Volume Pig

Gareth Farr

General Info

Year: 1992
Duration: 00:10:00
Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: Promethean
Cost: Score and Parts - $51.95   |   Score Only - $0.00

Instrumentation

Player I: Tom-tom, crotales, temple blocks(5), glockenspiel, toy pistol, bongos, whistle
Player II: Tom-tom, marimba, wood blocks(5), crotales, toy pistol, cowbells (2), timbales, whistle
Player III: Tom-tom, bass drum, suspended cymbal, brake drums(2), log drums(3), toy pistol, splash cymbal, whistle
Player IV: Tom-tom, bass drum, suspended cymbal, metal plate, brake drums(2), snare drum, toy pistol, shaker, whistle, tam tam

Program Notes

Volume Pig by Gareth Farr is a humorous percussion quartet that will continuously surprise the audience. After the first few minutes it seems like the piece will just be a relentless onslaught of intensely loud drumming coupled with intermittent yelling, but there are surprises in store. Let me just say this - there may or may not be a section that calls for the assassination of an accordion player. Of course, each group can take these instructions in whatever direction they choose.

premiere: 9 March 1995, Eastman School of Music

Review

“Volume Pig” is scored for percussion quartet with an accordion player employed for comedic effect. The four performers have a fairly large setup consisting of a low tom-tom and various accessory instruments for each performer. Set in a rondo format, the A sections have loud (fff), driving, eighth-note patterns accompanied with “ha” and “ya” screams by the percussionists that are similar to the vocal sounds in “Marimba Spiritual” by Minoru Miki. The alternating sections consist of simultaneous improvisation from all performers, simple melodic interludes, and, perhaps most interestingly, the appearance of an accordion player off stage who is then shot with toy pistols for comedic affect. The composition’s rhythmic vocabulary is primarily limited to eighth- and sixteenth-note combinations and will be approachable by the novice-level ensemble. In addition, the “assassination” of the accordion player will help “Volume Pig” to serve as a novelty piece for any percussion ensemble concert. - Eric Willie, August/September 2009

Works for Percussion by this Composer

Beat! - Percussion Trio; Javanese Gamelan
Concerto for Percussion & Orchestra (Farr) - Percussion Quartet; Orchestra
Dialogue (Farr) - Percussion Duo - Vibraphone & Marimba
Duggan Theme - Marimba; Flute
Duggan Theme (Vibes) - Marimba; Vibraphone
Hikoi - Multiple Percussion
Illumina - Multiple Percussion; Choir; Soprano
Kembang Suling - Marimba; Flute
Little Sea Gongs - Percussion Quartet
Marimba Concerto (Farr) - Marimba; Orchestra
Nga Tai Hurihuri - Percussion Quartet; Kaikaranga; Voice
Pathways - Multiple Percussion; Choir; Synthesizer
Percussion Octet (Farr) - Percussion Octet
Pukul - Percussion Quintet
Pukul Wainui - Percussion Ensemble; Gamelan Orchestra
Saraswati - Marimba Trio; Voice; Violin
Smashing Sweet Vixen - Percussion Trio
Spook - Marimba
Taiko Tango - Multiple Percussion
Tangaroa - Marimba
Tangi te Kawekawea - Percussion Trio; Choir
Te Parenga - Percussion Duo; Clarinet; Strings
The Mad Dog Bites Again - Multiple Percussion; Saxophone Quartet
Three Etudes - Marimba
Three Little Pieces for Eve - Multiple Percussion; Piano
Tirohia Atu Nei - Percussion Duo; Choir
Tuatara - Multiple Percussion; Piano
Tubes - Percussion Quartet
Ukare Funk - Percussion Quartet
Un Verano de Passion - Marimba; Clarinet; Tenor Saxophone; Guitar
Volume Pig - Percussion Quartet
Waikohu - Percussion Trio; Voice, Soprano
Warriors from Pluto - Percussion Quintet; Double String Orchestra