The Devon Youth Saxophone Ensemble is a new initiative designed to give chamber sax ensemble experience to students across the county of Devon.

This is an opportunity for like-minded young people to come together to play fun and varied repertoire for saxophone ensemble with other students from around the area.

This county level ensemble is open to saxophonists around Grade 4 level and above exploring small and medium sized Saxophone Ensemble repertoire, starting on 19th October 2025.

Click here to book your taster place at our FREE Big Saxophone Day with Ed Leaker at King Edward VI Community College, Ashburton Rd, TOTNES, TQ9 5JX on Sunday 19th October, 10am-4pm!

We offer six Gathering Days throughout the year, running between 2­-4:30pm on Sunday afternoons.

The activities provided each session include:

• Warm up tasks and saxophone technique sessions
• Full ensemble rehearsals
• Sectionals and smaller chamber ensemble breakout sessions

Our objective is to complement the range of ensembles on offer at school and county level for saxophonists, and provide the unique experience that rehearsing chamber music with other likeminded sax players can deliver.

Meet The Tutors – Jade Gall

Jade Gall gained an MA in classical saxophone performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2013 and has studied under Hannah Marcinowicz, Gerard McChrystal and Andy Scott. As an educator, she teaches single reeds at Exeter School and The Maynard School, and woodwind at Wembury Primary School and Combe Dean School. As an ensemble leader, she runs the Chamber Ensemble at Combe Dean School, co-­runs South Devon Youth Jazz and is sought after as a woodwind sectional coach for education projects, such as Superlocrian instrumental development workshops.

Meet The Tutors – Sarah Dean

Sarah studied classical saxophone at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and teaches single reeds at some of the most prestigious institutions in the South West, including Exeter School and Colyton Grammar School. In addition, she is a woodwind coach with the Devon Youth Orchestras, and runs the Saxophone Ensembles at Exeter School.

Opening students’ eyes to the possibilities of classical saxophone was a life­changing moment for both founders of Devon Youth Saxophone Ensemble, and we hope we could use this experience to make a difference to the lives of the next generation.