Louisa with NSE (2nd right in 2nd row) Chris Gumbley ( back far right)
NSC Birmingham Arts Fest Sept 07
(Louisa on Soprano far left)
This was a time of inspiration for WSE Director Louisa Davidson and did help form ideas for the current saxophone ensemble. When NSE ceased to exist in November 2008 Nigel Wood said to all NSE members
..... I do hope you've enjoyed your time in the Ensemble. Perhaps it will have given you enough insight into the pleasures (and pitfalls!) of organizing massed saxophonists to inspire you into setting up your own group.
Inspired indeed Louisa spent the next year formulating the concept of a more regional saxophone ensemble and recruiting the players, researching repertoire, and finding rehearsal space in Worcestershire.
SPRING 2010
Spring 2010 saw the official launch of WSE and this was featured in CASS magasine
The programme for 2nd July 2011 Malvern Civic Week
WSE members 2011
Saturday 2nd July 2011 Malvern Civic Week
11.30 am Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble concert Christ Church
Photos Above by Andy Hockridge
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble Members 2011/12
THE QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE
4th JUNE 2012
4th JUNE 2012
THE PRIORY MALVERN
About 100 strong audience enjoyed WSE's Jubilee concert in the Priory on the 4th June.
The atmosphere and acoustic suited the mixed programme that included pieces by Handel and Bach to more contemporary compositions, Celtic ,Latin ,Samba and Salsa .
OCTOBER 20th 2012
Bosbury Concert Series
Bosbury Church Herefordshire
7.30pm
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble Members 2012
assembled in St Peters Church Cowleigh
Photograph by Andy Hockridge
JUNE 7th 2013
An evening concert at St Peters Church Cowleigh
Well attended and received.
OCTOBER 12TH 2013 WSE 4et back at Bosbury Church
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble Evening Recital March 29th 2014 Christ Church Malvern
Encore 'Klezmer Piece' played Christ Church Concert
WSE (six members who played at Christ Church March 2014)
March 2014 WSE Members Left to Right
Louisa Davidson,Kate Moroni,Mandy Harding,Sue Sneath,Caroline Wood and Jackie Harris
Article in Malvern Gazette 4th April 2014
WHAT an evening of
entertainment!
On
Saturday, March 29 the versatile Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble took us
travelling from century to century , from Baroque to Contemporary and around
the world!The superb sound of the instruments and very well chosen pieces left us wanting
more and we were most grateful for the encore. A full audience showed their
appreciation at the skill of the musicians and said” How do you get so much
talent together?” Well, the answer is, it is all local, all from Malvern, how
fortunate we are to have such a wealth of talent to bring to Christ Church. Beginning
with Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba the players had the audience
enthralled from the start and even the Bach sounded funky! Much foot tapping
ensued! The more modern pieces even had us travelling to Buenos Aires for all
the passion of the Tango and we even had Sax in the City, a very memorable
evening . Let us not forget that they made it look so easy but we were
privileged to be listening to some complex pieces and not at all easy to play.
We are
grateful to Louisa and her band of musicians and hope to see them return to
Christ Church soon.
ANGELA GREEN
Go to link
SEPTEMBER 20TH 2014
THE WSE SAXOPHONE QUARTET
MATHON CHURCH
REVIEW
MATHON’S 11th Century church
provided a most beautiful setting and excellent acoustics for a performance on
Saturday, September 20 by the Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble’s Quartet led
by Louisa Davidson on Soprano, with Jackie Harris on Alto, Kate Moroni on Tenor
and Sue Sneath on Baritone.The
programme included Hungarian Dances by Farkas (1959), and Premier Quatuor op53
by Singelée (1857), as well as works by four modern UK composers.The 86 people who attended all enjoyed the friendly evening very much,
including a free glass of wine in the interval!
Closing
the event the Rector, Robert Ward thanked everyone for coming and the players
for their brilliant and stimulating work. Net proceeds of £600 went to the
Church Fabric Fund.
