"December" is the second of two "Promenades" for solo piano. The performance is by Xak Bjerken on a concert of pieces ala Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition". This and its companion piece, "October" acted as pillars or interludes for the overall performance.

The set is dedicated to my former teacher, composer Stephen Dembski.

To Be Neither Proud Nor Ashamed was composed for saxophonist Randall Hall whose musicality and technique were central to its conception and realization. The piece combines strictly notated music with highly improvisatory passages and an electronic backdrop of sounds recorded in extreme proximity to the instrument (keys, airflow/blowing, spitting, tonguing the reed, etc).

The title comes from Cecil Forsyth's portrayal of the saxophone as having no history of which to be proud or ashamed.

The piece is available on the CD of the same title on Innova records.

See also the PureData performance patch.

Score attached.