Extremis: E-flat Baritone Saxophone

Standridge gives Grade 2 bands permission to sound bold and sophisticated without requiring advanced technical chops. The unconventional orchestration (trombone glissandi, extended percussion effects, spoken elements) lets students access genuinely theatrical, contemporary sound worlds that would otherwise feel out of reach at this level. It's the kind of piece that makes audiences sit up and listen while building your students' confidence.

Dark, primal, and unflinching. The combination of glissandi, chanting, and unconventional percussion creates an unsettling soundscape that pulls away from traditional band aesthetics and into something raw and visceral. It's brooding without being mournful, aggressive without being chaotic.

Grade 2 concert bands seeking a showstopping opener or closer that delivers real dramatic impact without excessive technical demands. This work serves directors who want to program contemporary sounds and extended techniques while keeping the score accessible to developing musicians.

• Establish the trombone glissandi in sectional rehearsals first; mark the exact note-to-note path clearly so players understand the slide is intentional and musical, not sloppy.
• Treat the tribal chanting as a unified rhythmic element; bring it to full volume and lock the ensemble together so it lands as a compositional choice, not background texture.
• Balance the extended chime effects carefully in the full ensemble so they cut through without overwhelming the harmonic foundation.
• Conduct with clear, authoritative gestures to reinforce the dark mood and keep younger players emotionally committed to the aggressive character.

Open your concert with this piece to establish an edgy, contemporary mood from the first moments. Alternatively, close your program with it to send the audience out energized and talking. Either way, position it alongside more traditional works so the contrast strengthens both.

• executing glissandi with control and musicality
• sustaining extended technique effects (chime rolls, articulated passages)
• performing rhythmic unison chanting with precision and ensemble blend
• responding to dramatic dynamic and textural shifts within a single movement
• understanding how non-traditional orchestration and sound design communicate mood