PAUL
SEYMOUR
http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/community/11501598.MATHON_CHURCH/
Great Witley Church
Worcestershire, WR6 6JT
More Details
.jpg)
Great Witley Church/Great Witley Court Worcestershire Fine Baroque Interior
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble performing in the splendour of Great Witley Church May 2015
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble performing in the splendour of Great Witley Church May 2015
Some Close Ups of the Performance and WSE Players Great Witley Church May 2015
St Georges Church Barbourne Worcester
St George’s Square, Worcester WR1 1HX
Saturday June 6th 2015
The Programme performed included works by Savari and Singelee, A 20th French Quartet piece by Bozza
and an American Ensemble piece by Ostransky. The programme concluded with some contemporary
21st century jazz/folk pieces especially written for Saxophone Quartet and Ensemble.
Rehearsing at St Georges
19th September 2015 7.30pm
St Peters Church Cowleigh Malvern
[Our Home base]
A North Malvern Community Arts Event
WSE performed the programme taken to other Worcestershire Venues recently.
The Programme included works by Savari and Singelee, A 20th French Quartet piece by Bozza and an American
Ensemble piece by Ostransky. The programme continued with some contemporary 21st century jazz/folk pieces
especially written for Saxophone Quartet and Ensemble.
November 14th 2015 7.30pm
The WSE Saxophone Quartet
in Concert at
The Elgar School of Music
16-20 Deansway, Worcester WR1 2ES
The WSE’s Quartet displays the diversity of the family of Saxophones
For this concert programme the audience was treated to a sonic feast of rich harmonies
and compulsive rhythms as the programme moved through a history of the saxophone
brought to life by the best composers for the instruments.
APRIL 29th 2017 CRADLEY CHURCH
After a gap from performing and time to recruit an extra player enabled WSE to perform works for 8 players, needing 2 Baritones. The 8 players from WSE led from the Saxophone by Louisa Davidson gave a uplifting programme of Saxophone Ensemble and Quartet pieces to a very appreciative audience.
Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet
ELMSLIE HOUSE Avenue Road MALVERN
11th NOVEMBER 2017
For the programme at Elmslie with Clare Peters, the 4ets new Alto player , we performed classically written Quartet pieces with traditional Folk Dance themes’ from Hungarian Dances, a Tango, Bartok's Romanian Dances and a Celtic Suite. We also performed a Quartet by Paul Reade and 2 Songs by Nyman, oh and an Encore, Ulla in Africa ,African Latin Funk.
Very well received and attended.
"The sound you create with your 4et was amazing"
"beautiful"
Kate Louisa Sue and Clare
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and the Tubinger Saxophone Ensemble from Germany Saturday the
15th of June Great Malvern Priory
3 p.m. on Saturday the 15th of June Great Malvern Priory was the venue for a concert and spectacular display of talent and musicianship by the 7-bit Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and the 17 bit Tubinger Saxophone Ensemble from Germany . Tubinger from Heidelberg in Germany have been touring the UK and the Malvern based Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble invited them as part of their tour to jointly give a concert in aid of cancer research for both countries. For the first half of the programme in Malvern Priory the Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and Quartet, led from the saxophone by musical director Louisa Davidson, showcased the diversity of the saxophone family. The saxophone was invented by the Belgium Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and Quartet performed two pieces from the 19th century by Kastner and the Belgium composer Singelee, followed by the early 20th century French composer Eugene Bozzas beautiful saxophone quartet piece. The first half concluded with an arrangement of Turkish dances and a jazzy klezmer salsa. Worcestershire saxophone ensemble play on contemporary instruments by Yamaha, Yanagisawa, and Selmer, using Selmer mouthpieces to produce a sound for a diverse range of styles of music from baroque to contemporary and Jazz whereas the German group specialise in performing Classical orchestral pieces to sound as much like a string orchestra possible. They play mostly vintage Buescher saxophones and all players are required to use Rascher mouthpieces to blend the tonal sound. Tubinger Saxophone Ensemble, the larger of the two ensembles in the second half certainly gave a stunning virtuoso performance of much loved classical orchestral pieces together with timpani and percussion. Malvern Priory was filled with the sounds of 17 saxophones and percussion playing Mozarts flute Overture, Edward Elgars serenade Opus 20, Jupiter from the Planets by Holst, Overture by Glinka and the famous Die fledermaus Overture by Strauss. This performance was so technically accomplished it was hard to believe at times these were actually saxophones performing and not strings, expertly conducted by Harry D Bath, an Englishman who has lived in Germany for 50 years. Edward Elgars Nimrod followed and for the finale there was the joining of the two ensembles and Nations with an expert rendition of ‘Molly on the Shore’ by Percy Grainger only rehearsed together that morning.
