Recorded on the album 'The Last Tree by Alastair Penman.' Instrumentation: Saxophone Orchestra (SSSAAAATTTTBBB) Length: 4'30

The first movement from The Last Tree, based on the Cree Proverb: "Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught and the last river been poisoned will we realize we cannot eat money". The piece opens with a declamatory statement from the baritone saxophone before giving way to a minimalist groove. In the final section there is an alto solo (optionally improvised, or a written out solo is provided) that leads to the climax of the piece.

Digital download of score and parts (PDF)

Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIiN747Pd7Y&list=PLuKGoAEb7wVlGAX7ur0jnEV7rLprs8df0

Recorded on the album 'The Last Tree by Alastair Penman.' Instrumentation: Saxophone Orchestra (SnoSSAAAATTTTBBB) Length: 4'00

The fourth movement from The Last Tree.

“It's really cold outside, they are calling it a major freeze, weeks ahead of normal. Man, we could use a big fat dose of global warming!" – Donald Trump

This movement provides a musical caricature of perhaps one of the most dangerous men on earth. This movement was written before Donald Trump’s re-election, however it has now gained a new poignancy. If one of the most powerful world leaders cannot understand (or wilfully ignores) the science surrounding climate change and actively calls for global warming, how much damage could he do to the planet? I asked ChatGPT to imagine the programme note that Donald Trump might write for this piece and the result appears painfully plausible:

“Let me tell you something – Big Fat Does is huge. It’s the greatest blues piece you’ve ever heard, believe me. Nobody knows blues like I do. This song is big, it's bold, and it’s got everything – the drama, the tension, the beautiful chord changes. The chord sequence? Oh, it's amazing. 21 bars, people. It’s ambitious, just like everything I do. Some people would say it’s too complicated, but those people are probably losers. It’s genius, actually – a brilliant way to break the mold. You listen to it and you just know – this is a game-changer. The rhythm is tight, the chords are strong – this is a blues song that stands tall, like a Trump Tower in the middle of Manhattan. You can’t miss it. And let me tell you, the swing? Absolutely fantastic. No one swings like I do.”

Digital download of score and parts (PDF)

Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwdZl7v-KzY&list=PLuKGoAEb7wVlGAX7ur0jnEV7rLprs8df0&index=4

Recorded on the album 'The Last Tree by Alastair Penman.' Instrumentation: Saxophone Orchestra (SSSAAAATTTTBBB) Length: 4'15

The seventh movement from The Last Tree.

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed” – Mahatma Gandhi

This movement is a feature for the baritone saxophone (played tonight by Charles Curtin), in which the baritone represents the greed of mankind and demonstrates how the greed of an individual can derail an entire community. One of the biggest hurdles when tackling climate change is society’s fixation on growth. To successfully tackle the climate crisis we need to transition to an economic model that does not rely on eternal growth, and even embraces degrowth. How are our politicians yet to accept that you cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet?

Digital download of score and parts (PDF)

Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfTVRc7MJNg&list=PLuKGoAEb7wVlGAX7ur0jnEV7rLprs8df0&index=7

Recorded on the album 'The Last Tree by Alastair Penman.' Instrumentation: Saxophone Orchestra (SSSAAAATTTTBBB) Length: 4'10

The second movement from The Last Tree.

“Men argue, nature acts” – Voltaire

This movement shows how we cannot control nature. Whilst we argue, nature does not wait for us, but responds to the stimuli that we give it. At the start of the music we hear arguments taking place, before nature (lead by the baritone saxophones) drags the music in a different direction.

Digital download of score and parts (PDF)

Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJMV42rOHnQ&list=PLuKGoAEb7wVlGAX7ur0jnEV7rLprs8df0&index=2

Recorded on the album 'The Last Tree by Alastair Penman.' Instrumentation: Saxophone Orchestra (SSSAAAATTTTBBB) Length: 6'00

The fifth movement from The Last Tree.

“The surging seas are coming for us all” – Antonio Guterres

For many years Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations has been vocal about the dangers of climate change, but unfortunately his calls have not been heeded. As temperatures warm and sea levels rise, some countries are literally disappearing from the map. Five islands in the Solomon Islands have already disappeared under the sea and many major cities are under serious threat in the near future, including Bangkok, New Orleans and Jakarta. Surging Seas juxtaposes musical material representing the laid-back style of life in island nations and the lapping of the sea at the shore with the power and danger that sea level rise presents to us all.

Digital download of score and parts (PDF)

Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzHOcx3seME&list=PLuKGoAEb7wVlGAX7ur0jnEV7rLprs8df0&index=5

Recorded on the album 'The Last Tree by Alastair Penman.' Instrumentation: Saxophone Orchestra (SSSAAAATTTTBBB) Length: 6'00

The eighth movement from The Last Tree.

“We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it.” - Barack Obama

The final movement of the suite offers a glimmer of hope. Although climate change is already here, we can still attempt to mitigate against its worst effects and even without political support, if everyone acts on an individual level we can make a huge impact. Some of the most effective ways to reduce your personal carbon footprint are to eat less (or ideally no) meat and reduce your food waste, buy second-hand items (and reject fast fashion), use public transport rather than driving and reduce the number of flights you take.

Digital download of score and parts (PDF)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWuatQxwsBI&list=PLuKGoAEb7wVlGAX7ur0jnEV7rLprs8df0&index=8

Recorded on the album 'The Last Tree by Alastair Penman.' Instrumentation: Saxophone Orchestra (SSSAAAATTTTBBB) Length: 4'30

The third movement from The Last Tree.

“The earth is a fine place and worth fighting for” – Ernest Hemmingway

Whilst much of the material we are presented with surrounding climate change can be very bleak, it is important to remember what we are trying to save. The classic response to the question “Why do you care about the environment?” springs to mind; “Because I live here”.

Digital download of score and parts (PDF)

Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuNstkSVsRE&list=PLuKGoAEb7wVlGAX7ur0jnEV7rLprs8df0&index=3

Recorded on the album 'The Last Tree by Alastair Penman.' Instrumentation: Saxophone Orchestra (SSSAAAATTTTBBB) Length: 5'00

The sixth movement from The Last Tree.

“If grief can be a doorway to love, then let us all weep for the world we are breaking apart so we can love it back to wholeness again.” – Robin Wall-Kimmerer

Robin Wall-Kimmerer is a Potawatomi (Native American) women who has spent much of her life researching Western science and indigenous environmental knowledge. This beautiful quote is taken from her book Braiding Sweetgrass, and offers hope that together we can begin to fix the damage that we are doing to the world.

Digital download of score and parts (PDF)

Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtxrfzvgGTM&list=PLuKGoAEb7wVlGAX7ur0jnEV7rLprs8df0&index=6