Written in Spring of 2009 by Patrick Bailey, Journeys is a piece that musically chronicles a three part journey. Although there are no pauses between movements, you can hear a clear separation in the ideas. The first movement, titled “Loss”, depicts a sense of loss or departure. Hymnal in composition with percussive effects, it focuses on the beauty of what is being lost, and so is wrapped in a major tonality. The second movement, titled “War”, shows the struggle to cope with this loss. The timpani kicks off the movement and immediately draws attention to the odd meter, which captures the uncertainty of this emotion. The chime enters towards the end of the movement, establishing a more stable two beat feel with the heart beat of the bass drum. This starts the third movement, which is titled “Triumph”. Esoteric sounds surrounding the repetitive pattern in the bells and vibes helps to add to the sense of lifting from the earlier depiction of “war”. Elevating emotionally, it climaxes after a key change and eventually calms back down to return the listener to a sense of tranquility: being at peace with the loss that was depicted in the first movement.
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$30 - # 0616 - Beall, Andrew: Seduction for solo marimba and percussion ensemble [10-13 min.] (includes solo marimba part, 5 percussion parts, and full score)
The marimba player’s right hand plays a haunting dance-like melody, often in octaves, reflective of Indian music."
- PAS News
Seduction was originally written as the 3rd movement of Andrew Beall's symphony, “Testament”: Symphony for Marimba and Orchestra. Due to its nature, it is able to stand apart from the symphony as a standard ensemble piece for percussion. The piece is structured around a marimba soloist and percussion groove accompaniment. Midway through the piece the marimba halts, allowing a percussion feature to take over, followed by improvised solos by each player. After this barrage of solos, other instruments (percussive or non-percussive) are called to trade off improvised solos with the marimba. It is left up to the discretion of the ensemble to choose which instruments will take solos. At the premiere of my symphony, the concertmaster was featured dueling with the marimba. When the concerto version of “Testament” was developed, this movement had to be removed for time restraints.
The following clips feature Andrew Beall on marimba and Richard Grimes, Rob Kelly, Jeb Kulevich, Greg Jukes, Bill Shaltis on percussion, Kiku Enomoto on violin, and Jody Redhage on cello:
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OCC Percussion Ensemble, Robert Bridge, director, Donia, belly dance, Andrew Beall, marimba
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$30 - # 0695 - Beall, Andrew: Glass Jungle for solo percussion and percussion quartet [6-8 min.] (includes 5 percussion parts and score)
Glass Jungle is the first piece I wrote after moving to the upper-upper west side of Manhattan. The title refers to the plethora of skyscrapers and apartment buildings combined with the frenzy of New York City life. The majority was composed while staring out the window and listening to the sounds that my new neighborhood had to offer. Being in a highly Dominican area, I tried to catch the “spirit of the street” with many grooves from car stereos passing by to distant apartment stereos. Several instances reflect this, where the “feel” changes abruptly through the use of himiola and metric modulation. Besides standard percussion instruments, Glass Jungle calls for eight glass bottles (all with separate pitches, blown to create a melody), glass chimes, bamboo chimes, rain stick, and frogs (wood blocks with ridges). Being the first piece I’ve written without a single instrument in front of me proved to be the biggest challenge of the composition process. Glass Jungle was commissioned by Lonny Benoit for the 2008 PAS Southwest Louisiana Day of Percussion.
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Andrew Beall, Montgomery Hatch, Keith Aleo, Mike Singer, Jeremy Levine, percussion
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$30 - # 0791 - Carlin, Yves: Disco Generation for percussion ensemble and rhythm section [4 min.] (includes 8 parts and score)
Bombasticus Cachophonosaurus was written at the request of Dr. Dave Gerhart and the California State University Long Beach Percussion Ensemble. It was intended to fill the need for an intermediate level work that incorporates a large number of players with a fairly simple instrument set-up. The work utilizes a four measure theme that is traded between players and is supported with antiphonal patterns. The B section has a thinner texture that allows the antiphonal accompaniment to become the focus. This section builds through several motives (including quotes of songs by the Beatles and the White Stripes) until the motives come together into a full statement of the “B” theme. The four measure “A” theme then returns with variations. The title is a playful name for any large ensemble of drummers.