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and Great Malvern Priory, the hosts, were delighted to have been part of Tubingers UK tour and it will be long remembered as a memorable experience and occasion not only for all 24 saxophonists who took part but also those in the very appreciative audience. £300 was raised from the retiring collection towards cancer research .
WSE Rehearsing with Tubinger Saturday morning
WSE with Tubinger Ensemble Malvern Priory
WSE with Tubinger Ensemble Malvern Priory
WSE 7 members Malvern Priory
The WSE 7 members Malvern Priory
The WSE Quartet Malvern Priory
WSE performing with Tubinger Molly on the Shore
WSE performing with Tubinger Molly on the Shore the applause
WSE with Tubinger Ensemble Malvern Priory
APRIL 2022Out of lockdowns at lastConcert Cradley Church in Aid of Ukrainian AppealWorcestershire Saxophone Quartet
JUNE 4th Platinum Jubilee ConcertMALVERN PRIORYTANGO to BACH
Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet.jpg)
Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet
November 19th 2022St Peters Church Withington, Hereford
Thanks for having us to perform a great programme for saxophone Quartet in A great natural acoustic and warm welcome
24th June 2023A new programme for Saxophone Quintet
WSQ perform in Autumn in Malvern Festival 2023
Programme included the commissioned playing of John Rushby-Smiths Quartet first performed by the London Saxophone Quartet in the 1970s. We also performed Paul Reades Saxophone Quartet also composed in the 1970s and concluded with Gavin Whitlocks Celtic Suite
Below WSQ in Action Venue Elmslie House
Below Photo with the Composer John Rushby-Smith
Saturday 6th July 2024 2pm Hampton Lovett Church Worcs Sax QuintetHampton Lovett were invited to be part of a musical journey in the company of the Worcestershire Saxophone Quintet. This journey started in Britain with two well-known 18th century pieces by Handel before travelling to Turkey and Romania with a variety of folk melodies. After an interval, we stopped off in Paris for a relaxing tango and then crossed the Atlantic to South America to Brazil and an Argentinian Tango. The journey ended with a suite of 5 pieces written for saxophone quintet and featuring all five players taking the lead in each of the five pieces. The suite is influenced by jazz style music from North America culminating with an American gospel song.
Hampton Lovett Church Near DroitwichAnd Performing in the Concert
Worcestershire Saxophone Quintet Members
Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet ConcertOCTOBER 19th 2024 7pmCradley Church Herefordshire
"A musical journey with the Worcestershire saxophone quartet WSQ. This newly devised programme includes sizzling jazz bluesey numbers along with strutting tangos. The WSQ specialise using the natural acoustics found in our historic churches. WSQ are renowned for showcasing the beautiful tonal qualities of the saxophone family with music from a variety of genres"
Soprano Saxophone and MD Louisa Davidson Alto Saxophone Clare PetersTenor Saxophone Kate Moroni Baritone Saxophone Sue Sneath
From the Concert
MARCH 23rd 2025 CHRIST CHURCH MALVERN
"A musical journey with the Worcestershire saxophone quartet WSQ at Christ Church Malvern . Another chance to enjoy this newly devised programme included sizzling jazz bluesey numbers along with strutting tangos.
