Originally a work for unaccompanied double choir, the composer created this version for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's Saxophone Ensemble. Scored for 16 saxophones (4 quartets) with percussion, double bass and an obbligato soprano voice, this work provides a rich antiphonal and contrapuntal feast which, although contemporary in musical language, harks back to the great antiphonal religious music of the Renaissance. A truly magnificent sound.

You can hear a complete recording of this work here:
http://soundcloud.com/gary-carpenter/sets/missa-beata-virgine-manchester/