OLYMPIC PHOTOGRAPH

Saxophone Quartet

≈ 8'

February 2024 by the University of Arkansas Saxophone Studio
Evan Gassaway, soprano
Jackson Joyce, alto
Logan Zink, tenor
Nathan Leder, baritone

In the northwestern corner of the United States, Olympic National Park harbors a fantastical plain of forests, mountains, and rivers. I had the opportunity to stay in Washington on a lake and explore across the peninsula on which the park sits. The land gave me two nostalgic impressions which are represented in the two movements: nursing log, and cascades.

When a tree collapses in these woods, it has the potential to grow new saplings from its fallen trunk. The solemnity of the first movement is a meditation on the massive trees of Olympia and the centuries of growth to create the experience today. The waterfalls are also a reflection on the ancientness of the park. The driving force of the rivers across the entire pacific coast have reshaped the land, relentlessly cutting it over the course of several lifetimes into a state of divine peace and beauty.

It is important to recognize the limitless awe of this continent was taken from countless people who thrived in it before us. We are fortunate with the ability to appreciate the untouched reaches of North America, as well as to express our amazement with music.