I completed Travels, a four-movement work for solo alto saxophone in early 2023. My aim was to create a mesmerising and expressive journey that captivates both the performer and the audience with a vibrant and dynamic musical expedition. The title embodies the spirit of exploration and adventure, as the saxophone traverses diverse musical landscapes, from curvy corners to hypnotic trances and poignant stops to virtuosic flights of agility.

The first movement, “Around Corners,” features a sinuous and sensual melody that weaves through a moving harmonic foundation. Climaxing with sweeping leaps between registers and a grand flourish, it eventually finds a quiet resolution, inviting the performer to navigate its melodic twists and turns with finesse.

“In a Trance,” the second movement, features a hypnotic and evolving motive that suggests constant rotation, with occasional diversions and outbursts before returning to the churning wheel. The performer is challenged with crafting elegant phrasing amidst mountainous contours of rangy intervals.

The third movement, “A Lonely Stop,” tenderly tugs at the heartstrings with its sorrowful and poignant melody, characterised by the tempo indication lamentoso and piangere sempre (always crying). Through the saxophone’s isolated and contemplative voice, it conveys solitude, introspection, and a sense of longing, vulnerability, and quiet reflection.

The “Feather’s Flight,” the fourth and final movement, showcases virtuosic agility as the saxophone soars in perpetual motion. Pushing the technical boundaries of the instrument, it demands precision and dexterity from the performer, as it flies on a breeze.

I composed Travels with admiration for the musical brilliance of Joseph Lulloff, whose artistry inspired its creation. I aspire for this composition to offer a captivating and emotive journey for the performer and the audience, with moments of great challenge, depth, and expressive nuance.