Over the past three years, we have tried to spotlight some “hidden gems” that we want to share with our readers (Jolivet’s Rhapsody for Seven or Satie’s Parade). I can’t believe we have never featured Baljinder Sekhon on DrumChattr so today I would like to correct this wrong and introduce his piece Sun. I was introduced to this piece by Scott Ney at PASIC a couple of years ago. I finally got around to programming it last year and not only did the students like performing the piece, it was also an audience favorite. The colors and textures are beautiful! I would highly recommend checking this out for your next percussion ensemble program.
From the video listing on YouTube:
“Scores for three percussionists, SUN explores a variety of musical energies. From tired phrases to extended climactic passages to short-lived bursts of sound, many segments of music are intertwined and overlaid in a way that creates a singular event (the piece) with various “flares” of sound on its surface. These segments are often separated by silent moments that, because of their context, each express a different type of energy.
The instrumentation of the individual percussion parts are very similar; that is, each percussionist has one keyboard instrument, “skin” (containing a drum head), wood, and metal. In addition, all of the percussionists share one large cymbal that is central to the staging. At times the three percussion parts are treated as one large instrument with three performers working towards one musical character. This orchestration and interaction alternates with each performer executing their own layers of sound to create a heterophonic texture. The percussionists use a multitude of techniques to create a palette of nuanced sounds. In addition to common performance practices, they use their hands, fingers, knuckles, and fingernails to muffle, modify, and create a large spectrum of characteristics.
This work was made possible through a commission from the Volta Trio. I would like to offer a special thanks to Paul Coleman for his recording expertise, the Eastman Composition and Percussion departments, Eastman Concert Office, and Christopher Clarino, Sean Connors, and Erik Lutters of the Volta Trio for their extreme dedication and hard work.”
Originally posted on DrummChattr.com on January 17, 2014 by Dave Gerhart
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