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THREE HIKES IN THE YEW MOUNTAINS is a three-movement suite for large percussion ensemble. Each movement chronicles a hike in the Yew Mountains of West Virginia, an ecologically rich and precious area within the Monongahela National Forest. This work is for mature players who can deftly navigate complex time signature changes, brisk mallet runs, and can display technical finesse on all the listed instrumentation.
MOVEMENT I: BLACK MOUNTAIN
DIFFICULTY: Advanced
INSTRUMENTATION: Glockenspiel, Chimes, Vibraphones 1-2, Marimbas 1-2, Timpani (5), Concert Snare Drum, Concert Bass Drum, Concert Toms/Granite Blocks/Log Drum, Cymbal Rack, Triangle/Tam-Tam, Ocean Drum/Rainstick
PROGRAM NOTES: In the year 2020, as the global COVID-19 pandemic struck the entire world, many people began to explore nature through hiking. My wife and I were among them, and toward the end of the year we explored the Yew Mountains in our home state of West Virginia. This subrange of the Allegheny Mountains is full of diverse wildlife and relict plant populations found only in the highest mountains in the eastern US. The titular Black Mountain of Movement I is covered with high-altitude vegetation such as red spruce, Fraser fir, rhododendron, lichens, and also features huge, moss-covered boulders. To hike into this environment is to walk into a forest paradise - and the musical ideas in the piece reflect these mountaintop “characters” as well as a sense of awe and excitement from exploring this area for the first time. Originating as a small piece for Orff ensemble, Black Mountain is written for a large percussion “orchestra,” and listeners will note the influence of percussion composers such as Ney Rosauro and Tom Gauger.
THREE HIKES IN THE YEW MOUNTAINS is a three-movement suite for large percussion ensemble. Each movement chronicles a hike in the Yew Mountains of West Virginia, an ecologically rich and precious area within the Monongahela National Forest. This work is for mature players who can deftly navigate complex time signature changes, brisk mallet runs, and can display technical finesse on all the listed instrumentation.
MOVEMENT I: BLACK MOUNTAIN
DIFFICULTY: Advanced
INSTRUMENTATION: Glockenspiel, Chimes, Vibraphones 1-2, Marimbas 1-2, Timpani (5), Concert Snare Drum, Concert Bass Drum, Concert Toms/Granite Blocks/Log Drum, Cymbal Rack, Triangle/Tam-Tam, Ocean Drum/Rainstick
PROGRAM NOTES: In the year 2020, as the global COVID-19 pandemic struck the entire world, many people began to explore nature through hiking. My wife and I were among them, and toward the end of the year we explored the Yew Mountains in our home state of West Virginia. This subrange of the Allegheny Mountains is full of diverse wildlife and relict plant populations found only in the highest mountains in the eastern US. The titular Black Mountain of Movement I is covered with high-altitude vegetation such as red spruce, Fraser fir, rhododendron, lichens, and also features huge, moss-covered boulders. To hike into this environment is to walk into a forest paradise - and the musical ideas in the piece reflect these mountaintop “characters” as well as a sense of awe and excitement from exploring this area for the first time. Originating as a small piece for Orff ensemble, Black Mountain is written for a large percussion “orchestra,” and listeners will note the influence of percussion composers such as Ney Rosauro and Tom Gauger.