Sample (Click Arrow to Play)
$45 - # 0926 - Cohen, Fred: Pt. Reyes Seashore for percussion ensemble (w/piano) [13 min.] (includes 11 parts and score)
$40 - # 0812 - Diaz, Javier: Sakpatá for percussion ensemble and tape [8 min.]
Includes 11 parts, score, and audio mp3 file (download)
$30 - # 0924 - Eagle, Michael: Salute to the US Air Force Pipe Band for Scottish Drum Corps, snare drum solo, or percussion ensemble [4:30 min.] (includes 4 parts and score)
$15 - # 0923 - Eagle, Michael: The Conundrum for Scottish Drum Corps, snare drum solo, or percussion ensemble [1:30 min.] (includes 4 parts and score)
The Conundrum is a Scottish March written by the great bagpiper composer, Peter R. MacLeod (1878-1965). MacLeod composed over 200 tunes and is considered one of the most prolific modern composers of the instrument contributing other classics such as Dora MacLeod, John Morrison of Assynt House, Major Manson, Hugh Kennedy, and Pipe Major Willie MacLean. He served as Pipe Major of the 7th Cameronians Scottish Riffles Territorial Army in the early 1900s. While working in Glasgow in the late 1920s, MacLeod injured and eventually lost his right leg in a machine accident. The injury put an end to his competitive piping career, but the prosthetic ailment has become synonymous with this particular tune as one can easily envision a limping man struggling to march along his way.
As the drumming for this tune was commissioned for the 2013 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Modern Snare Drum Competition, the intent is to perform on either a Scottish or orchestral snare drum, but still alongside a bagpiper. By Scottish terms, this drum corps (meaning the percussion section of the pipe band) score would be suitable for a Grade II+ band or individual player. The vocabulary used is quite contemporary for all the drums including the tenor and bass drum. It is the intent of the composer that this commission and publication introduces this beautiful style of drumming to otherwise unknowing players who might eventually find their way to a pipe band themselves.
$30 - # 0882 - Eagle, Michael: A Faire Groove Indeed for Scottish Drum Corps [7 min.] (includes 4 parts and score)
see/change was written in an effort to facilitate collaboration between Ethos Percussion Group and student performers encountered by the ensemble as it tours the country. Scored as a double quartet, the four “Ethos” players are flanked on either side by “guest” musicians. The solo pattern played by the triangle in the first two measures serves as source material for the entire piece, with each of the composition’s three sections defined by its approach to this syncopated rhythm and its juxtaposition of resonant and dry sounds. see/change was premiered on May 5, 2003 at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater.
$30 - # 0908 - Gounod/B.M. Williams: Funeral March of a Marionette for marimba ensemble (with xylophone) [4:00 min.] (includes 6 parts and score)
Gounod’s Funeral March of a Marionette, originally written for piano, depicts the funeral procession for a broken marionette. Immediately following the first bar, containing only two notes a tritone apart (the "Devil’s interval"), a silent fermata announces, "The marionette is broken." The somber adagio that follows depicts "murmurs of regret from the troupe." The procession begins with the now-famous tune known by most as the theme from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." As the key changes from d minor to d major, the score reads, "Here many of the principal personages stop for refreshments," and the recapitulation of the famous theme marks the "Return to the house."
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$45 - # 0880 - Kotche, Glenn/J. Campbell: Hush for percussion ensemble and chorus [10 min.] (includes 12 parts, and score)
Glenn Kotche, well-known percussionist and composer, wrote the original version of Hush for percussion quartet and pre-recorded sound design. While the static melodic material directs the focus on the uncoiling rhythmic cycles, the use of shifts in register and eclectic sound design provide scene changes in the music. James Campbell has arranged Hush for an acoustic percussion ensemble in a realization that expresses the subtle nuances of the original work while unleashing the potential that larger forces can provide.
