Musician Dazzles in Senior Recital

Josh Layton plays Several Saxophone Pieces

Joe Caron, Staff Writer

Bridgewater, VA.- On Sunday, Nov. 24th, Bridgewater senior Josh Layton performed five pieces of music on the saxophone; three of them being accompanied by Dr. Larry Taylor on the piano. The other two were performed with the other three members of the  BC Saxophone Quartet. In the quartet, Timothy Aumiller, Kevin Epps and Benjamin Hancock played the alto, tenor and baritone saxophones respectively. The recital took place in Carter Hall at 6 p.m. and was attended by students, faculty and family of the performers.

The first piece performed was Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, originally composed by Lawson Lunde. The Sonata consisted of three acts, Allegro, Andantino cantabile, and Allegro vivace. Allegro was upbeat and majestic-sounding. Andantino cantabile was slower, and had more melancholic notes. In this piece, low and long notes from Layton on the saxophone were accompanied by high and soft notes from Taylor on the piano. The third act, Allegro vivace, was slightly more intense in tone than the other two acts, and featured low and sharp notes from both instruments.

Chant Corse was originally composed by Henri Tomasi, and this piece is his ode to his Corsican roots, since both of his parents were born in Corsica, off the coast of France. The piece featured high and long notes from Taylor on the piano, and soft and slow notes from the saxophone. The overall tone of the piece was soft and contemplative.

Fantasie Brillante, Op. 75 consisted of three acts and was originally composed by Jean-Baptiste Singelée. The three acts were Andante, Theme, and Variation. Layton and Taylor helped these pieces to transition seamlessly into each other, and the piece sounded more classical and formal than the first two. 

The last two pieces were performed by the quartet consisting of Layton, Aumiller, Epps, and Hancock. Menuet was composed by Domenico Scarlatti in the early 18th century, and was carried mostly by low, slow notes from all saxophones. The time signature was rhythmic and dance-like. The last piece, Pastorale, was originally composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, and was carried by higher notes to create  regal tone.