Music of John Mackey

I recently went to concert featuring the music of John Mackey.  I had played three of Mackey’s pieces before and his music has always been very exciting.  The JMU Wind Symphony played his Concerto for Soprano Saxophone with Prof. Dave Pope playing the solo part.  It was probably one of the most awesome displays of technical virtuosity I had seen on an instrument that wasn’t percussion.  If you have never heard of John Mackey you can check out his website here.  Go take a listen to some of his stuff and you will have a new appreciation for the music being written for the modern Wind Ensemble.