Percussion Concert Features Hands, Tables, Lighters
One never knows what kind of bizarre instruments will turn up at an Alma College Percussion Ensemble concert.
A wind machine, rain sticks, tables and lighters will join the more conventional marimbas, tympani and steel drums on stage when the student musicians present their annual fall concert.
The Percussion Ensemble performs music by Pat Metheny, Bill Evans, Chick Corea and Minoru Miki along with the Michigan premiere of a piece by David Maslanka at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 in the Remick Heritage Center.
"This will definitely be a different kind of concert." — Dave Zerbe
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 62 and up, and free for Alma College staff, students and youth 18 and under. Seating is reserved. Call (989) 463-7304 for ticket information.
“This will definitely be a different kind of concert from what we’ve done in the past,” says David Zerbe, faculty director. “It will be very visual with interesting and unusual sounds.”
The program includes “Musique de Table” by Thierry De Mey featuring three players using their hands, fingers and fists creating “delicate” sounds on amplified tables.
The ensemble also will perform the Michigan premiere of Maslanka’s “Hurdling Through Space at Unimaginable Speed,” a piece for mallet percussion and timpani that features 15 players, piano, double bass and a set of exotic instruments.
“We will be using rain sticks and a wind machine, which we are building ourselves,” says Zerbe. “The piece requires us to dip gongs in water while we play them to produce a different sound. We are excited about doing the Michigan premiere and only the second performance ever of this piece.”
Percussion concerts feature marimbas, tympani, steel drums and more.
“Marimba Spiritual” by Miki will feature Harbor Springs senior David Fair as soloist with three percussionists in a piece that includes Japanese Taiko drumming influences.
“Vous Avez Du Feu?” — loosely translated “Do You Have a Match?” — features four players producing different sounds and visual images with cigarette lighters in a humorous piece by Emmanuel Sejourne.
The second half of the program highlights jazz percussion and steel drums with “Peri’s Scope” by Evans, “Last Train Home” by Metheny,” “Return to Forever” by Corea, and “Beirut” by the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead.
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Posted: Thu, November 15th, 2012 at 4:12PM
