Fast Walk  (2½')

FAST WALK was composed in 1989 originally for 3 Bb Clarinets and Bass Clarinet, for the quartet Clarinessence in which I played bass clarinet. The music popped out all at once one day while I was composing my Concerto for Contrabassoon.

Soon after, I made versions for SATB Saxophone Quartet, and for Orchestra, and for 3 Bassoons and Contrabassoon. The orchestra version was broadcast on the 1994 MENC "World's Largest Concert" to an estimated 8 million viewers, and it was also included in the San Antonio Symphony's 2002-03 season of educational concerts for which they received ASCAP's Adventuresome Programming Award.

The saxophone version has been recorded by the Tokyo-based Harmo Saxophone Quartet and has been performed hundreds of times as an encore by the Amherst Saxophone Quartet and by the San Francisco Saxophone Quartet.

AUDIO EXCERPT of Harmo Saxophone Quartet's recording - now available on iTunes.