witchhunt

+++ watch the 20th anniversary video with more than 40 international saxophonists.

'the runner_up'

The 'witch hunt' soundtrack was awarded the runner up prize in the 2000 international Sibelius Music™ Composing & Arranging Competition from more than 1,500 entries.
The jury included the film composer Michael Kamen (X-men), the guitarist of 'The Police' Andy Summers and the composer Michael Torke.
Andy Summers: "Strong in a smooth jazz way"
Michael Torke: "Confident and effective handling of the style"

from a film_music_sheet
to an exam_piece

'witch hunt' was an episode from a film music project written in 2000. After the publication by Saxtet Publications, based in Birmingham, UK, 'witch hunt' very quickly became popular with young saxophonists. Teachers quickly saw the piece's potential. 'witch hunt' became an ABRSM exam piece and a competition piece. The Royal Schools of Music were also important promotors. In addition, the film score was a template in the Sibelius notation software for a number of years, which increased its popularity. Ulrich received numerous offers for new arrangements.

Since 2000, there have been a number of performances and highlights - here are some of them:

highlights | venues

2000 'born' as a film music trailer
2000 Internet Sibelius Music Composition & Arrangement Competition
2001 published by Saxtet Publications (Birmingham)
2001 new editions published
2001 first ensemble performance at Trinity College of Music, London
2001 National Youth Wind Orchestra (UK)
2001 first Duo performance at Aberystwyth (Wales)
2001 Belfast International Festival (BBC Recording)
2003 Minneapolis, World Saxophone Congress, Tribune Octet (USA)
2003 Birmingham ArtsFest - National Saxophone Choir
2004 Royal College of Music(UK)
2004 witch hunt (film score) template @ Sibelius 4 - 6
2004 Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
2004 Araraquara (Brazil)
2005 Aberystwyth (Wales)
2006 ABRSM Exam Piece Grade 7
2007 Hong Kong, National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain
2011 San José (Costa Rica)
2014 Music for Youth Festival Birmingham
2014 ABRSM Exam Piece Grade 7
2015 Hong Kong International Band Fair
2017 Trinity College exam piece classical saxophone 2017-2020
2018 World Saxophone Congress Zagreb (Croatia)
2018 Award Evening, British School of Kuwait
2019 State Ensemble Contest, Central Washington University
2019 Royal Albert Hall London, Music for Youth Proms
2021 Prima la Musica Competition (Austria)
2021 Cardiff 20th anniversary premiere in 'The Dora' Concert Hall
2022 Crazy Blow Competition, winner (Finland)
2022 arrangement for alto sax plus winds & strings in concert (Finland)
2023 Trinity College London Syllabus Grade 7
2024 SUNY, Crane School of Music (USA)
2024 Kaufmann Contemporary Music Festival, New York City
2025 _Happy Birthday!
2025 arrangement for trumpet, sax and piano in concert (Finland)

to be continued

Always good for Halloween!

Witch Hunt - special 20th anniversary video with more than 40 international saxophonists. Have fun!

A special 20th anniversary video bringing together witch hunt fans from all over the world to celebrate witch hunt’s universal appeal. Many, many thanks to all the sax players that contributed to the video (listed in the credits of the video), to Nigel Wood for creating and editing the visuals, and also thanks to Sally MacTaggart for her technical and musical support in the audio editing process.
Tom Bruton, Saxtet Publications, October 2020.

The following arrangements are currently available:

arrangements for duo (sax & piano)
trio (trp, sax & piano)
sax quartet
sax octet
saxophone ensemble (plus percussion)
saxophone choir
sax plus winds & strings
brass orchestra
film orchestra
@ saxtet publications
@ June Emerson
and ulrich's homepage

