RNCM Saxophone Day
Welcome
Welcome to the RNCM Saxophone Day. We’re thrilled you’ve joined us for a jam-packed schedule of participatory workshops and concerts as we throw open our doors to players of all ages and abilities.
Our guests this year include the dynamic quartet Marici Saxes, who share their talent during a lunchtime performance, award-winning saxophonist and RNCM alumna Gillian Blair, who showcases works from her debut solo album in our Spotlight event, and French alto saxophonist Baptiste Herbin, who rounds off the day with an exciting mix of Brazilian-inspired originals infused with his love of jazz standards.
And don’t forget that you can visit our expansive exhibition of trade stands (details below) throughout the day and even take to the stage yourself as part of our legendary Massed Saxophone Orchestra. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet and chat to RNCM Saxophone students and staff.
The RNCM is extremely grateful to Vandoren Paris and Henri Selmer Paris for their generous support for this celebration of all things saxophone.
We hope you enjoy the day!
Rob Buckland, Andy Scott artistic directors
RNCM Saxophone Day – Principal Sponsors
Saxophone Day Schedule:
10am – 11.30am / RNCM Concert Hall
Massed Saxophone Orchestra
The day begins with our popular massed playing session, which is open to players of all saxophone instruments and all levels. Please make your way to the Concert Hall for a prompt 10am start.
12pm – 1.15pm / Various Venues
Workshop Sessions 1
Option 1: Extended Techniques - Making New Sounds on Your Saxophone (Studio 3; For all levels)
What they are, how to do them, what they sound like and why they’re useful for your everyday playing.
Level: All
Tutor: Carl Raven
Venue: Studio 3
Option 2: The Science of the Saxophone - How it Works, How we Work, and How the Two Work Together (Studio 5; For all levels)
Understanding our bodies, our instrument, and how to connect the two in a relaxed, and efficient way is key to advancing your playing.
In this fascinating and insightful class, Rob draws on 25 years of teaching experience here at the RNCM, and over 35 years of experience as a busy performing saxophonist to distil the fundamental of the saxophone into a one-hour class that will change the way you think about your practice and performance.
It’s open to all – the principles discussed here are useful to players from absolute beginners to advanced level.
Please note that this workshop repeats at 3.45pm. Please only attend one of The Science of the Saxophone workshops.
Level: All
Tutor: Rob Buckland
Venue: Studio 5
Option 3: Sax Ensemble Playing Session (Studio 6; For all levels)
Improve your ensemble skills with an informal class, playing through some sax ensemble repertoire directed by Junior RNCM tutor Ruth Bourn. Aimed at players of all ages and abilities, with RNCM students on hand for support.
Please note that this workshop repeats at 3.45pm. Please only attend one of The Sax Ensemble Playing Sessions.
Level: All
Tutor: Ruth Bourn
Venue: Studio 6
Option 4: Beginners Jazz Improvisation – Playing by Ear (Studio 7; Beginner to intermediate level)
A practical workshop to help free yourself from notation (and the blues scale!) by developing your ears and their link to your fingers.
Level: Beginner to intermediate
Tutor: Mike Hall
Venue: Studio 7
Option 5: Sax Charts Playing Session (Carole Nash Recital Room; For all levels)
Work with Andy and a great rhythm section through some funky charts! This is an opportunity to sightread, improvise if you would like to (no pressure to improvise if you don’t want to) and rehearse efficiently and effectively… and it’s good fun!
Please note that this workshop repeats at 3.45pm. Please only attend one of the Sax Chats Playing Sessions.
Level: All
Tutor: Andy Scott
Venue: Carole Nash Recital Room
LUNCH BREAK
2.15pm – 3.15pm / RNCM Concert Hall
Lunchtime Concert: ‘Origin’ with Marici Saxes
Today’s concert features music from Marici Saxes’ second album Origin, released on Saxophone Records in 2020.
Programme:
Raymond Carlos Nakai Native American melodies
Josie Simmons Aurora
James Whitbourn White Gold
i. The Kiss; ii. The Gown
Traditional arr Simmons Tayal Chinese folk tune
Traditional arr Grieg Balkan Suite
Francis McPeake Wild Mountain Thyme
Marici Saxes - biography
Josie Simmons baritone saxophone Marici Saxes are a dynamic saxophone quartet from London, UK: four unique musicians brought together through a craving for collective creativity and establishing a firm reputation for excellence. Formed in 2010, their innovative approach to music has seen their popularity rise and resonate with audiences throughout the UK and beyond.
