Evocatio: E-flat Baritone Saxophone
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 5
Item: 98-PC-DB1577_BTX
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Description
Drawing on some of the composer's early influences including John Barnes Chance and Ottorino Respighi, this mature and powerful work explores the dark and mystical while adding elements of intensity and relentless energy. Composed in three sections, an underlying sense of tension is present throughout before the final minutes erupt triumphantly in a fury of aggression and sound. Not for the faint of heart!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Evocatio: E-flat Baritone Saxophone comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
FJH Symphonic Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-PC-DB1577_BTX
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor working fluently across orchestral, band, and chamber idioms. His works have been commissioned and performed worldwide by ensembles ranging from professional orchestras to school groups, earning performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, and the Toronto Centre for the Arts. He received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association and won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light.
Balmages holds degrees from James Madison University and the University of Miami, and was honored with JMU's inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts. He has been commissioned by the University of Miami to compose music for significant institutional events and has had his work performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service. As a guest conductor, he maintains regular engagements with all-state ensembles, university groups, and professional bands internationally, appearing at the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and numerous state and national conferences. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.
Why we love this
Balmages channels the architectural clarity of Chance and the orchestral color of Respighi into a work that demands absolute conviction from your band. The three-section design gives you natural program placement options, while the explosive finale rewards serious preparation with a moment of genuine cathartic power that players remember long after the season ends.
What to expect
Evocatio unfolds with deliberate menace, drawing you into shadowy sonorities and brooding textures that feel anything but comfortable. The final section abandons restraint entirely, erupting into a relentless wall of sound that channels raw power and defiance.
Who it's for
Mature Grade 5 concert bands with strong fundamentals and the commitment to sustain psychological tension over multiple minutes. This work rewards ensembles capable of executing demanding passages with clarity while maintaining the darker tonal colors Balmages requires.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the underlying tension across all three sections by resisting the urge to rush through earlier material; this compositional strategy depends on restraint building toward the final eruption.
- Establish clear stylistic separation between sections so the form reads distinctly; marking rehearsal letters clearly on parts helps brass and woodwinds understand architectural landmarks.
- Coordinate the intensity ramp in the final minutes with your bottom voices first; once the foundation commits to the relentless energy, upper voices will lock in more naturally.
- Listen carefully to how the dark and mystical writing sits against moments of aggression; avoid letting either element overwhelm the intended contrast.
How to use it
Position this as a show-closing concert centerpiece or the emotional anchor of a festival entry; its dramatic arc and substantial length make it a statement piece rather than a supporting work. Consider programming it alongside lighter fare to maximize the impact of its intensity.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing rapid dynamic shifts within sustained phrases
- Maintaining rhythmic precision through shifting time signatures and complex polyrhythmic passages
- Blending darker tonal colors (muted brass, low woodwind writing) with clarity of articulation
- Following large-scale formal structure across three contrasting sections
- Balancing ensemble aggression and control in climactic passages