Wadley Publications

The title of  Sonar’s Riddle  is an anagram of "Dr. Daniel Ross," and stands as a tribute to a musician known for both his kindness and humor.  Dr. Daniel F. Ross (1944-2019) was a Professor of Music at Arkansas State University, where he taught the double reed studio from 1968 to 2018. During his illustrious career, he became known as not only a world-class musician, but an innovator in the field of reed-making with his Ross Gouging Machine. As a performer, he served as Principal Oboist with the Arkansas Symphony and performed with the North Arkansas Symphony, Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, Tupelo Symphony, Delta Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Nashville Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the St. Louis Chamber Music Society. He was a frequent soloist with the Forum Sinfonia of Krakow, Poland, touring with them in the United Stated and Europe. He held the title of Visiting Professor of Oboe at the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland and has been a soloist with the St. Peter

Groovin’ Goliath (and the slingshot of doom) for saxophone choir combines elements of blues, traditional and non-traditional tonal structures, shifting metrical landscapes, and saxophonic sound effects in this retelling of the epic tale of David and Goliath. The giant still loses the fight, but the biggest saxes reign supreme in this battle royale! Scoring: SSAAATTB(Bs) - 2 Soprano, 3 Alto, 2 Tenor, 1 Baritone, Optional Bass which doubles Baritone. World Premiere: 2018 World Saxophone Congress by the Arkansas Saxophones under the direction of Dr. Jackie Lamar (University of Central Arkansas, retired) On YouTube at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Beq3Hy2sh0&t=1s Advanced Techniques: Slap-Tongue (all parts), Multiphonics (Baritone)

As this is an unaccompanied piece, ANY saxophone is acceptable. While most soloists will undoubtedly opt to use alto or soprano, the composer welcomes renditions of this piece on any of the larger saxes as well. This piece was inspired by Nevermore: An Evening With Edgar Allen Poe, a single act play featuring Jeffrey Combs. My good friend, Dr. Brent Bristow of Arkansas State University, Beebe, convinced me to go see the play when it was presented there in March of 2018. That performance by the legendary Mr. Combs inspired this piece. Why unaccompanied saxophone? Brent Bristow and I have been close friends since high school, and since he is the one who convinced me to see this show, and given that he plays classical saxophone (yes, that IS a thing!), I figured saxophone would kill two birds with one reed… or something like that. The show itself is a one-man performance, so that’s why this piece is unaccompanied. I toyed with the notion of including some text from the show. Eventua

Temporal Physics is a single-movement sonatina for alto saxophone and piano. Featuring a cornucopia  of meter changes, the piece explores various stylistic treatments of two brief melodic motifs. Temporal  Physics drops hints of different musical eras while remaining a truly contemporary display of soloistic  virtuosity.

One Zero Zero  was written in 2016 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Lawrence County School District (formerly Walnut Ridge Schools) in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. The piece is dedicated to the Walnut Ridge High School "Pride" Band and long-time director John Long. One Zero Zero  opens with a fanfare based partly upon the Morse code for the numbers 1, 0, and 0, leading up to an energetic, cinematic style main theme.  This opening fanfare provides an excellent opportunity to introduce your students to 5/8 time in an accessible and exciting setting (one measure of 5/8, two measures of 3/4 being the pattern).  Use of combinations of 3/4 and 4/4 which appear frequently in the main theme could also be used as a step-stone for teaching longer asymmetrical meters such as 7/4 (though 7/4 does not appear in the piece). The middle section of the piece references a hymn based on Psalm 100 found in the Genevan Psalter of 1551, later harmonized in 1564 by the French composer Cla

The Privateers  is a swashbuckling depiction of an oceangoing pirate adventure, presented in the form of a march.  The piece starts with a brief fanfare, followed immediately by a rousing melody in the style of an old sea-shanty.  Images of sailing upon an endless sea of stars come to mind as a tranquil nocturne is presented, but the peace is shattered as cutlasses and sabers clash in a dogfight sure to end in Davy Jones’ locker!  The music swells to a dramatic conclusion as our mighty galleon surges across a stormy sea. Instrumentation The Privateers  comes with full sets of both concert/stage and marching/field parts, allowing for great flexibility in your performance venues. Contemporary marching bands and drum & bugle corps utilize specialized field percussion which is typically not used in a concert setting.  With this piece, the use of "outdoor" percussion (quad toms and a tonal bass drum line) onstage is encouraged, although not required.  A single bass drum li

A beautiful lyric essay for piccolo (or flute) and piano utilizing nontraditional harmonies and modalities. While the technical requirements of the piece are of only intermediate difficulty, the demand for musical expression is high for both the soloist and accompanist.  Trust  is written as a musical meditation on Psalm 143, verses 1-11.  These verses from the Bible underscore one of the basic (yet sometimes uncomfortable) truths of human existence:  we need help.  People often find it difficult to trust in anyone or anything other than  themselves, but no matter how much we may desire complete independence and  autonomy, human beings are simply not equipped to weather the storms life  brings on our own.  The difficulties of  life can in fact make us feel isolated and deserted. Our culture’s celebration  of strength and independence silently imply that we are "weak" if we are unable  to stand alone, yet it is during troubling times, when we are totally incapable  of moving