PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES, MIXED MALLET and MARIMBA ENSEMBLES - Seven or Eight Players

Price: $25.95

This is an appealing arrangement of two movements from Mozart’s Serenade in E-flat Major, K. 375, originally scored for pairs of wind instruments. Adapted for two vibraphones and five marimbists, the parts all require two-mallets and therefore would be accessible to younger players as well as those with more experience. Requires a minimum of 4 marimbas - 1 five-octave. high school/college. "These two movements are quite effective in their mallet ensemble setting, and should be readily enjoyed by the general public." 
(Percussive Notes)

Boogaloo: Rough and Tumble
was constructed using the
late 1950's - early 60's "boogaloo" popular music style as the main impetus for the piece.
New Orleans funk and
soul rhythms are combined
to create a driving,
syncopated framework that supports the "quirky" melodic
lines that permeate the work.

Quartet version -
3rd prize winner
in the Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest: 2004.

Available in two versions:
for 4 players ($25.95)
or 6-7 players ($28.95).

Instrumentation:
vibraphone, xylophone and glock., marimbas (2 - one 5 octave) and an array of small percussion (cymbals, cow bells, toms, etc.).

Version for 6-7 Players

SEE ALSO:
SUCKERPUNCH!
for Percussion Ensemble - 7 Players

A unique and innovative work scored for steel band (lead, seconds, guitar and bass) and three multi-percussionists! As the title implies, much of the work owes itself to inspiration from the music of the Caribbean. While rhythms and melodic material that might readily be associated with pan permeates a great portion of the work, the traditional notation does give way to "timed proportional cells" that give a distinct contemporary flavor to certain parts of this work: here players roll golf balls in the pans, play with knuckles on the sides (pan skirts), play with brushes (on pans) and rub the tam tam with super balls! Aside from a set of pans (all pan parts could be doubled if desired), the percussion instrumentation includes: marimbas (2), tam tam, cymbals, brake drum, cabasa, snare drum, congas, shakers, triangle.

This title would make a very interesting addition to either a percussion ensemble or steel pan concert! adv. high school/college.

2nd place winner
in the 1993 PAS Composition Contest! Eight players - contemporary, yet lyrical with rapid passage work. Instrumentation: marimbas (4 - one with low A), vibraphones (2 - one player also doubles on bells) and xylophone.
adv. high
school/college.

Score and Video Samples

LEGEND
for Marimba Ensemble
Robert E. Kreutz
Price: $30.00

Scored for a minimum of five marimbists, with piano and string bass, this work is full of nuances and subtle ensemble challenges. If players and instruments are available, it can be expanded for up to nine or more marimbists. adv. high school/college.

SEE ALSO:
WESTERN SKETCHES
for Marimba Trio,
and
LOOSE CANNONS,
A Collection for Solo Marimba.

Challenging and unique vibraphone solo with Percussion Ensemble - 6 Players. Solo and accompaniment patterns are active both melodically and rhythmically - Latin/fusion-like rhythms predominate in the accompaniment. Some sections can be read as written or improvised - solo part requires four mallets and bow. adv. high school/college.

SEE ALSO:
Version for Vibraphone solo with Soundscape.

Lively arrangement with a swing groove.  Scored for 8 players: bells, xylophone, vibraphone (2), marimba (3 players/two instruments, one 4 1/3 octave), and drum set.  Instantly audience recognizable, seasonal favorite, a great "opener" or "closer" for a percussion concert!
high school/college.

Challenging work for eight players, scored in four diverse movements: Mov’t. 1 seeks to connect the percussion ensemble with the music of the past, especially the many works of Bach, though not a transcription, this movement is indebted to the theme of the Fifth Brandenburg Concerto. Mov’t. 2 employs constant tremolo and soft dynamics with sustained singing. Mov’t. 3 is based on the word “junk” - it was digitized, and the bit-patterns contained therein were transcribed for an ensemble of cast-off objects. Mov’t. 4 is the only movement that actually employs 8 instruments.

