A Conductor’s and Performer’s Guide to Steven Bryant’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone - Chester Jenkins

51 Note that at measure 116 and following, as the trombones and trumpets enter, they are called to enter with bag mutes, and horns with straight mutes. As bag mutes tend to flatten pitch, and the straight mutes tend to raise it slightly, this can be a challenge to tune if attention is not called to the passage ahead of time. Another technique used throughout the work can be found in measure 121 through to 125. The trombones are engaged in long glissandi that Bryant has marked to occur evenly over the entire notated duration. Arrival to the notated pitch should not occur until the beginning of the bar. Drawing out a long glissando evenly over the full measure may need to be practiced, especially since this can be even a half step of distance at times. At this particular example, all three trombones are shifting over different sizes of intervals as well (whole step, minor third and major third), so each performer will have to move at a different speed to cover the greater difference in slide positions. Accuracy is important as well, since generally the arrival is on a new pitch important to the harmonic progression. This effect is used within the Solace chord progression found in measures 120-122.