DEC 19
A HIGH POINT BEFORE THE SINGING EVEN STARTS
by Dale Hutchens

My vocabulary is inadequate to describe the thrill of experiencing the Living Christmas Tree from my seat in the middle orchestra. The power and brilliance of the music can be breathtaking. For me, however, one high point comes before the first note is sung, when we in the Saxophone Ensemble, play our arrangement of “Go Tell it on the Mountain” – part of the informal, light mix of sacred and secular music before the Prelude. Of all the saxophone music I have ever played, this is easily my favorite, and only a few folks know where the arrangement came from.

During rehearsals for the 2006 Living Christmas Tree, Billy challenged us to find a Christmas song arranged with a “spiritual” or “gospel” feel for saxophones, string bass, and drums, and to find it in time for the Living Christmas Tree. It was a great idea and sounded so simple, but we couldn’t find anything published that was simultaneously musically challenging, rich, worshipful, bright, and dynamic. So, we commissioned Dr. Don Bowyer, a jazz musician, composer, and Chair of the Department of Music at UAH, to arrange “Go, Tell it on the Mountain” for us. The piece is dedicated to Billy Orton from the FBC Saxophone Ensemble.

Our arrangement is for string bass, drums, soprano sax, alto saxes, tenor saxes and baritone sax. The harmonies feature the best ranges of the various saxophones – the highs of the soprano, the lows of the baritone, the warmth of the tenors, and the crispness of the altos. The rhythms and interplay between the bass, drums, and saxes stir your spirit and make it hard to be still.

Saxophones can’t communicate with words, but our arrangement of “Go, Tell it on the Mountain” is our chance to welcome you to the Living Christmas Tree and present the Good News of Christmas with our unique musical voice and inflection.

Go! Tell it on the mountain! Jesus Christ is born!

You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God !” Isaiah 40:9