$40 - # 0786 - Lunsqui, Alexandre: Entresons.Recreo for percussion sextet [8 min.] (includes 6 parts and score)
$30 - # 0662 - Mason, Brian: Horizons for percussion ensemble [5 min.] (includes 11 parts and score)
$45 - # 0618 - Metheny/A. Beall: Pat Metheny Suite for percussion ensemble [13-14 min.] (includes 10 percussion parts and full score)
"When one hears the finale, there will be no question why the original arrangement won the DCI competition." - PAS News
In 1974 Pat Metheny introduced a new voice into the jazz world by replacing the traditional “jazz guitar” sound with rock chords and layering quick, synchronized passages over smooth synthesizer lines and mellow grooves. For these reasons, Beall found Metheny’s compositions a natural fit for percussion arranging and decided to arrange one of his songs for a Drum and Bugle Corps competition. Therefore, the Pat Metheny Suite found its beginnings in 2003 with an arrangement based on The Heat of the Day, which the Carolina Crown Percussion Ensemble performed and went on to win the D.C.I. percussion ensemble competition. It then seemed natural to expand the idea of Metheny for percussion ensemble, so Beall picked two of his favorite Metheny tunes, First Circle and Letter from Home, and created a 3-movement suite for an ensemble of 10 percussionists. First Circle and Letter from Home are more traditionally arranged, whereas The Heat of the Day features several original passages in addition to his arrangement of Metheny’s piece.
The following clips feature Keith Carrick, Greg Jukes, Chi-Ching Lin, Jeb Kulevich, Matt Smallcomb, Yi Wei, Rob Kelly on percussion and Jeremy Levine on timpani:
Pat Metheny Suite Mvt. I (First Circle)(Click Arrow to Play)
Pat Metheny Suite Mvt. II (Letter from Home)(Click Arrow to Play)
Pat Metheny Suite Mvt. III (The Heat of the Day)(Click Arrow to Play)
Six exciting ensemble pieces for middle and high-school skill levels. Pieces range from 4-9 players, but can be easily expanded or reduced to match the amount of ensemble member available.
$30 - # 0921 - Meyer, Brad: Rothiemurchus for percussion ensemble [4:40 min.] (includes 8 parts and score)
Rothiemurchus was inspired by the axiom, "can’t see the forest for the trees," which is a comment on someone´s inability to appreciate a larger situation because his/her attention is focused on only the details. The composer finds this expression to be appropriate in regards to how most individuals have become stuck in their own tiny worlds (typically indicated by someone staring into a smart phone as they walk/drive from place to place). It is important for people to become aware how each of us is one tiny piece of a whole that is the universe. Life is too short to spend another moment consumed by the little, insignificant things such as hate, greed, procrastination, etc. Instead, we need to approach each day with a vigor and sense of purpose because we are only on this Earth for a short time, and in that time, our duty in life should be to never waste a single second.
