Ebony and Cristal

Ebony and Cristal for saxophone quartet takes its title and inspiration from Clark Ashton Smith’s third volume of poems. The collection suggested a pale, matt imaginary colour somewhere between green, brown and yellow, which found an analogue in the blended sound of four saxophones. The title is a tribute to Smith rather than a key that must be decoded: although the poetry shaped the work’s colour and atmosphere, the music is intended to stand independently. The piece was first performed in an open workshop by the Anemos Saxophone Quartet.