Quate, Amy - Light of Sothis
This simple piece for alto saxophone and piano is in three movements: Grace, Passion and Faith. The first 'Grace', begins with extremely spacious and neutral sounding piano chords. Sothis or Sirius is the brightest star in the heavens and there is a great deal that could be said about this. Amy Quate has composed her piece taking inspiration from the perspective of Ancient Egyptian religion who associated their goddess Isis with the star. The second movement 'Passion' switches to the minor and there is a great deal more drama and thrust when this first begins, although the harmonic language is very simple. A cadenza segues into the final movement 'Faith' which briefly presents a settled and peaceful conclusion to the piece. The subject matter is interesting and there was scope for a longer and more sophisticated piece, but it is enjoyable to listen to.