Alongside their busy recital and festival schedule in the UK, the group has performed internationally in Croatia at the World Saxophone Congress, in Italy by invitation from composer Michael Nyman and most recently on a highly successful and extensive tour of China. 2020 saw the group travelling to Belgium and France as well as recording and releasing their eagerly awaited second album ‘Origin’ on Saxophone Records. Marici were thrilled to receive a Help Musicians ‘Do it Differently’ Award for this second album, as well as support from the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain. More recently they have been awarded a Royal Philharmonic Society Enterprise fund in association with Harriet’s Trust.
No stranger to live radio broadcasts, the quartet has performed live on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’ programme as part of an extended interview. They were invited to the Classic FM studios to film footage for their online library and social media feed. Album tracks were also played on BBC Radio 3’s ‘BBC Introducing’ with one of baritone player Josie Simmons’ pieces featuring as part of International Women’s Day. Marici Saxes have amassed over 700K YouTube views of their video of Piazzolla’s Libertango, adding to nearly 2million total views of their videos online. With 6K followers on Facebook, they continue to delight audiences worldwide with their scintillating sounds and lighter classical fare.
3.45pm – 5pm / Various Venues
Workshop Sessions 2
Option 1: How Not to Play Out of Tune and Annoy Your Friends (Studio 3; For all levels)
A guide to learning skills and practice techniques to be better at staying in tune with your friends, colleagues and yourself.
Level: For all levels
Tutor: Carl Raven
Venue: Studio 3
Option 2: The Science of the Saxophone - How it Works, How we Work, and How the Two Work Together (Studio 5; For all levels)
Understanding our bodies, our instrument, and how to connect the two in a relaxed, and efficient way is key to advancing your playing.
In this fascinating and insightful class, Rob draws on 25 years of teaching experience here at the RNCM, and over 35 years of experience as a busy performing saxophonist to distil the fundamental of the saxophone into a one-hour class that will change the way you think about your practice and performance.
It’s open to all – the principles discussed here are useful to players from absolute beginners to advanced level.
Please note that this a repeat of the earlier workshop.
Level: All
Tutor: Rob Buckland
Venue: Studio 5
Option 3: Sax Ensemble Playing Session (Studio 6; For all levels)
Improve your ensemble skills with an informal class, playing through some sax ensemble repertoire directed by Junior RNCM tutor Ruth Bourn. Aimed at players of all ages and abilities, with RNCM students on hand for support.
Please note this is a repeat of the earlier workshop.
Level: All
Tutor: Ruth Bourn
Venue: Studio 6
Option 4: Intermediate Jazz Improvisation – Making the Most of a Musical Idea (Studio 7; Intermediate to advanced level)
Take a motif or phrase and put it through different processes to give substance and structure to your jazz improvisation. A hands-on session in the context of sax-piano jazz duo playing.
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Tutor: Mike Hall
Venue: Studio 7
Option 5: Sax Charts Playing Session (Carole Nash Recital Room; For all levels)
Work with Andy and a great rhythm section through some funky charts! This is an opportunity to sightread, improvise if you would like to (no pressure to improvise if you don’t want to) and rehearse efficiently and effectively… and it’s good fun!
Please note that this is a repeat of the earlier workshop.
Level: All
Tutor: Andy Scott
Venue: Carole Nash Recital Room
DINNER BREAK
6pm – 6.30pm / RNCM Concert Hall
Spotlight Recital: Gillian Blair
Programme:
Richard Rodney Bennett Ballad in Memory of Shirley Horn
Stacy Garrop Fragmented Spirit
Lucy Armstrong The Singing Fish
i. Life in the Sea
ii. The Wailing Fish
iii. The Singing Fish
Gillian Blair saxophone
Lauryna Sableviciute piano
Gillian Blair - biography
Praised for her ‘flawless and accomplished’ performances (Peterborough Telegraph) and ‘honest and genuine music-making’ (D’Addario Competiton), Gillian Blair enjoys a varied career as a concert saxophonist, chamber musician and educator. Having received both Bachelor and Masters degrees from the Royal Northern College of Music, she is now a tutor of saxophone at the Junior RNCM.
As a soloist, she has performed around Europe, North America and Asia at festivals and concert series’ including the BBC Proms, EurSax (Porto), Koganei Miyajigakki Hall (Tokyo), PepsiCo Recital Hall (Texas), and the World Saxophone Congress (St Andrews, Strasbourg, Zagreb). She has appeared as a guest soloist with ensembles including the Band of the Coldstream Guards, Commonwealth String Orchestra and the Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra.
