(CONSORTIUM, NO SCORE) Quintet for Baritone Saxophone and String Quartet

CONSORTIUM, Score Available by October 31st of 2026

Program Note for Baritone Saxophone Quintet By Jacob Bickham. 

This piece came to me as a deeply personal work that explores my longing for my home, Louisiana. 

I often find myself missing home, and when I do, it tends to take up my mind for a while. These two movements reflect on the personal aspects of my life that come forward most strongly in those moments. 

The first movement, The Color Hazel, is dedicated to my youngest niece. When I held her for the first time, I experienced a rush of love that really, really, stuck with me. I realized a lot of flaws in myself, but I also saw a part of myself that I didn’t know I had, a part that just wants to love others deeply with no judgement. This movement is a portrait of that moment and all of the emotions surrounding it. 

The second movement, Help Me Stay With You, O Lord, reaches outward toward one of my greatest musical inspirations: Sam Cooke. Where I grew up, Soul, R&B, Jazz, and Gospel were just part of what you listened to, and for me Sam Cooke was always present. To me, his music captured something so profoundly human. In this movement, I weave in echoes of his songs, trying the best I can to honor his voice and memory. 

Together, these two movements reflect the things that make us all miss home—our families, our roots, and the cultures that we grew up in. 

— J.P.B. 

09/01/2025