The idea of the piece sprung from an excerpt for bass saxophone solo by the saxophonist and composer Daniel Kientzy, found in a small booklet accompanying Kientzy’s CD titled L’Art Du Saxophone. The original, listed under the name Harmonico Tuilage (harmonic overlaps), is a music example that demonstrates the saxophone’s ability to make smooth transitions between overtones of the harmonic series and the fundamental pitch. Surprisingly the timbral quality of the excerpt bore a striking similarity to the ethereal sonorities of the Japanese sho. As a result, the original music was set for saxophone and marimba, and further extended into what was later to be named Faded Shonorities II.
First performance: 23 March 2008, Canterbury Sounds New Festival, Mike Hamnett, Sarah Field.