Percussion Ensemble will perform wide-ranging concert April 16

March 11, 2014

The Georgia Southern University Percussion Ensemble will perform Wednesday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the Carol A. Carter Recital Hall in the University’s Foy Building. The concert is free and open to the public and features a variety of percussion literature, including traditional percussion ensemble pieces, contemporary works, and transcriptions. Some pieces in the performance implement non-pitched batterie percussion, some use only mallet-keyboard instruments, and others feature a mixture of pitched and non-pitched instruments.

“The repertoire was selected in an effort to expose both the audience and ensemble members to a wide variety of textures and genres,” said Matt Fallin, D.M.A., director of the ensemble.

The concert will open with John Beck’s “Overture for Percussion Ensemble,” a traditional percussion ensemble piece written in 1978. Second will be a the contemporary “Whispers” by David Skidmore, which was awarded First Prize at the 2005 Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest and utilizes a variety of contemporary compositional techniques. The third selection on the program is a transcription of the well-known orchestral work “Farandole” written by Georges Bizet, arranged for marimba quintet by Jeanne. The next piece, “Tangles in the Web” by Zae Munn,” features only non-pitched percussion. The title borrows from the oft-quoted line from Sir Walter Scott: “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” “Tangles” will be followed by “Music Bohemia,” a transcription of the 1984 drum corps percussion feature by the Santa Clara Vanguard drumline, and the final selection on the program will be “Memphis Stomp,” which was originally conceived as an upbeat, syncopated piano solo by Dave Grusin, arranged for mixed mallet ensemble by David Steinquest.

“With a program featuring such a wide variety of literature, there’s bound to be something for everyone!” Fallin said.

The Georgia Southern Percussion Ensemble provides students an outlet for percussion chamber music performance. Selected literature ranges from transcriptions, popular music, world and folk music, contemporary literature, to a variety of traditional percussion ensemble pieces. Membership in the ensemble is required for percussion music majors and is open to other University students by audition. The Percussion Ensemble performs on campus at least once each semester and has performed at the GMEA convention in Savannah and at various events throughout Georgia.