When Spirits Soar

For Alto Sax and Piano or Soprano Sax and Piano


Published by Furore Music- Germany


This work received its premier performance, at the Third Australian Conference and Festival of Women in Music, held at Sydney University in September 1998. The work was written following the completion of a course in Rei-ki, the art of energy transmission through the hands. The music demonstrates some of Margaret Brandman's new found interests in Music as a healing force.

The work is a one movement through-composed work which moves through four main sections. The piece opens with a wash of sound from the sustained piano chords, over which the Saxophone plays a theme in the Dorian mode on D.

The second section, (at letter C) is a little more rhythmic, with the piano setting up an ostinato using cluster chords, to underpin the melody. Next both instruments explore the theme until the high point of this section, which is where the sax sustains the high E (sounding as G) for four bars. The effect of this is that the listener takes a long breath while hearing the sounds, and consequently achieves a better state of relaxation.

The third section (at letter D) is loosely based on the material from the second section. The section becomes more lively with the addition of 16th note material and soaring figures. The final section marked Coda (at letter E) has a cadenza-like passages which draw on material from the opening section. The work finishes with a long improvised cadenza played by the Saxophone and piano.

Antics - Rhapsodies To RhumbasYou can hear a performance of this work on Margaret's SONORITIES CD

Performed by Gregory Mayson on Alto Saxophone and Margaret Brandman on piano.

You can read a review of When Spirits Soar here..

This work was performed by Bernard Lagana on Alto Saxophone and Margaret Brandman on piano at the Rhapsodies to Rhumbas concert on the 9th of November 2013.

"'When Spirits Soar' played by you and Bernard Lagana was both riveting and articulate. Bernard is a fantastic saxophonist. So expressive - and it was wonderful to see how animated he was when he played. I can't recall ever hearing the saxophone played in such a way." Jennifer Comino