Paradise Alley

for Bassoon Quintet (or Quartet) and Contrabassoon

Duration: 6:00 min.

Program Notes:

As a composer and bassoonist attending Wheaton College while the bassoon studio was relatively large, I was inspired (and encouraged by my esteemed bassoon teacher, Dr. Saylor) to write a piece for bassoon ensemble. One of Dr. Saylor's favourite stories to recount during our studio class tells of how the bassoon studio was playing together, and Professor Jeff Leigh found the sound so attractive that he walked right in. The story goes that, "without missing a beat," he asked, "Is this a piece of Heaven?" Due to this comment, the bassoon studio affectionately refers to the adjoining hallway as Paradise Alley, after which I have named this piece.