As his Mother Company, the Musicians’ Company was honoured to present the new Lord Mayor, Pastmaster Alderman Dr Andrew Parmley with the Company’s Gift following the Silent Ceremony on 11 November 2016 at the City of London Guildhall, where he was sworn in as Lord Mayor for the coming year. The gift was the commissioning of a new musical composition by Freeman Paul Patterson, whose Sea Breeze performed by the Yeoman ensemble the Kaleidoscope Saxophone Quartet (click here for further information) at the Members Open Day at the Foundling Museum in May 2016 had been much enjoyed. Sea Breeze is last of three movements in Diversion - Opus 32 (1975), each named after a type of wind corresponding to different aspects of the saxophone’s character. Sea Breeze illustrates its playful aspect with a ‘backwards set of variations’, where the framework of the piece gradually emerges from a rhythmically and melodically complicated opening. Like the opening movement, Gusty, it is exciting and somewhat aggressive, but at the height of the confusion a drunken waltz emerges, followed by the final tumult with Rule Britannia on the wrong beat of the bar as it rushes to its witty conclusion (click here for further information).

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The Musicians Company commission entitled Sax in ‘The City’, a Saxophone Quartet is also in three movements, each named after an area of the City:  Paternoster Square Dance, Bishopsgate Blues and Cheapside Chase. It was given its world premiere at the Company’s Midsummer Banquet at Mansion House on 26 June 2017 by the Kaleidoscope Saxophone Quartet, who gave a lively performance of the engaging and humorous work, entirely appropriate for such a joyous and celebratory occasion. After the performance, the composer and The Master Sir Roger Gifford formally presented a bound and engraved edition of the score to the Lord Mayor.

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Paul Patterson’s oeuvre includes several prestigious commissions, his works are stylistically varied and his composition style challenging but idiomatic (click on the image to see Paul’s website). Over the course of his career, he has made significant contributions to many of the country’s leading musical institutions. He is a fellow of many of the UK’s leading music colleges and has received several awards in recognition of his services to music. 

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The opening page of each movement and the full score are presented below; click on an image to expand.