Amherst Saxophone Quartet at the City Hall Theatre on Wednesday evening marked yet another successful event in The Bermuda Festival 1995. This was a well rounded programme which included works from the Baroque era, to the ragtime of Eubie Blake. Spiced with humorous commentary from Stephen Rosenthal, the evening began with an arrangement of Bach's organ concerto in G. This is a splendid little work in three movements, and with playing clean and incisive throughout, it was a fine introduction to what proved to be an excellent recital.

The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax of Brussels and patented in Paris in 1846. The instrument never, apart from a few special interest pieces, gained acceptance in the modern symphony orchestra. Developing into the group we know today, the dynamic force and tone quality of the saxophone family marks it as much more suitable, either individually or together, for dance music and jazz.

The saxophone quartet has however found its own individual voice, and with mastery it can imitate many other musical combinations. In the Quatuor pour Saxophones with which the Amherst players continued their programme, the musical effect was, for example, that of much larger and more intricate forces.

Composed in a modern idiom by Pierre Max Dubois in 1956, this is a composition rich in melodic invention and rhythmic interest. One of the hallmarks of the Amherst Quartet is their rhythmic vitality, and this piece was perfectly suited to their unique talents.

The first part of the programme ended with a work composed for the group by Stephen Parisi entitled simply "Saxophone Quartet''. In two movements the final was quite virtuosic, with some exceptional ensemble playing.

After the intermission, the evening was, apart from a splendid arrangement from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet'' by baritone player Harry Fackelman, given over mainly to jazz. From an arrangement of "When The Saints Go Marching In'' we moved to a piece by Miles Davis. Here we heard the real core of all jazz, some superb improvisation by Salvatore Andolina (soprano) and Russell Carere (alto). This was one of the highlights of the evening.

A Duke Ellington Medley and selections of Ragtime by Eubie Blake also proved very popular with the enthusiastic audience.

Mr. Rosenthal had, in his opening remarks, commented on how he and his fellow musicians valued that integral part of any performance -- namely the audience.

A plea to observe concert etiquette followed. Happily, this Festival audience, a boon to the performing artist, was attentive and responsive in all the right places.

The recital ended with two encores, an arrangement of Badinerie from the Suite in B minor for Flute and Strings by Bach, and a Rag by the ever popular Scott Joplin.

This was an evening of polished humour and expert musicianship from four very talented instrumentalists -- entertainment at its best.

Marjorie Pettit