SCISSORS CROSSING for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra Op.190（2021）

I composed this concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra in the summer of 2021 in response to a commission from saxophonist Kohei Ueno. It was first performed by him and the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kazuyoshi Akiyama at a concert held on 25 September 2021 at the Kitara Concert Hall in Sapporo.
The ‘scissors crossing’ in the title refers to a set of railways points or turnout in the shape of an open pair of scissors. The piece depicts the sight of trains of all kinds—steam locomotives，freight trains and those ranging from old types to the most recent and advanced—and the pleasure they offer to so many people who watch them changing places over the points.
The regular rhythm generated by the wheels as they cross over the links between the rails appears throughout the piece，which also features sounds familiar to railway fans such as the roaring of the engine as the train accelerates，the blasting sound emitted by steam locomotives，the chimes one hears on station platforms，the departure whistle and the chimes generated by the automatic train stop (ATS) mechanism.
The piece begins with a slow prelude which is followed by the main section at a fast tempo，a slow middle section，and then another fast and dramatic development section. After a solo cadenza for the saxophone，the piece ends with a brilliant coda.