The beautiful Rothiemurchus forest covers about 30 square kilometers and is located in the middle of Scotland. Rothiemurchus is known for its historic pine trees, which can be up to 300 years old, as well as its Aspen, Birch, Rowan, Willow, Cherry, Holly, and Juniper trees. Also, the forest is home to several native species including: Capercaillie, Red Squirrel, Creeping Lady’s Tresses to Toothed Wintergreen, Pine Hoverfly, and Stump Lichen
$35 - # 0680 - Morales-Matos, Rolando: Experimenting with Latin Percussion – quintet for marimba, vibraphone, and 3 percussion [12-20 min.] (includes 5 parts and score)
"Experimenting with Latin Percussion will give accomplished Latin percussionists the opportunity to shine on a percussion ensemble concert" - Scott Herring, University of South Carolina, review in PAS News
Sample 01 (Click Arrow to Play)
Sample 01 (Click Arrow to Play)
$40 - # 0789 - Nazziola, Tom: From Here to There for percussion quintet [14 min.] (includes 5 parts, and score)
In writing this piece I wanted to experiment with capturing three distinct moods within one composition through gradual transition. The first movement is more gestural in nature and explores odd groupings that play off the beat as well as on the beat. Gradually, the first movement moves away from a pointillistic sound to a more groove-oriented environment, setting the stage for the second movement. In addition to steady grooves, the second movement contains many subdivisions of the main pattern as well as cross rhythms – typical of African and Latin American-based music. The third movement begins with a textural approach but quickly moves towards a Latin jazz concept with written and improvised solos for drum set. Many elements of a Latin jazz ensemble are dispersed throughout the percussion instruments (i.e. the marimba plays a montuno pattern while supporting melodic activity in the vibes). The piece culminates in an open drum solo over a clave ostinato represented by handclaps.
“Musical, Creative, Challenging and rewarding describe ‘From Here to There.’ This excellent composition by Tom Nazziola will sustain your interest……from here to there.”
- John H. Beck Professor of Percussion Eastman School of Music
"How often does one find a piece for percussion that is musically interesting and intelligently written, with a challenging drum set part, and yet totally accessible for the audience. Let's not let them know how serious and well organized it is."
- Morris Lang former percussionist-New York Philharmonic Professor of percussion - Lehman College
1st mvt. (Click Arrow to Play)
2nd mvt. (Click Arrow to Play)
3rd mvt. (Click Arrow to Play)
$35 - # 0774 - O. Rivo/A. Kruspe/M. Jordan: Er Sammelt Muscheln for percussion ensemble [4 min.] (includes 11 parts, and score)
$45 - # 0874 - Papador, Nicholas: Summons for solo timpani and percussion ensemble [12 min.] (includes 8 parts and score)
Summons emerges from my interest in utilizing the percussion ensemble in a gestural and theatrical manner that also retains a sense of melodic and rhythmic drive as incorporated in the music of my favorite orchestral composers of the late twentieth century. Moreover, I aim to explore an "anti-concerto" concept, where the soloist and ensemble have an adversarial relationship or where the soloist's gestures signal ensemble activity rather than having the ensemble function as accompaniment. While the piece has no explicit programmatic element, the piece possesses an overall narrative in terms of timbral development and affect.
"I've enjoyed playing Summons for several years, having performed it as a soloist with percussion ensembles across the country. The piece consistently receives great audience response and is a wonderful learning tool for any college percussion ensemble. It is a challenging piece, with an array of amazing sounds that captivate the listener."
Keith Aleo
"Summons" for solo timpani and percussion septet is an outstanding contribution to our growing base of concert repertoire. It is all together challenging, exciting, relevant, and accessible (for both the ensemble and the audience). Our performances received standing ovations - I highly recommend this work."
Matthew Darling, DMA Professor of Music (Percussion) at California State University, Fresno President, CA Chapter of Percussive Arts Society
Summons Audio Sample
Summons Video Samples
$30 - # 0914 - Pastor, Joseph: A Thousand Impulses, One Voice for percussion quintet [7 min.] (includes 5 parts and score)
$40 - # 0774 - Pastor, Joseph: Sonata for Percussion for percussion ensemble [20 min.] (includes 10 parts and score)
Composed in 2004, Sonata For Percussion is a large scale work for large percussion ensemble. The three movements of the piece require approximately twenty minutes to perform in total. The movements are capable of standing alone as well. The first movement is built on a 12/8 quartal motif, loosely resembling a march. The form is traditional but the content is more contemporary, with a lively melody set against dark colors. The second movement is the adagio and features a lyrical melody in shifting meters over a chorus of suspended cymbals playing soft rolls. The third movement is a high energy finale with a chromatic theme that darts, swoops and dives high above an accompaniment that boils over the stage. The ending is one that won't soon be forgotten. Scored for four mallet players, timpanist, four auxiliary percussionists and piano, Sonata is very harmonic as far as percussion ensemble literature is concerned. It is intended for professional or college ensembles and top tier high school programs.
