Are you living in the Whole Armor of God? Come join author Craig Wadley on an exploration of the symbolism behind the Whole Armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:11-17. Examine each piece of a Roman soldier's gear in great detail in order to reveal secrets which are often overlooked. From the strengthening power of the Belt of Truth to the authoritative sovereignty of the Sword of the Spirit, every item unlocks new layers of spiritual symbolism which can be put to work in our daily lives. Learn how to apply the Biblical principles of truth, righteousness, preparation, faith, and so much more to situations which you face every day. The Whole Armor of God is a picture of the Christian life which you can use as a tool for growth in your walk with Christ.
When Dr. Jackie Lamar asked me to write a piece for the Arkansas Saxophones to premiere at the 2018 World Saxophone Congress, I instantly hopped on board and straightaway began to compose with great procrastination.
One should never be too hasty. At least, that's what my good friend, Treebeard, always says.
I spent most of my career as a saxophonist playing bari in various ensembles, and I always like to give the bari player something interesting when I write for saxophones. Very soon, the idea that this piece would retell the epic of David and Goliath was firmly planted in my mind, right next to some rather neglected Azaleas.
For those of you who may be less familiar with the various flavors of saxophone, the bari (short for baritone) sax is one of the bigger ones. It's the one that looks like part of it got caught in a pretzel-twister, and it has a pretty low sound. If saxophones had strings, the bari would be a cello.
Fortunately... they don't.
Anyway, the bari player takes up the role of the Phillistine giant, Goliath, in this tune. He's a cocky loudmouth who spends most of his time strutting around like he's king of the world. And so is Goliath.
;) In reality, the guy playing bari is Andy Wright, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better human than him. And he certainly knows his way around a saxophone.
I chucked in a little bit of everything: some funky blues for Goliath, some intense modern harmonies for the fight scene, a little bit of Gothic morose-ness inspired by Penny Dreadful on Netflix, a few soft pretties, and a couple of stupid saxophone tricks like multiphonics and slap-tongue.
After rehearsing the piece, Dr. Lamar and the ensemble decided that it didn't suck much, and they would play it in Zagreb (Croatia) during the World Saxophone Congress of July, 2018.
And play it they did!
All self-immolating sarcasm aside, I'm rather glad with the way the piece turned out, and I'm immensely grateful to Dr. Lamar and the Arkansas Saxophones for taking my music to the other side of the planet. Enjoy the video!
Oh and if you happen to be looking for some saxophone choir music, you can find this tune and others on the MUSIC tab of my website, www.wadleyoriginals.com.
Wadley Publications proudly presents Alto Saxophonist Dr. Brent Bristow and Pianist Mary Jo Parker in the world premiere performance of Temporal Physics by Craig Wadley.
This recital is part of the 2018 Arkansas Saxophone Symposium, to be hosted by the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. All events are free and open to the public.
Commissioned by Dr. Brent Bristow of Arkansas State University (Beebe), Temporal Physics is a single-movement sonatina for alto saxophone and piano. Featuring a cornucopia of meter changes, the piece explores various stylistic treatments of two brief melodic motifs. Temporal Physics drops hints of different musical eras while remaining a truly contemporary display of soloistic virtuosity.
Groovin’
Goliath (and the slingshot of doom) for saxophone choir combines
elements of blues, traditional and non-traditional tonal structures, shifting
metrical landscapes, and saxophonic sound effects in this retelling of the epic
tale of David and Goliath. The giant still loses the fight, but the biggest
saxes reign supreme in this battle royale!
Commissioned by Dr. Jackie Lamar and the Arkansas Saxophones
for the World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb, Croatia – July 2018.
Freelance
composer/arranger Craig Wadley holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of
Music degrees from Arkansas State University. Mr. Wadley’s studies in
composition were primarily with Dr. Jared Spears (Arkansas State University)
and Dr. Kamran Ince (University of Memphis), and his works have been performed
across the United States. As a saxophonist, Mr. Wadley studied with Ken Hatch
(Arkansas State University) and Allen Rippe (University of Memphis), and has
performed most notably with the Memphis Saxophone Quartet and The Temptations.
Commissioned by Dr. Brent Bristow of Arkansas State University (Beebe), Temporal Physics is a single-movement sonatina for alto saxophone and piano. Featuring a cornucopia of meter changes, the piece explores various stylistic treatments of two brief melodic motifs. Temporal Physics drops hints of different musical eras while remaining a truly contemporary display of soloistic virtuosity.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Craig Wadley is the author of the Living In The Bible blog and the owner of Wadley Publications.
Holding two degrees in music from Arkansas State University, Craig is a former high school band director and has been active in ministry for a number of years, previously serving as a mentor for inmates in a faith-based prison program, and later as worship leader and discipleship training instructor for a small church. He is currently focused on writing projects aimed toward practical application of Biblical principles.
