Festivus
General Info
Year of Publication: 2012
Publisher: Row-Loff
Series: Jamsicles!
Instrumentation
Player 1: Timpani
Player 2: Glockenspiel
Player 3: Xylophone
Player 4: Snare Drum & Mark Tree
Player 5: Bass Drum
Player 6: Crash Cymbals & Hi Hat & Suspended Cymbal
Performance Notes
“Festivus” was written to be performed in a concert or festival setting. This ensemble relies heavily on the part of Player 1 (Timpani) as well as Player 4 (Snare Drum). These parts sustain the essential ongoing groove throughout most of the piece. Work for tightness in the Quarter/Dotted Eighth/Sixteenth rhythms that start between the Timpani, Snare Drum & Bass Drum at Letter A. Make sure the Bass Drum & Snare Drum solos can be heard in bars 25-32. Keep the pulse consistent transferring to the 12/8 meter at Letter D and then back to 4/4 at Letter E. Be sure to make bar 49 a dynamic stepping-stone down to the lighter feel and softer dynamic at Letter D while treating Letter E as a loud four bar fanfare followed by the almost inaudible eighth-note timpani line at Letter F. Note all Crash Cymbal dampens (mutes) throughout the piece. This is essential and can be accomplished by simply pulling the plates in to the armpit area to stop the cymbal ring. The Snare drummer (Player 4) should have the Mark Tree set-up at elbow level and to the right of the Snare Drum. It is recommended that Player 6 sit down when playing the hi-hat in bars 24-40. Play all suspended cymbal rolls with soft to medium hard yarn mallets.
Works for Percussion by this Composer
Small Ensemble
Circus, Circus! – Percussion (10)
Comic Relief – Percussion Octet; Percussion (8)
Concerto for Garage Band – Percussion Quintet; Percussion (5); Guitar; Keyboard; Bass Guitar
Cymbalectomy – Percussion Sextet; Percussion (6)
Dance of the Wind-up Toy – Percussion Octet; Percussion (8)
Drum Bizness – Percussion Quartet; Percussion (4)
Drum it Down – Percussion Quartet; Percussion (4)
Glitzville! – Percussion Nonet; Percussion (9)
Hipster –
Kaleidoscope (Crockarell) – Percussion Sextet; Percussion (6)
Katie's Bossa – Percussion Sextet; Percussion (6)
Kawf Dooda Code – Percussion Octet; Percussion (8)
Leetul Reekee –
Last Warrior – Percussion (10)
Outbound – Percussion Nonet; Percussion (9); Tape
Rocking Angel - Percussion (11)
Sahara Dream –
Shimi, Shami, Shang! –
ShockuhFunk –
Shoe Bop –
Stratus – Percussion Nonet; Percussion (9)
Sushi Funk – Percussion Octet; Percussion (8); Bass Guitar
Svengali
Synergy – Percussion Quartet; Percussion (4)
Taco Tico –
Tequila –
Three Way Split – Percussion Trio; Percussion (3)
Under the Big Top –
Large Ensemble
Curse Of Tortuga - Percussion (14)
Gorsky's Dream – Percussion (12)
Serengeti - Percussion (14)
Visions of Sugar Plums - Percussion 12