Instrumentation:
2 marimbas ( 4 1/3- and 5-octave), vibraphones (2, w/four bass bows), orchestra bells, xylophone, steel drums (chromatic octave or graduated metal pipes), timpani (4), roto-toms (6), flexatones (2), slide whistles (2), harmonicas (7-optional), balloons (7-optional) and various “found objects.”

Scored for drum set and percussion ensemble
(7 players), this piece offers a great platform to showcase a drum set performer.  Energetic rhythms, and interesting parts for all the players will make this piece both a performer and audience favorite.  Instrumentation:
soloist (drum set),
snare drums (2),
toms (4),
bass drums (2). 
adv. high school/college.

This challenging concerto utilizes the drum set as a solo multiple percussion instrument in conjunction with eight percussionists.  Complex rhythmic structure is evident throughout the piece with the use of cross-rhythms among many other advanced polyrhythmic relationships.  In addition, extreme rhythmic contrast is utilized as well.  college.

This challenging ensemble is the fifth movement of Robert S. Cohen's
Homeland Security Suite
for Percussion. 
SEE MORE:
DESCRIPTION
and SOUND SAMPLES

[Eight Players - Duration ca. 5' ]  Air Raid Siren, Bass Drum (2), Chimes, Cowbell, Crash Cymbal, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Snare Drum, Suspended Cymbals (3), Tambourine, Tam-Tams (2), Temple Blocks, Timpani (5), Tom-Toms (4), Triangle, Vibraphone, Whip.

A unique percussion ensemble piece featuring a five-note melodic motif with a variety of distinct voices that layer into the texture. The title Solar Flares suggests the image of a central theme or a central body (the sun) being the main motif, with rhythmic accents and syncopated patterns popping out of the texture representing solar flares.

Instrumentation:
glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, two marimbas (can be played on one instrument - two players), snare drum, bass drum, and two toms.

Accessible to players of advanced high school/college level, great for honing an ensemble’s interactive listening skills.

Price: $39.95

Inspired by the antics of drummer Buddy Rich, this is challenging ensemble piece scored for seven players - each with a diverse multiple percussion set-up.
college/professional

SEE ALSO:
Boogaloo: Rough and Tumble (6-7 Players)

Boogaloo, Quartet version -
3rd prize winner
in the Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest: 2004.

Scored for 7 or more players, these tunes have been arranged in the style of contemporary Zimbabwean marimba ensemble repertoire - with soprano, tenor, baritone and bass voicing. Accessible to younger (adaptable to Orff instruments) as well as college level ensembles, each piece can be "arranged" according to the ability level of the players - extra percussion can be added and there is lots of room for improvisation - great fun! jr. high-college.

A perpetual motion piece for eight percussionists. For advanced high school or college level, this piece has a dramatic gamelan flavor and would pack a lot of punch into any concert program - approx. 8 min. Instrumentation: marimbas (2), xylophone, vibraphone, orchestra bells, chimes, tuned toms and timpani (4). adv. high school/college.
[Recorded on
Premiers Vol. I,
USF Perc. Ens. - CD RM02
C. Alan Publications]

". . . Jones has crafted a gamelan-flavored work for eight percussionists . . . Not technically difficult . . . , it does offer an excellent opportunity to work on musical challenges, such as demands of concentration in executing long, repetitious patterns with great rhythmic precision." (Percussive Notes)

Scored for 8 players, Tusk draws compositionally from various aspects of African music. The instruments used include bullroars, gankogui (double bell), xylophone and various types of drums. The harmonic/melodic elements are based on a hemitonic pentatonic scale and the rhythmic patterns are inspired by various styles of African drumming - including the use of poly-rhythms and instances of call and response. This is a lively and unique work that requires each of the eight players to utilize more than one instrument during the course of the performance. Players should have a good time with this one and audiences should readily embrace it as well! Instrumentation includes: xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, and an assortment of drums (toms, congas, etc.) as well as numerous small percussion instrument; afuche, cowbell, slide whistle, bullroar, and bamboo chimes among others. adv. high school/college.

Recorded on em> ABOUT TIME - [CD-2008, EAST2WESTSTUDIOS]