Silk Road: E-flat Alto Saxophone

Take a journey on the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that linked the Far East with the Western world in this imaginative piece by Robert Sheldon. Exotic harmonies combine with driving rhythms and colorful percussion to create a soundscape of shifting sands and faraway lands. A solo alto saxophone references the sound of a Turkish sorna to open the piece, leading to the persistent rhythm and modal melodies. Finger cymbals, shakers, and hand drums help to represent the culture of this remote part of the world. (2:19) Correlated to Sound Innovations, Book 2, Level 3.