High-pitched
squeals echo down the hall as I approach the practice room I am to interview
saxophonist Lucy Fox. As a saxophonist myself I approach this interview with a
certain trepidation but also interest to see if our opinions on classical
saxophone playing align.
From growing up
in her hometown of Birmingham she tells me that her interest in music was ‘always
strong’ as she played in ‘various ensembles’ playing the saxophone but when at
school actually primarily flute. She goes on to tell me that after listening to
many albums and CD’s she ‘loved the tone’ of the saxophone, especially
classical saxophone. ‘The main sound people associate with the saxophone are
the harsh jazz sounds of [Michael] Brecker or [Charlie] Parker, which are
nothing like the developed [classical] sounds of Arno Bornkamp or Claude
Delangle’.
Lucy tells me
‘its hard to imagine a time when I hadn’t heard these players’. In secondary
school a lot of her playing was learning pieces for ABRSM (associated board of
the royals schools of music) exams, and although she was successful in these
exams it wasn’t until sixth form that she ‘even listened to classical
saxophone’. She says this as though its
madness but I say it ‘wasn’t until university that I first listened to a
classical saxophone recording’ and we both laugh. The repertoire for the ABRSM
saxophone exams includes works by Bozza, Bach and Singelee and although these
are great pieces they ‘are steeped in a tradition which perhaps isn’t relevant
to classical saxophone players today’.
‘A classical
pianist has a catalogue of hundreds of fantastic ‘classical’ works to draw upon
with many audiences knowing the works being performed’. Lucy tells me that in
her opinion the classical saxophone does not have this ‘deep rooted’ tradition
and although some of the great composers have written works for the saxophone,
‘Ibert, Glazunov and Bozza’, these are few and for Lucy the more interesting
and exciting repertoire are ‘contemporary and written considering the saxophone
as more than just a classical instrument’.
Repertoire Lucy is looking at this year includes a piece I have never
come across before by composer Eugene Rosse, Lobuk constrictor. ‘The piece explores the tonal versatility’ of
the saxophone with its ‘use of multiphonics slap tonguing’ and many more
extended techniques. Lucy tells me the
piece was described by Jean Marie Londiex as ‘THE introductory work for
students looking at contemporary repertoire’. I ask her if she wouldn’t mind
playing it to me and she happily obliges.
Lucy’s playing is very well controlled with a sonorous tone, which
projects beautifully, and although we are only in a small practice room I can
imagine her sound would comfortably fill a large concert hall. One of the things that strikes me about this
piece is that there are no elements of it that I could sing back or would find
myself humming on the way home and yet still the piece was hugely effective and
kept me transfixed throughout the performance.
Lucy tells me that, in her opinion, ‘the piece is mainly effective
because of the atmosphere it creates’.
‘Christian
Lauba is a composer who I feel similarly embodies this idea of creating an
atmosphere in his works rather than beautiful ‘classical’ melodies’. She tells
me that she performed one of his works, ‘Mutation
Coleurs’, with the Huddersfield saxophone ensemble, which was a big, hit
with the audience. Lauba is an avid
composer of the saxophone and his compositions embrace many elements of the saxophones
versatility of saxophone drawing inspiration from ‘bebop and jazz and then
composing it in a contemporary classical style’. I ask if she is looking at any
more of his works in her playing yet and she tells me that ‘they are very
advanced in technique and hugely demanding from the performer’, currently Lucy
is looking at learning the techniques but as soon as she has got them under her
fingers she will ‘definitely start to learn them’. Another exciting composer who ‘looks at and
embraces the saxophone’s cross genre versatility is Barry Cockroft’. ‘His music
is so exciting, as a saxophone player himself he knows exactly what will work
on the instrument and really pushes the boundaries of in terms of techniques’.
With works like Ku Ku and Beat me Barry Cockroft uses the
saxophone ‘as a percussive instrument’ and ‘explores the sounds’ the saxophone
can create even at one point in beat me asking the saxophone to ‘resemble the
tone of a distorted guitar’. Barry Cockroft came to the UK three years ago to
attend and perform at the fifteenth world saxophone congress in St Andrews and
his performances for me were inspiring and opened my eyes to the potential of
the instrument I was learning. I ask Lucy if she attended the fifteenth world
saxophone congress and she tells me ‘no but the next one is next summer in
France and I will definitely be attending’.
Next year Lucy has taken the initiative
to set up and be the alto player for the Mousai Saxophone Quartet as well as
playing in a saxophone Duo with fellow Leeds College of Music saxophonist Rosie
Lord.
I leave the
interview feeling that the future of classical music is in safe hands. Lucy Fox
is a great saxophonist with fantastic control of the instrument and an
enthusiasm which is inspiring to see. I look forward to hearing her play in her
professional career.
