Benedictus (from Missa Brevis Pacem) (1988)
(arranged for alto saxophone and string quartet)

Benedictus, for alto saxophone and string quartet (1988, rev. 2021) is a beautiful, short song without words.  The lyrical impulse is always strong in Gregson’s music and we encounter it here in its purest, most fluent form.  

The Benedictus for alto saxophone and string quartet is another adaptation. It began as part of Missa Brevis Pacem, a short mass for peace for boys’ voices, baritone solo, large symphonic wind ensemble and a battery of percussion. Gregson recreated the Benedictus section as a chamber piece, with the boy treble solo taken up by the saxophone. It is a moving exposition of a simple melody supported by reflective string writing.