Shelley Washington

Eternal Present

for saxophone quartet

(2023)

Duration	14'
Movements	I. Now II. Always
Commission	Commissioned by the ~Nois Saxophone Quartet
Premiere	September 2023; WNYC's "New Sounds with John Schaefer" radio program; ~Nois Saxophone Quartet
Publisher	PSNY

Media

I. Now

II. Always

Program Note

on Time

words, music, and cover by Shelley Washington

The Entirety of past and present and future progresses down the boardwalk, blazing/crawling only forward into the next [ ___ ] on the Great Moving Panorama of Forever. Just beyond the shoreline I am adrift in parallel to her- swimming, floating, sinking.

We, ships in the night/day/afternoon, are acquaintances. Sometimes friends, often enemies. She’s sadly almost always too busy to slow down and socialize. There are times (tide dependent) I can keep up in the shallows to chat, but sometimes (often) I am swept back to the deeper sea- unmoored and doggy paddling again.

I am often (rarely) jealous of beachgoers who can get up and leave with her as they please. I watch them pack their picnics, quickly say their goodbyes, and rush off. But I also see this sort of spaghettification of things they leave behind in their haste to catch up.

She, O great Mother Time, hurtles forward,
trailed by the wrappers/keys/loose change/emotions/people/memories/other things left behind and forgotten, her bag overflowing. When I’m able to join her (often/sometimes/rarely), I try picking up those bits and bobs of comet tail, tucking them into pockets, balancing them on my head, holding them in my arms, but the more I carry, the slower I go. Though her gravity pulls me along I can’t seem to keep up.

I’m blinded, yet bound, by her.

She must be so tired. I want to hug her and let her know that it’s ok to unpack that supermassive beach bag and dump all the clutter- to lighten up for a bit and just tread water with me offshore. But people make so many demands of her (there are apparently many high expectations for an enormous intangible wisp of concept) so probably not. Would it be so bad for Time to take some time off? Who gives marching orders to a god?

But at least for Now, back to sea for me. I’ll just swim (float) (sink) side-by-side and empty handed, watching her go go go– a bright streak across the Always.

Purchase

Types of Products

Voice and Piano Score (Price reflects 2 copies) (Digital)

Choral Scores (Digital - Bulk Purchase for Performance) (Digital)
This price covers the minimum cost of digital copies for performance.

Choral Score Set (Digital)

Choral Score Set (16 copies) (Digital)

Choral Score Set (License for 16 copies) (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (5 scores required for performance) (Digital)
Pricing reflects cost of 5 digital scores.

Full Score/Performance Score (8 scores required for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (5 copies required for performance) (Print)

Vocal Score - single copy (Digital)

Vocal Score - license for single copy (Digital)

Vocal Score Set - 16 copies (Digital)

Vocal Score Set - License for 16 copies (Digital)

Vocal Score Set - 16 copies (Print)

Score (Digital)

Score (Print)

Volume 1 (Print)

Volume 2 (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (price reflects 5 copies) (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (6 scores needed for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (price reflects 6 copies) (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (price reflects 4 copies) (Digital)

Free ToneBase Digital Download (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (3 scores required for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (3 scores required for performance) (Digital)

Free download with code ToneBaseFree (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (price reflects 3 copies) (Digital)

Full Score/Choral Score (set of 12) (Digital)

Full Score/Choral Score (set of 12) (Print)

Voice and Piano Score (Digital)

Voice and Piano Score (Print)

Choral Score Set (8 copies) (Digital)

Vocal Score in 3 volumes (Print)

Voice and Piano Score (2 copies required for performance) (Digital)

Voice and Piano Score (2 copies required for performance) (Print)

Full score and Solo Part (Digital)

Full Score/Violin Part (Digital)

Full Score/Violin Part (Print)

Conductor Score (Print)

Score and part (Print)

Score and part (Digital)

Choral Score Set - 16 copies (Print)
Includes 8 copies of the soprano/alto part and 8 copies of the tenor/bass part.

Piano Reduction and solo parts (Digital)

Chamber Ensemble Score (Print)

Choral Score Set - 20 copies (Print)

Full Score (4 needed for performance) (Print)

Parts (Mov. 11 only) (Print)

Full Score (3 scores needed for performance) (Print)

Full Score (3 scores needed for performance) (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (2 required for performance) (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (2 required for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (includes 3 copies) (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (includes 3 copies) (Print)

Choral Booklet (Digital)

Choral Booklet (Print)

Full Score in 3 volumes (Print)

Anthology edition (Print)

Choral Score (includes 4 copies) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (4 required for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (4 required for performance) (Digital)

solo part and piano reduction (Digital)

solo part and piano reduction (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (6 scores required for performance) (Digital)

Performance Score (includes 4 scores) (Print)

Piano reduction and solo part (Print)

Study Score in Two Volumes (Print)

Video and instructions (Digital)

Piano/Vocal Score (Digital)

Piano/Vocal Score (Print)

Choral Score Set (40 copies) (Print)

Score and Parts (Digital)
Score and part PDF files are delivered via email upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase.

Full Score (Digital)
A PDF file of the full score is delivered via email upon receipt.

Soprano/Alto Part (Print)

Choral Score Set (License for 50 copies) (Digital)

Full Score (Print)
A print edition of the score ships to the customer's address upon receipt.

Tenor/Bass Part (Print)

Parts (Digital)
A PDF file of the part(s) is delivered via email upon receipt.

Parts (Print)
A print edition of the part(s) ship to the customer's address upon receipt.

Solo Instrument Score (Digital)
A score PDF file is delivered via email upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase. An email containing a link to download the electronic files is sent to the customer's email address.

Full Score/Performance Score (Digital)
The full score serves as a performance score for all players. A score PDF file is delivered via email upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase. An email containing a link to download the electronic files is sent to the customer's email address.

Score and Parts (Print)
A print edition of the score and part(s) ship to the customer's address upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase. The email containing a link to download the electronic files is sent to the customer.

Solo Instrument Score (Print)
A print edition of the score is shipped to the customer's address upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase. An email containing a link to download the electronic files is sent to the customer's email address.

Full Score/Performance Score (Print)
The full score serves as a performance score for all players. Print edition(s) of the full score/performance score are shipped to the customer's address upon receipt. Multiple copies are included if the work has more than one player. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase.

Choral Score (Digital)
A PDF file of the choral score is delivered via email upon receipt. The set is priced to allow multiple copies of the PDF to be printed for performance by the purchasing organization only.

Study Score (print) (Digital)

Study Score (print) (Print)

Choral Score Set- 8 copies (Print)
Minimum order quantity is 8 copies. Single copies are not available.

SATB choral score (Print)

Vocal Score (Digital)

Vocal Score (Print)

Choral Score (Print)

Full Score and Solo Part (Print)
A print edition of the score and solo part ships to the customer's address upon receipt.