Survey of Selected Saxophone Excerpts from Wind Band Literature of the Past Twenty-Five Years

Performance opportunities for saxophonists in military bands, university bands, and community bands are widespread and ever-expanding. Studying saxophone excerpts from wind band repertoire can be a beneficial supplement to the traditional saxophone curriculum in applied music programs. Previous research on this topic addressed saxophone excerpts from wind band literature prior to 1984. Therefore, there is a need for information about recent works and excerpts that reveal the creative ways composers are now writing for the saxophone within its increasingly important role in wind band literature. This treatise focuses on select saxophone excerpts from wind band literature of the past twenty-five years. The compositions included in this document were chosen by surveying band directors and military band saxophonists. In the survey, the musicians were asked to recommend the best band literature from the past twenty-five years that includes significant saxophone excerpts. The criteria used in the selection process for each work included the artistic merit of the composition, the breadth of performances of the piece, and whether the piece warrants repeat performances. Each chapter includes information about the composer and each piece surveyed, noteworthy saxophone excerpt(s) within each piece, and the author's performance comments on the excerpts. In addition, interviews with the composers provide valuable information about each work, their thoughts on the saxophone within the wind band, and their comments on the specific excerpts.