Self Portrait in Three Colours

James Harms
Self Portrait in Three Colours

For Saxophone Quartet

James Harms
 For the Hazell Quartet

Self Portrait in Three Colours

1. Whitewash
2. Kohl, Lament
3. Scheele’s Green

Each movement of this piece is represented by a colour, which in turn represents

an aspect of my life over the past few years.
Whitewash, a translucent white, is used to paint over things that you do not want to
see. The seeming calmness of the music is underpinned by unsettling harmony, the
precursor to crisis.
Kohl, a seemingly bottomless grey, paints the picture of despair. The innocent solo
Alto, lost in an ocean of dissonance. There are moments of strife, and moments of
respite, but the atmosphere is seemingly endlessly oppressive.
Scheele’s green, at last, is the healing process. Budding and blossoming anew, the
saxophones dance in new found contentment. The theme from the beginning is
reintroduced, solidified, and finally blooms into the final chord.

Approximately 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

Score at Transposed Pitch

 Performance Notes

Player 1. Soprano (Bb) and Alto (Eb)

Player 2. Alto (Eb) and Soprano (Bb)

Player 3. Tenor (Bb) and Alto (Eb)

Player 4. Baritone (Eb) and Alto (Eb)

Movement 1: In bars 18-21, in the Baritone and Tenor, pitch bends downwards
should return to the written note.

Movement 2: The multiphonics in bars 3, 30, and 40 in the Alto part should be
played using the fingering diagram on the left, and the multiphonic in bar 4 in the
Alto part should use the diagram on the right:

The direction ‘air sounds’, in bars 32 and 41, is where a low Bb is fingered, and
blown so that no note sounds. Only the sounds of the air passing through the
instrument should be heard.
Baritone Saxophone (E Flat) & Alto Saxophone 4

Self Portrait in Three Colours

James Harms

Intimate, Ceremonial  = 116 1. Whitewash


   
Bar. Sax.

   


    
   
   

 
Sop.


       

9


      
 
  
 

 
    
5" pitch bend downwards ad lib.


17

      
       
    
Sop.


      
no pitch bends
22

             
     
 
Ten.

   
 
28

   
         

2 Baritone Saxophone (E Flat) & Alto Saxophone 4

       
    
rit. a tempo, foreboding poco rit.

    
32

 
a tempo meno mosso

     
38




 
   
   
42

      
  
 
Sop 2.
 Baritone Saxophone (E Flat) & Alto Saxophone 4

Violently  = 72
2. Kohl, Lament

  
 
Bar. Sax.

 
crack the note molto rubato

     

dim.


    
A cadenza, ad lib.

       
7
rall. To A. Sax.

 = 52


B


Lament subtone

   
A. Sax.


13

      
23

 

   

28


 


      
Alto

    
4 Baritone Saxophone (E Flat) & Alto Saxophone 4

  
air sounds C

   
32

   
 
    
 

       
37


    
poco rubato


42

 
sub. 

    


46
free time, similar tempo

  

    
 
Alto 1

 
 Baritone Saxophone (E Flat) & Alto Saxophone 4

Ethereal, growing 3. Sheele’s Green

  
Bar. Sax.  = 66



                
     

     


Ten.


 

   
sighing

  
3

       
      


  
8

                
     

     


Ten.

   
   
10

            
      


 

15

             
               
 
Alto

  
    

17

           
        

6 Baritone Saxophone (E Flat) & Alto Saxophone 4

    
B


23

              
            
Ten.

  


                               
 
27

                               

30

                               

32

               
C Blossoming

                
34

                                
36

                      
  
38

    
     
 

   
   
41
D


 Baritone Saxophone (E Flat) & Alto Saxophone 4 7



  
    
    
E

 
  
45

 
    
 

F

  
51

          
63

 

     
    
poco rit.


G

 
70


Alto
   
Ten.  


     
78
a tempo

 