Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
One of the most prolific in the UK, Scottish composer James MacMillan’s music is oft-programmed and recorded. A lot of MacMillan’s music is inspired by elements of spirituality, politics and his Scottish roots; it’s also known for being emotional and meditative. He has written music in all the major forms – including five symphonies, a handful of piano concertos and six operas, plus a huge amount of choral music.
This is his concerto for soprano saxophone and string orchestra, dedicated to and performed by classical saxophonist Amy Dickson.
COMPOSER: James MacMillan
CONDUCTOR: Nicholas Carter
SOPRANO SAXOPHONE: Amy Dickson
ORCHESTRA: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
TRACKLIST:
0:00 - I. March, Strathspey and Reel
5:38 - II. Gaelic Psalm
11:59 - III. Jigs
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
One of the most prolific in the UK, Scottish composer James MacMillan’s music is oft-programmed and recorded. A lot of MacMillan’s music is inspired by elements of spirituality, politics and his Scottish roots; it’s also known for being emotional and meditative. He has written music in all the major forms – including five symphonies, a handful of piano concertos and six operas, plus a huge amount of choral music.
This is his concerto for soprano saxophone and string orchestra, dedicated to and performed by classical saxophonist Amy Dickson.
COMPOSER: James MacMillan
CONDUCTOR: Nicholas Carter
SOPRANO SAXOPHONE: Amy Dickson
ORCHESTRA: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
TRACKLIST:
0:00 - I. March, Strathspey and Reel
5:38 - II. Gaelic Psalm
11:59 - III. Jigs
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
![Edie Hill — Spectral Spirits (2019) [w/ score]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ETGDYyGMog/mqdefault.jpg "Edie Hill — Spectral Spirits (2019) [w/ score]
This is Edie Hills haunting choral masterpiece Spectral Spirits, performed by the absolutely brilliant chamber choir, The Crossing. Hill writes about this piece:
When Donald Nally asked are there any texts you’ve been dying to set? I immediately thought of Passings by Holly J. Hughes. Passings was out on a display table at a favorite local bookstore. I picked it up because there was a feather on the cover – and because of the title. I had a feeling I knew what the subject matter would be. When I read, I was drawn in by Holly’s masterful poetry. Each of the 15 poems in her book lovingly tell the story of birds who are highly endangered, extinct, or believed to be gone. This book sat on a table in my living room for a couple of years. I thought maybe, someday, the opportunity would come for me to set some of these gems, and it did in the form of a commission to compose a 30 minute work for The Crossing. Donald said I like long pieces and so, I chose four of Holly’s poems to set – Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, Eskimo Curlew, and Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Each of these birds lived in or migrated through or to North America. In addition to her poems, I found treasures in the Forward of Passings (Take note. These birds are still singing to us. We must listen.) and in the books she references; such as Hope is the Thing With Feathers by Christopher Cokinos.
COMPOSER: Edie Hill
POET: Holly J. Hughes
CONDUCTOR: Donald Nally
CHOIR: The Crossing
TRACKLIST:
0:00 - Introduction
0:19 - I. Prelude. These Birds
2:41 - II. Eyewitness. Henry David Thoreau and the Passenger Pigeon
4:21 - III. The Naming
4:35 - IV. Passenger Pigeon
11:16 - V. Eyewitness. Gert Goebel and the Paroquets
13:00 - VI. The Naming
13:16 - VII. Carolina Parakeet
16:43 - VIII. Eyewitness. Lucien M. Turner and the Migration of the Curlews
20:33 - IX. The Naming
20:54 - X. Eskimo Curlew
24:49 - XI. Eyewitness. Mr. Wilson and the Ivory-Bill
26:55 - XII. The Naming
27:14 - XIII. Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
#scorefollower #contemporaryclassical #classicalmusic
#scorefollower #contemporaryclassical #classicalmusic")
![James M. David — Garden of the Gods (2012) [w/ score]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5jg8GvCTrL8/mqdefault.jpg "James M. David — Garden of the Gods (2012) [w/ score]
This exhilarating piece for solo trombone and trombone choir, Garden of the Gods, was commissioned by Dr. Bradley Palmer and the outstanding Columbus State University Trombone Choir. The piece was dedicated to the brilliant, star of the show soloist in this recording, Joseph Alessi, principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic since 1985.
The composer writes in the program notes:
Of all the beautiful places in Colorado, the one to which I most often return is the famous Garden of the Gods. While certainly not the most massive or dramatic vista in the state, it instead holds an elusive character that is intimate, mischievous, and foreboding all at once. The bizarre rock formations seem to take on their own distinct personalities, and this brief concerto for trombone and trombone choir depicts two of the most well known structures. The “Cathedral Spires” are an extraordinarily delicate group of sandstone columns rising toward the mountains in the distance. The first movement depicts them at dawn, just as the sun emerges from behind Pike’s Peak. “The Three Graces” are large angular shapes that are grouped together near the center of the park. During the day, they are surrounded by the hustle and bustle of visitors and almost seem to be having a busy conversation amongst themselves. The driving allegro of the second movement displays the vibrancy and energy of the park, particularly the daring cyclists racing up and down steep inclines. This piece is composed for and dedicated to Joe Alessi of the New York Philharmonic, and was commissioned by Dr. Brad Palmer and the Columbus State University Trombone Choir.
COMPOSER: James M. David
CONDUCTOR: Bradley Palmer
TROMBONE: Joseph Alessi
ENSEMBLE: Columbus State University Trombone Choir
TRACKLIST:
0:00 - Introduction
0:11 - I. Cathedral Spires
4:39 - II. The Three Graces
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
#scorefollower #contemporaryclassical #classicalmusic")
