)
Dorff, Daniel Fast Walk SATB Gr. 4
Dorff, Daniel Musetta Steps Out SATB Gr. 4
Dubois, Pierre-Max Quatuor SATB Gr. 5
Florio, Caryl Quartette (Allegro de Concert) SATB Gr. 4
Frackenpohl, Aurthur Fanfare, Air, and Finale SATB Gr. 4
Frackenpohl, Aurthur Ragtime Suite SATB Gr. 4
Francaix, Jean Petit Quatuor SATB Gr. 4
Gershwin, George An American in Paris (arr. Cappuccio) SATB Gr. 4
Gibbons, Orlando Fantazia (arr. Hemke) SATB Gr. 4
Gillingham, David Visions SATB Gr. 5
Glass, Philip Quartet SATB Gr. 5
Glazunov, Alexander Saxophone Quartet in Bb, Op. 109 SATB Gr. 5
Handel, George Frideric Arrival of the Queen of Sheba SATB/AATB Gr. 5
(arr. Fourmeau)
Handy, W.C. St. Louis Blues (arr. Holcombe) SATB Gr. 4
Hass, Chris Evan Volcanic Ash SATB Gr. 5
Hass, Chris Evan Polar Vortex SATB Gr. 4
Hirsch, Rick Mancini Digs That Mambo SATB/AATB Gr. 4
Ito, Yasuhide Ryukyu Fantasy SATB Gr. 5
Ito, Yasuhide Fantasy on a Theme of Jupiter SATB Gr. 5
Jacob, Gordon Saxophone Quartet No. 1 SATB Gr. 5
Jeanjean, Faustin and Maurice Quatuor SATB Gr. 4
Joel, Billy Root Beer Rag (arr. Warner) SATB Gr. 4
Lantier, Pierre Andante et Scherzetto SATB Gr. 4
Love, Joel In memoriam SATB Gr. 6
Mackey, John Strange Humors (w/ djembe) SATB Gr. 4
Mackey, John Unquiet Spirits SATB Gr. 6
Marlatt, David Cotton Candy AATB Gr. 4
Marlatt, David Nautilus AATB Gr. 3
Marshall, Jack Goldrush Suite SATB Gr. 4
Maslanka, David Mountain Roads SATB Gr. 6
Maslanka, David Songs for the Coming Day SATB Gr. 6
Maslanka, David Recitation Book SATB Gr. 6
Meeboer, Ryan You Music Know SATB/AATB Gr. 3
Mellits, Marc Revolution SATB Gr. 5
Nagle, Paul George M. Cohan Medley SATB Gr. 4
Nyman, Micheal Songs for Tony SATB Gr. 5
Pachelbel, Johann Canon (arr. Dorff) AATB Gr. 3
Peck, Russell Drastic Measures SATB Gr. 5
Piazzolla, Astor Historie du Tango (arr. Voipry) SATB Gr. 5
Piazzolla, Astor La Muerte del Angel SATB Gr. 5
(arr. Van der Linden)
Pierne, Gabriel Introduction et variation sur un SATB Gr. 5
ronde populaire
Rivier, Jean Grave et Presto SATB Gr. 5
Rogers, Richard My Funny Valentine (arr. Young) SATB Gr. 4
Rossini, Gioachino Rossini a La Carte (arr. Schneebiegl) SATB Gr. 5
Schmitt, Florent Quartet (Op. 102) SATB Gr. 6
Sciarrino, Salvatore Pagine SATB Gr. 5
Singelee, Jean-Baptiste Premier Quatuor SATB Gr. 4
Strauss, Richard Allerseelen (arr. Johnson) AATB Gr. 3
Street, Nigel Hoe Down! SATB Gr. 4
Takahashi, Hiroki Amusement Park Suite SATB Gr. 5
Taylor, Benjamin Digital Goldfish SATB Gr. 6
Ticheli, Frank In C Dorian SATB/AATB Gr. 4
Vellones, Pierre Prelude et Rondo Francais SATB Gr. 4
Voxman, Himie (arr.) Quartet Repertoire for Saxophone AATB Gr. 3
(Rubank)
Waignein, Andre Images SATB Gr. 4
William, Bert That's A-Plenty (arr. Nagle) SATB Gr. 4
Wood, Nigel Under the Veil SATB Gr. 4