Clare, Sue, Kate, Louisa
|
| Great Witley Church/Great Witley Court Worcestershire Fine Baroque Interior |
 | ||
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble performing in the splendour of Great Witley Church May 2015
St Georges Church Barbourne Worcester
St George’s Square, Worcester WR1 1HX
Saturday June 6th 2015
The Programme performed included works by Savari and Singelee, A 20th French Quartet piece by Bozza
and an American Ensemble piece by Ostransky. The programme concluded with some contemporary
21st century jazz/folk pieces especially written for Saxophone Quartet and Ensemble.
Rehearsing at St Georges
19th September 2015 7.30pm
St Peters Church Cowleigh Malvern
[Our Home base]
A North Malvern Community Arts Event
WSE performed the programme taken to other Worcestershire Venues recently.
The Programme included works by Savari and Singelee, A 20th French Quartet piece by Bozza and an American
Ensemble piece by Ostransky. The programme continued with some contemporary 21st century jazz/folk pieces
especially written for Saxophone Quartet and Ensemble.
November 14th 2015 7.30pm
The WSE Saxophone Quartet
in Concert at
The Elgar School of Music
16-20 Deansway, Worcester WR1 2ES
The WSE’s Quartet displays the diversity of the family of Saxophones
THE PLAYERS
LOUISA DAVIDSON –SOPRANO Sax
JACKIE HARRIS –ALTO Sax
KATE MORONI-TENOR Sax
SUE SNEATH-BARITONE Sax
For this concert programme the audience was treated to a sonic feast of rich harmonies
and compulsive rhythms as the programme moved through a history of the saxophone
brought to life by the best composers for the instruments.
APRIL 29th 2017 CRADLEY CHURCH
After a gap from performing and time to recruit an extra player enabled WSE to perform works for 8 players, needing 2 Baritones. The 8 players from WSE led from the Saxophone by Louisa Davidson gave a uplifting programme of Saxophone Ensemble and Quartet pieces to a very appreciative audience.
Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet
ELMSLIE HOUSE Avenue Road MALVERN
11th NOVEMBER 2017
For the programme at Elmslie with Clare Peters, the 4ets new Alto player , we performed classically written Quartet pieces with traditional Folk Dance themes’ from Hungarian Dances, a Tango, Bartok's Romanian Dances and a Celtic Suite. We also performed a Quartet by Paul Reade and 2 Songs by Nyman, oh and an Encore, Ulla in Africa ,African Latin Funk.
Very well received and attended. "The sound you create with your 4et was amazing" "beautiful" 
Kate Louisa Sue and Clare
Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and the Tubinger Saxophone Ensemble from Germany Saturday the
15th of June Great Malvern Priory
 3 p.m. on Saturday the 15th of June Great Malvern Priory was the venue for a concert and spectacular display of talent and musicianship by the 7-bit Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and the 17 bit Tubinger Saxophone Ensemble from Germany . Tubinger from Heidelberg in Germany have been touring the UK and the Malvern based Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble invited them as part of their tour to jointly give a concert in aid of cancer research for both countries. For the first half of the programme in Malvern Priory the Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and Quartet, led from the saxophone by musical director Louisa Davidson, showcased the diversity of the saxophone family. The saxophone was invented by the Belgium Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and Quartet performed two pieces from the 19th century by Kastner and the Belgium composer Singelee, followed by the early 20th century French composer Eugene Bozzas beautiful saxophone quartet piece. The first half concluded with an arrangement of Turkish dances and a jazzy klezmer salsa. Worcestershire saxophone ensemble play on contemporary instruments by Yamaha, Yanagisawa, and Selmer, using Selmer mouthpieces to produce a sound for a diverse range of styles of music from baroque to contemporary and Jazz whereas the German group specialise in performing Classical orchestral pieces to sound as much like a string orchestra possible. They play mostly vintage Buescher