Movement I(Click Arrow to Play)
Movement II (Click Arrow to Play)
Movement III (Click Arrow to Play)
$50 - # 0847 - Pereira, Joseph: Tied To The Past for seven percussionists [9 min.] (includes 7 parts and score)
Tied to the past, was written for the Percussion Ensemble at The Music Academy of the West and was premiered in July 2010. It featured the two faculty members, Ted Atkatz and Mike Werner as soloists. The title refers to an imaginary larger piece with the idea that the beginning is actually the climax of a larger work. The ensemble is equipped with drums, wood blocks and dry metal sounds, used to echo the two soloist's material. Not only is there a play on sounds and timbres, but also on techniques. The types of strokes used, dead strokes, buzz, single stroke rolls and letting the stick drop naturally, is all notated. As the soloist's material deteriorates the ensemble starts to dictate all activity. The sound of muffled marimba played with large bass drum mallets turns this pitched instrument into an eerie non-pitched rumble. The soloists then react by trying to pull out the pitches of their drums only to be overtaken by the buzzing and scraping of woodblocks. In the last attempt to hold their ground with loud rim rimshots, they're finally swallowed up by a cacophony of small wood planks played on top of glissing timpani, which acts as an echoing chamber. By the end all sounds dissipate to nothing, similar to how it all began
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$50 - # 0894 - Piltzecker, Ted: Junctures for percussion ensemble [13 min.] (includes 8 parts and score)
Junctures received its premiere at the University of Michigan under the direction of Michael Udow, and has been performed at the Aspen Music Festival, the Eastman and Berkeley Schools of Music, and at New York University at the NY State chapter convention of PAS. It’s a sophisticated and melodic work that features the vibraphone as it journeys through many moods—ranging from subtle implications to ardent declarations. The piece reflects how lives can be separated into episodes that are linked to each other, and to the past, by character and outlook. It’s dedicated to the memory of Elliot Morganstern and was commissioned by his son Daniel.
$40 - # 0896 - Piltzecker, Ted: Great Idea! Who Pays? for percussion ensemble [6 min.] (includes 8 parts and score)
Have you ever been at a meeting when you wanted to say that? For some reason, this melody popped into my head when the question was considered. It’s a funk-like tune in D minor that has a Caribbean flair, some cool counterpoint, and a catchy line shared between vibes and pan. It’s just plain fun to play and to improvise on.
$45 - # 0760 - Puccini/D. Soulier: Nessun Dorma for percussion ensemble (13 or 14 players) [5 min.] (includes 14 parts and score)
$10 - # 0667 - Spivack, Larry: The Cymbal Guy - a brief rapperetta for 8 cymbalist/actors and 3 inventors [5 min.] (includes 1 score; contact us for rental of 11 scores and “The Cymbal Guy” accessory (new invention which the piece is based upon))
Every time I tell someone about my co-invention, The Cymbal Guy, they say, Oh, so you're trying to put a cymbal player out of work?
I imagined as a musical theatre piece an angry meeting of the Cymbalists Guild. Its members feel threatened by this invention and describe how they will sabotage my performances and torture me using cymbals:
Let's tie Larry to a post
And fling some Zildjians where it'll hurt him most.
There's some K's I'd like to try
On the maker of The Cymbal Guy.
It's a kind of operetta done in rap, so I call it a rapperetta. It's scored for eight cymbalists, each with a pair, and three actors playing the inventors. The piece was premiered in December 2006 by the New York University Percussion Ensemble in an evening of works by percussionist/composers, and is dedicated to Seth Watkins, our brilliant patent attorney.
