[Saxman124]

Well, I guess I don't really need help because I finished, but I would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism you have for it. It is with AATB and it is my first arrangment ever, of any type. It is of the song First Suite in Eb. The sound is just Finale so it doesn't sound as good as with normal instruments, but I do think that it sounds pretty good. I didn't really add a lot of slurs/ties so that part is kind of. I greatly appreciate any help you can give me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgPnqPMTW4Y&feature=youtu.be

 

[Peter B]

I've played this piece many times in a full sized military band and it's a big, expansive score with some really big tonal passages typical of Gustav Holst.

I think your arrangement is very creditable and captures the essence of the piece most of the time, so very well done indeed. However, I just wonder if it is possible to reduce this big score to just a quartet piece. There are times when your arrangement sounds quite thin simply because it's not possile to capture the big tonal picture with so few instruments. The other comment I would make is that I don't know many sax quartets who would want to subject their audience to a piece which lasts for 10 minutes and 40 seconds!!

You are clearly a tallented arranger and you should carry on arranging, as I'm sure you will, but I think your talent would be much better applied to smaller, shorter scores with a bit less going on in them. The fugues, nocturnes, preludes, minuets of composers such as Bach, Debussy, Haydn and Mozart would test your tallent just as much as the Holst piece and there's many a sax quartet that would grab your hand off for a good arrangement of any of those.