saxophones and all players are required to use Rascher mouthpieces to blend the tonal sound. Tubinger Saxophone Ensemble, the larger of the two ensembles in the second half certainly gave a stunning virtuoso performance of much loved classical orchestral pieces together with timpani and percussion. Malvern Priory was filled with the sounds of 17 saxophones and percussion playing Mozarts flute Overture, Edward Elgars serenade Opus 20, Jupiter from the Planets by Holst, Overture by Glinka and the famous Die fledermaus Overture by Strauss. This performance was so technically accomplished it was hard to believe at times these were actually saxophones performing and not strings, expertly conducted by Harry D Bath, an Englishman who has lived in Germany for 50 years. Edward Elgars Nimrod followed and for the finale there was the joining of the two ensembles and Nations with an expert rendition of ‘Molly on the Shore’ by Percy Grainger only rehearsed together that morning. Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble and Great Malvern Priory, the hosts, were delighted to have been part of Tubingers UK tour and it will be long remembered as a memorable experience and occasion not only for all 24 saxophonists who took part but also those in the very appreciative audience. £300 was raised from the retiring collection towards cancer research .  
WSE with Tubinger Ensemble Malvern Priory
WSE with Tubinger Ensemble Malvern Priory
  
The WSE Quartet Malvern Priory
WSE performing with Tubinger Molly on the Shore
WSE performing with Tubinger Molly on the Shore the applause
WSE with Tubinger Ensemble Malvern Priory APRIL 2022 Out of lockdowns at last Concert Cradley Church in Aid of Ukrainian Appeal Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet  JUNE 4th Platinum Jubilee Concert MALVERN PRIORY TANGO to BACH  Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet .jpg) Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet November 19th 2022 St Peters Church Withington, Hereford A great natural acoustic and warm welcome    24th June 2023 A new programme for Saxophone Quintet       Programme included the commissioned playing of John Rushby-Smiths Quartet first performed by the London Saxophone Quartet in the 1970s. We also performed Paul Reades Saxophone Quartet also composed in the 1970s and concluded with Gavin Whitlocks Celtic Suite Below WSQ in Action Venue Elmslie House  Below Photo with the Composer John Rushby-Smith  Saturday 6th July 2024 2pm Hampton Lovett Church Worcs Sax Quintet Hampton Lovett were invited to be part of a musical journey in the company of the Worcestershire Saxophone Quintet. This journey started in Britain with two well-known 18th century pieces by Handel before travelling to Turkey and Romania with a variety of folk melodies. After an interval, we stopped off in Paris for a relaxing tango and then crossed the Atlantic to South America to Brazil and an Argentinian Tango. The journey ended with a suite of 5 pieces written for saxophone quintet and featuring all five players taking the lead in each of the five pieces. The suite is influenced by jazz style music from North America culminating with an American gospel song.  Hampton Lovett Church Near Droitwich And Performing in the Concert  Worcestershire Saxophone Quintet Members  Worcestershire Saxophone Quartet Concert OCTOBER 19th 2024 7pm Cradley Church Herefordshire "A musical journey with the Worcestershire saxophone quartet WSQ. This newly devised programme includes sizzling jazz bluesey numbers along with strutting tangos. The WSQ specialise using the natural acoustics found in our historic churches. WSQ are renowned for showcasing the beautiful tonal qualities of the saxophone family with music from a variety of genres" Soprano Saxophone and MD Louisa Davidson Alto Saxophone Clare Peters Tenor Saxophone Kate Moroni Baritone Saxophone Sue Sneath   MARCH 23rd 2025 CHRIST CHURCH MALVERN "A musical journey with the Worcestershire saxophone quartet WSQ at Christ Church Malvern . Another chance to enjoy this newly devised programme included sizzling jazz bluesey numbers along with strutting tangos.   Clare, Sue, Kate, Louisa  |