And for the record, we're not trying to cost cymbalists jobs. We're trying to enhance what one player can do.
- Larry Spivack
Sample (Click Arrow to Play)
$40 - # 0861 - Tompkins, Joe: Blue Burn For percussion quintet [4 min.] (includes 5 parts and score)
$30 - # 0868 - Wahlund, Ben: Sextet for cajon sextet [4 min.] (includes 6 parts and score)
Commissioned in the summer of 2011 for the University of Kentucky Percussion Ensemble, Sextet is scored for six cajons, with or without snares as long as they are uniform, to be performed in the round (surrounding the audience). It was the intention of the composer to avoid extended techniques and striking implements for this work. Many thanks are extended to Professor James Campbell and the University of Kentucky Percussion Studio for the opportunity to work together on this project. With humble gratitude, the following composers should be recognized for their inspiration in this work as well: Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Alexandre Lunsqui, Javier Alvarez, John Adams, Béla Bartók, and Charles Ives.
$35 - # 0907 - Williams, B. Michael: Shona Spirit for marimba ensemble [11:00 min.] (includes 8 parts and score)
The Shona people of Zimbabwe have a rich musical tradition. Both vocal and instrumental musical expressions largely depend on the concept of a constantly recurring harmonic cycle over which improvised variations are layered, often in an interlocking fashion. This concept is epitomized in the music of the mbira ("thumb piano"), in which the kushaura (leading part, melody) line is complemented by the kutsinhira (responding or supporting part) line to create an interlocking "kaleidophonic" texture.
All the marimba parts in these arrangements are derived from actual mbira parts, and are marked either kushaura (“koo-sha-oo-ra”) or kutsinhira (“koot-sin-hee-ra”) in order to facilitate the ensemble’s understanding of this important interlocking principle. It is suggested that the pieces be rehearsed with kushaura and kutsinhira separated at first (representing the two mbira parts), so all players may develop an aural awareness of how the parts fit together. Furthermore, an effective performance may be rendered by starting with the kushaura lines together, followed by the kutsinhira lines, and finally by the composite line performed by the lead soprano voice. Other imaginative layering techniques may be explored as well in order to give the audience a glimpse into the intricate internal structure of each piece.
Audio Samples
Mvt.I Mahororo
Mvt.II Nhemamusasa
Mvt.III Nyamaropa
$30 - # 0928 - Wolfson, David: Pandora´s Box for percussion quintet [6:00 min.] (includes 5 parts and score)
$75 - # 0626 - Zappa/J. Haas: The Black Page arranged for 7 percussionists (Parts 1 and 2) [12 min.] (includes 7 percussion parts – individual parts for sale at $12/each: email to make payment arrangements and order specific parts to orders@bachovich.com)
Advanced Percussion Ensemble for 8 Percussionists or 7 Percussionists and Electric Bass Guitar (4-5 min) / 2006 / Score & Parts
Frank Zappa will always be remembered as a true musical visionary and American icon. A self-taught guitarist and composer, Zappa began his career in the late 1960's joining the Mothers, a California band known for combining creative pop and jazz melodies with witty, satirical lyrics. In a very short time, Zappa became famous for a compositional style that included avant-garde, rock, jazz fusion, and contemporary classical. In 1986, he released the album Jazz From Hell, composed and performed by Zappa primarily on a digital synclavier. At this point in his career, Zappa felt that human beings were incapable of executing the complex and virtuosic music that he wished to compose. This piece, G-Spot Tornado, is from the album Jazz From Hell. In the early 1990's, Frank Zappa was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and died on December 4, 1993. He has proved to be one of the most prolific musicians ever, releasing over 60 albums during his lifetime.
Sample (Click Arrow to Play)
$40 - # 0691 - Zappa/T. Trapp: Idiot Bastard Son for percussion ensemble [3 min.] (includes 5 percussion parts, vocal part, and score)