Gillian is passionate about chamber music and performs regularly with the Polaris Duo (saxophone and harp) and the Borealis Saxophone Quartet. Both of these ensembles have enjoyed competition success, performances on BBC Radio 3 as ‘BBC Introducing Classical’ artists, and appearances in some of the UK’s most prestigious venues as well as giving performances overseas. Gillian also works with orchestras including the Halle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Opera North.
As a keen advocate of new music, Gillian has commissioned numerous works as a soloist and for her various chamber ensembles from composers including Gary Carpenter, Lucy Armstrong, Zack Browning, Grace Evangeline Mason, Rob Buckland, Andrew Boss, Tom Harrold, Lucy Pankhurst, Paul Mitchell-Davidson, Esther Swift and Melissa Douglas.
Gillian is a Henri Selmer Paris Saxophones Artist and a Vandoren UK Artist.
7pm – 8.30pm / RNCM Theatre
Baptiste Herbin (saxophone)
We’re delighted that Baptiste Herbin will be giving his first Manchester appearance at this year’s RNCM Saxophone Day. Displaying his renowned and virtuoso skills with a fantastic rhythm section, Baptiste will present an exciting mix of Brazilian inspired originals infused with his love of jazz standards.
Baptiste Herbin saxophone
Paul Kilvington piano
Matt Owens bass
Dave Hassell drums
Baptiste Herbin - biography
‘Baptiste Herbin does not intend to succeed anyone, nor to eclipse anyone, but simply to play better than everyone and himself’ – Michel Contat, Télérama
‘The beauty of the sound of the saxophone is undoubtedly the first quality that jumps out at the ear the astonishing volubility and technical mastery of its playing is obvious with the simple obviousness of an undoubted talent’ – Jean-Pierre Jackson, Classica
Nominated to Victoires du Jazz in 2013 thanks to his first album Brother Stoon, Baptiste Herbin has recorded with great musicians: the records of Keith Brown (Sweet and Lovely Space Time Records 2011), Aldo Romano (New Blood: the connection, Dreyfus 2012), Essiet Essiet and Jeff “Tain Watts” (Shona, Space Time 2014) the Fireworks quartet with Jean-Charles Richard, Stéphane Guillaume and Vincent David (2015).
He plays all over the world (Thailand, United States, Italy, Madagascar, England, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland) and plays with the greatest musicians: Glenn Ferris, Alain Jean-Marie, Ralph Bowen, Donald Brown, Kenny Garrett, Jean Toussaint, Mark Gross, Steve Wilson, James Carter, Gary Smulyan, Marcus Gilmore, Stéphane Belmondo, Archie Shepp, Jean-Michel Pilc, Darryl Hall, Franck Avitabile, Pierrick Pedron, Julien Lourau, Enrico Rava, Eric Legnini, Baptiste Trotignon, Billy Hart, Michael Cheret, Jerry Bergonzi, Stefano Di Battista…
Originally from Chartres, he learnt saxophone with Jean-Louis Mounier, then jazz with Julien Lourau and Jean-Jacques Rulhmann, then Jean-Charles Richard. After graduating from the CNSM in Riccardo Del Fra’s jazz class, he met André Ceccarelli in 2010 during his residency at the Duc des Lombards, who took him to the studio to record his first quartet album, Brother Stoon, with Pierre de Bethmann, Sylvain Romano, as well as Jean Toussaint and Dimitri Dourantonis as guests. He opened for Dionne Warwick at the Olympia in November 2012 in a duet with Pierre de Bethmann to present this first album, which was a great success. His second quintet album, Interférences, was released in 2015, with Benjamin Henocq, Maxime Fougères, Sylvain Romano and Renaud Gensane.
Baptiste is also a teacher, and gives master classes all over the world. His music and playing are influenced by Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Ornette Coleman, Maceo Parker, John Coltrane, Malagasy music, but also classical composers such as Debussy, Ravel and Bach.
Saxophone Day Trade Exhibition:
We are delighted that the following traders and publishers will be joining us for Saxophone Day:
Traders: Barnes & Mullins (Vandoren, Yanagisawa Saxophones, Legere, Rovner, Champion, Trevor James); Curly Woodwind Ltd; D’Addario Woodwinds; Henri Selmer Paris; Howarth of London; John Packer Ltd; Sax Stuff to Go; SYOS; Vintage Saxophones Online Limited; West Yorkshire Woodwind; Windstruments Ltd; Yamaha Music Europe GmbH (UK)
Recruiters, Publishers: Astute Music; C D Wiggins Sheet Music; Forton Music; The Little Music Stop; Music Retreats; Odisei Music S.L.
