mages of Water is a through-composed, programmatic work in three movements for large percussion ensemble. This challenging composition combines melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture to aurally describe the essence of different bodies of water – lakes, rivers, and the ocean.
Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 11
Level: Medium Difficult | Duration: 7:40
Instrumentation
Bells/Xylophone
Vibraphone 1
Vibraphone 2
Marimba 1 (5-octave)
Marimba 2 (5-octave)
Marimba 3 (5-octave), Rain Stick
Marimba 4 (5-octave), Rain Stick
Timpani (4)
Percussion 1 (Large/Small Triangles, Tambourine, Finger Cymbals, 2 Medium Toms, Low [floor] Tom, Bongos, Suspended Cymbal, China Cymbal, Large/Small Tam-Tams [shared w/ Perc. 3)
Percussion 2 (High/Low Suspended Cymbals, Woodblock, Sleigh Bells, 4 Toms, Splash Cymbal, China Cymbal, Bass Drum [shared w/ Perc. 3]
Percussion 3 (Crotales [2-octaves], Large/Small Tam-Tams [shared w/ Perc. 1], Maracas, Tambourine, Suspended Cymbal, China Cymbal, Conga [or Tumba], Bass Drum [shared w/ Perc/ 2)
Program Notes
When I was young my family went on yearly vacations to destinations where bodies of water were the main attraction. The memories of those locations, trips, and other experiences remain with me to this day, and were the inspiration for this piece.
Images of Water is divided into three distinct sections. The first, "The Northern Lake," was inspired by a secluded (at the time) lake in Ontario, Canada called Muskrat Lake that was near the tiny town of Cobden. We would take yearly fishing expeditions there, waking up at dawn to cross the lake (which at that time of day was typically as smooth as glass) in search of our first fishing spot. The second section depicts a mischievous river, the Yakima River in Washington state. I lived near it for a short time and visited periodically, always thinking how beautiful and lazy it was, until one day when I waded into it and was almost swept away by the deceivingly strong current. The final section represents my childhood memories of the enormity and charm of the ocean from the annual trips we took to the beach in Cape May, New Jersey.
