The evening of April 14, Brock Recital Hall thrummed with the rhythms of the Samford percussion ensemble’s final performance of the semester. Directed by Professor Grant Dalton, the ensemble performed six different pieces of unique genres – no two pieces shared the same sets of percussion instruments.
Freshman ensemble member Victoria Nail spoke on what it is like to be a part of the percussion ensemble.
“Percussion […] includes mallet percussion like marimba or other instruments such as snare drum, marching band snare, timpani, and other percussive instruments,” she said. “I take pride in being a versatile player and the respect of being able to play many different types of percussive instruments.”
Throughout the concert, Dalton introduced each piece as students arranged the stage for their sets. The first piece they performed was “Canon Fodder,” a percussion quartet created by Chad Heiny. Written to consistently imitate the sound of canons and a ticking clock, Heiny composed this piece in expression of our current political environment.
Quoting the composer, Dalton said Heiny wrote this piece because he “needed a way to get [his] wide range of feelings out.”
Neil participated in this quarter as well and described its challenges.
“This piece requires a lot of focus because of the meters that are in it, and it is imperative each player counts because a lot of the piece is splitting notes across players and mimicking the same ideas at different times,” she said.
The second piece was “Cruise Control Fika,” a jazz piece by composer Anders Astrand featuring vibraphone, marimba and a drum set.
Next, Dalton joined four of his students onstage to perform “Music for Pieces of Wood” by Steve Rich, a minimalist composer. The song is written for five individuals playing wooden claves at interchanging rhythms.
Sophomore Charlie Eubrick described the difficulty of this piece.
“The piece is very challenging and requires a lot of focus from each performer,” Eubrick said. “As the piece progresses, the rhythms move through each part and different time signatures which causes a cool effect.”
The fourth piece was Trances III by Ivan Trevino, performed entirely on tuned desk bells and supplemented by vocals. According to Dalton, this piece was the artist’s reflection of his past in the Pentecostal church and his conflicted feelings towards his religious upbringing. Thus, the song’s looping and trancelike nature reflects the idea of speaking in tongues.
Next, students performed “Polar Night” by Erik Texter, an atmospheric piece supplemented by the marimba and vibraphone. To create an atmospheric effect, the musicians used violin bows to rub against the vibraphone and marimba.
For the final set, performed by Neil and students Brennen Ramsey, Matthew Rattray and Will Mason was “Watercolor Sun” by Trevino. This piece debuted during the Percussive Art Society International Conference in November, which several students were able to attend. Musicians played together on a single marimba.
“This piece is a marimba quartet designed to fit 4 students on one marimba,” Ramsey said. “Two play forwards, and two play backwards. The music is highly syncopated, like most percussion ensemble music, but it offers a very sweet atmosphere… I smile every time we play it.”
Neil also expressed her delight in this song.
“This piece is tonally pleasing to the ear and is catchy to listen to… it is fun to watch four people come together on one instrument to make a song/piece come to life,” she said.
After the song’s end, the ensemble took to the stage and received a standing ovation. Before the event was finished, Dalton addressed the audience one last time and warmly noted the contributions of Drew Redding and Will Mason, seniors who had just finished their final concert.
Neil, one of the few freshmen and the only girl in the percussion ensemble, refers to her fellow percussion musicians as her “big brothers” and voiced her admiration of those leaving the ensemble this year.
“I wish I had more time with some of them, but some like William Mason, who also writes for the Crimson, are leaving after this semester,” she said. “So, we will cherish the moments we have left and take up anything they pass down to continue the excellence of what this group holds.”
Staff Writer
