Kedma
PUBLISHER Lyric Row Press
DURATION 4 minutes
ORCHESTRATION Saxophone Quartet SATB
ALTERNATE ORCHESTRATION Saxophone Quartet AATB
DIFFICULTY Grade 4-5
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Kedma was composed as part of the Assembly Quartet Pedagogy Project, an initiative focused on developing new, accessible works for intermediate saxophone quartet players. This project aims to provide young musicians with compositions that are both challenging and rewarding, expanding their repertoire beyond traditional transcriptions.
The title Kedma means east in Hebrew, and the piece is inspired by Israeli dance styles, new and old. The composition's title also plays on the words Kedem (meaning "from a long time ago") and Kadma (meaning "before" or an "upbeat" in musical terms), reflecting the intertwining of these concepts in the music.
Structured in an ABA form, Kedma maintains a consistent tempo throughout. The middle section, however, features longer durations and a more expressive character compared to the outer sections. The opening introduces a four-note motif within a span of five sixteenths - inspired byrhythmic cycles found in Indian and Middle-Eastern music. This is complemented by an accompaniment based on polyrhythms, played through without ties, drawing influence from the rhythmic theories of Joseph Schillinger.
The composition incorporates Middle-Eastern and Jewish musical scales, highlighting the saxophone quartet's capacity for rich contrapuntal textures and a diverse sonic palette. This piece aims to provide performers and educators with an opportunity to explore a blend of traditional and contemporary musical elements.
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This work was commissioned by a consortium of saxophonists organized by Matthew Younglove and Joshua Thomas as a part of the Assembly Quartet Pedagogy Project.
Assembly Quartet members are Adam Estes, Ian Jeffress, Jeffrey Heisler, Matthew Younglove.
Consortium Members
Erik Aguirre
Crystal Alexander
Logan Banister
Brina Bourliea
Michael Bovenzi
Luke Bowman
Caleb Brown
Jayson Brown
Southern Saxophones
Dr. Paul Cohen
Ryan Contreras
Jacob Cronan
Joe D’Aleo
Stephen Davis
Nate Downey
Aaron M. Durst
Dannel Espinoza
Adam Estes
Cathy Ettle
Alexander Granados
Derek Granger
Andy Hall
Andrew Harrison
Barbara Hawkinson
Martin L. Heger, Jr.
Amanda Heim
Jeffrey Heisler
Tyler Hewett
Li-Chun Hsiao
Joshua Huff
Andrew Hutchens
Cary Jacobs
Michael N. Jacobson
Ian Jeffress
Sheldon Johnson
Dekylan Jones
Marcus Jones Jr.
Jeremy Justeson
Garret Klauss
Garrett Krawczyk
Jason Kush
Ryan C. Lemoine
Paul Lessard
Terry Levins
Gregory E. Lewis
Jeffrey Loeffert
Samuel Lorber
Stacy Maugans
Adam McCord
Walter McCray
Colton McManus
Nathan Mertens
Braiden Messerschmidt
A. Daniel Miller
Jayley Mink
Yiannis Miralis
Gage Moore
Gonzalo Murillo
Sean Ohmann
Matt Olson
Julian Orem
Miles Osland, Professor of Saxophone, University of Kentucky
Stephen Padgett
James Pecsok
Cote Peña
Thomas Plotzke III
Kaitlyn Robbins
Karen Roll Gardener
James Romain
Nicki Roman
Perry Roth
John Sampen
Alex Sellers
Inbo Shim
Jacob Smith
Zeke Spirko
David Stambler and the Margot Music Fund
Noah Stephenson
Gabriel Szcinski
Brett Thole
Joshua Thomas
Brian Utley
Drew Whiting
Jeffrey Wiles
Matthew Younglove