many, many thanks to all performers & ensembles

a selection

Air Traffic Saxophone Quartet (Wichita) - Alboaidan, Ali & Jeffcott, Emily (pf) - Ames, Clair - Anglo Sax Quartet - Ardey Sax Quartet - Ashley, Jen - Atkinson, Steph - Austin, Dick - Austria Brass Quintet - Ava Saxophonquartett - Babichev,Richard & Peszynski, Wladyslaw (pf) - Brassband Aschendorf - Benjamin, Fiona - Benjamin, Victoria - Berg, Richard - Brennan, Karoline - Bryan, Carolyn - Bromley Youth Music Trust Saxophone Quartet - Brown, Anna - Bruton, Tom - Canterbury Christ Church University Sax Choir - Chavvaria, Baltazar - Churcher, Ann - Cobb, Nathaniel - Corbel, Andrew - Danubia Saxophon Quartet Vienna - Davidson, Louisa - Davies, Janet - Dragon Saxophone Ensemble - Ensamble de Saxofones Instituto Nacional de la Música, UCR Universidad de Costa Rica, Dir. Iván Arguedas Sanabria - Muenster University of Music Ensemble - Fitzwilliam Saxophone Quartet - Henry, Megan - Herrington, Herndon High School Sax Ensemble - Katie - Hogg, Lauren - Hong Kong Saxophone Ensemble, Dir. Carl Choi - Jakla Saxophone Quartet - Jarvis, Maria - Jolley, Teresa - Jones, Lindsay - Kaleido Sax Quartet - Kenny, Lydia - Kleinfeldt, Rich - Knappe, Lucas & Klaas, Rainer (pf) - Knight, Alison - Kraven, Katherine - Lawson, Dominic - Loughborough Saxophone Ensemble - Lund, Chris - MacTaggart, Sally - Manchester Saxophone Orchestra - Manchester University (MUMS) Saxophone Ensemble - McChrystal, Gerard & Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Saxophone Ensemble - McChrystal, Gerard & Moryiama, Dan (pf) - McChrystal, Gerard & Oliver, Nicholas (pf) - McChrystal, Gerard (sax) & Tom Poster (pf) - McGavock, Jill - Meads, Ray - Mertzlufft, Abigail - Middle, Jonathan - Mieczysław Karłowicz Music School Sax Quartet (PL) - Mitchell, John Jack - National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain - National Youth Wind Orchestra of GB - Orquestra Filarmônica Experimental Uniara Araraquara (Brazil) - Passinen, Nelma (sax) & Taivalmaa, Mari (pf) - Phase Saxophone Quartet - Penman, Alastair - Plant, Emma - Preston, Emily - Price, Rosie - Ratcliff, Maureen - Rauschelbach, Kerri - RCM SaxEnsemble, Dir. Kyle Horch - Richmond Hill HS Sax Ensemble (CDN) - Rifenburg, Tyler - RNCM Saxophone Orchestra - Roundwood Park School Saxophone Quartet - Ryding, Kieran & Kraus, Polina (pf) - Sapphire Sax Quartet - Sax Pac Sextet, Liverpool - Saxophony - SaxShades Quartet - Saxyderms (USA) - Segmehl, Christian & Eggert, Moritz (pf) - Segmehl, Christian & Kibler, Ludwig (pf) - Segmehl, Christian (sax) & Paul Rivinius (pf) - Seinäjoki City Orchester SKOR (SF) - Shaw, Jonathan - Simpson, Karen - Skop, Zuzanna - Smith, Jane - Solace Sax Quartet - Sovereign Saxophone Octet - Spiral Saxophone Quartet - Stürzenberger, Detlev (sax), Arto Panula (tp) & Mari Taivalmaa (pf) - Sumner HS Sax Quartet (Saxy Sounds) - Symphonic Brassorchestra Regensburg, Dir. Jörg Seggelke - Tomsett, Claire - Tordoff, Bed - Tribune Saxophone Octet - Trinity Saxes & perc. - University of Texas Rio Grand Valley Saxophone Ensemble, Dir. Cynthia Cripps - Uppingham School's Saxophone Choir - Waller, David (perc) - Wilk, Kamil - Wilk, Katarzyna - Williams, Lyenne - Winchester Saxophone Ensemble - Wisniewska, Daria - Worcestershire Saxophone Ensemble - Yorkshire Saxophone Choir - ...

CD productions

by Tribune Saxophone Octet London, Peter Nichols and Margaret Ozanne (ABRSM), Spiral Saxophone Quartet London, Yorkshire Saxophone Choir, …

Competitions

ABRSM Sylabus (UK), Royal Colleges of Music (UK), Trinity College London (UK), WIAA/WMEA State Ensemble Contest (USA), Music for Youth (UK), Jugend musiziert (D), Crazy Blow 2022 (SF)

YouTube Videos

SaxPac (Music for Youth Proms 2019)
The National Saxophone Choir Quartet
The National Saxophone Choir Octet
Emma Plant performs Ensemble Version
Herna-Sax
Herndon High School Sax Ensemble
Saxy Sounds
Kathy Clarke
Dragon Saxophone Choir
Saxophony
RCM JD sax ensemble
Ukranian Folk Instruments Orchestra Rivne
Saxyderms
Christian Segmehl (sax) & Paul Rivinius (pf)
Air Traffic Saxo Quartet, Wichita (USA)
Nelma Passinen (sax) & Mari Taivalmaa (pf)
Richard Babichev (sax) & Wladyslaw Peszynski(pf)
Richmond Hill HS Saxophone Ensemble
Abigail Mertzlufft Quartet