An intermediate level arrangement for saxophone quintet of a movement from a Mendelssohn organ sonata. Scored for soprano, 2 alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, individual parts for instrumentalists are appended to the full score available as a pdf download from PlentyMusic. mp3 accompaniments are available playing at 72, 76 and 80 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute enabling soprano saxophone players to participate in ensemble activities as part of their practice routines. Should more accompaniments be needed possibly for other instruments in the ensemble please advise the PlentyMusic Office. This is the second movement from the Organ Sonata in A Opus 65 No.3 and is essentially a chorale or hymn much in keeping with the chorale of J. S. Bach although Mendelssohn’s harmonic language is chromatic rather than diatonic. There is opportunity to slow down and pause at the ends of phrases although there is only one such marking in the sheet music score. Playing chorale arrangements like this are excellent for developing ensemble playing and good intonation. The realisation plays back at 72 quarter note beats to the minute. Mendelssohn was an extremely popular composer in England. Described as a romantic composer he leans more to the classical line of the tradition along with composers Schubert (1797 – 1828) Chopin (1810 – 1849) and Brahms (1833- 1897) rather than the more radical represented by Berlioz (1803 – 1869), Liszt (1811 – 1886), and Wagner (1813-1883). Schumann (1810 - 1856) is the composer who interestingly links the two threads.
