Drum Ceremony
General Info
Year: 1976
Duration: c. 2:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: AMP
Cost: Score and Parts - $0.00 | Score Only - $0.00
Movements
Instrumentation
Player I - VI: timpani(3), tom-toms(6), wood blocks(3), temple blocks(5)
Program Notes
commission: for the 125th anniversary of Coe College; premiere: 4 December 1976, Coe College, composer as guest conductor ("Drum Ceremony" is the introductory movement from Husa's An American Te Deum)
Review
This quintet is the introductory movement of Husa's An American Te Deum, commissioned in 1976 for the 125th anniversary of Coe College. The complete work for mixed chorus, baritone solo, and orchestra/wind ensemble includes text from Latin, Moravian, Swedish, and German song texts, as well as from poems in English and Czech. Drum Ceremony was influenced by American-Indian styles of war ceremonial drumming. The 2:00 piece is scored for 3 timpani, 6 torn toms, 3 wood blocks and 5 temple blocks. The opening 13 measures are in a rather free "2 /4" (dotted barlines). The main body of music is in a precise 2/4 at quarter = 72-76 (rhythmic precision is an absolute necessity for a successful rendition). Sixteenth-triplets are the overwhelming rhythmic pattern, combined with a dotted-sixteenth and thirty-second pattern in the temple blocks and an eighth and dottedeighth and sixteenth pattern in the timpani and low torn torn parts. While the parts have independent crescendos and diminuendos, the overall dynamic level increases gradually from ppp to ff. Only single strokes and a few rolls are used. The printing is quite legible; mallet hardnesses are plainly indicated throughout the piece; page turns for some players are questionable, but mostly possible. Drum Ceremony would be suitable for performance by an intermediate ensemble, especially as an opening work on a percussion ensemble concert. - John Baldwin, Summer 1990[1]
Errata
Awards
Commercial Discography
Recent Performances
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Works for Percussion by this Composer
"mosaique" - Percussion Trio, Celesta, Piano, Harp
Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble (Husa) - Percussion Quintet; Wind Ensemble
Drum Ceremony - Percussion Sextet
Three Dance Sketches for Percussion - Percussion Quartet
Additional Resources
References