Hydra (Heiny)

Chad Heiny

General Info

Year: 2018
Duration: c. 4:31
Difficulty: Medium (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Tapspace
Cost: Score and Parts - $40.00   |   Score Only - $0.00

Instrumentation

Player I - VIII: Drums (bongos, congas (2), 4 concert toms, piccolo snare drum, field drum or deep concert snare, mounted kick drum, concert bass drum)
Cymbals & gongs (Medium China cymbal, low China cymbal)
Accessories (Six graduated trash metals (ribbon crashers, trash stacks, etc…)

Program Notes

Chad Heiny’s Hydra is a wild and aggressive piece meant to represent the serpentine-like beast of the same name. The mythology surrounding the monster tells that when one of its heads was cut off, another two heads would regenerate. Thus, Chad makes rhythmic references to the number 2 throughout the work. Also, the horrifying “hiss” of the creature can be heard through the use of trashy metallic instruments as well as the “hissing” vocal instructions used throughout the piece. Hydra was commissioned by Chris Fauries and the Walsh Middle School Percussion Ensemble in celebration of their acceptance and performance at the 2018 Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

Review

Chad Heiny’s “Hydra” was written for Chris Fauries and the Walsh Middle School Percussion Ensemble for their PASIC18 performance (their performance is on YouTube—well worth checking out!). Tapspace has produced a clear, well laid out, and all-around very professional product, with a hardcopy score that includes a disc with printable parts and a recording. e instruments are clearly notated, and the score includes a setup diagram.

“Hydra” is approximately 41⁄2-minutes in duration, and is a groovy, rhythmic, rock/funk inspired work that is sure to be an audience-pleaser. Appropriate for an advanced middle school group and above, each of the eight performers uses a small setup, and performs interlocking rhythms consisting of mostly eighth and sixteenth notes. is would be a great piece to perform with no conductor, as the time stays steady and clear throughout.

Heiny uses a number of entertaining musical effects to represent the two-headed Greek serpent of the title, including the sound of trashy metal instruments in each player’s setup representing the Hydra’s hiss. is loud, drummy piece would work very well as a concert opener or encore piece, and I applaud Tapspace for consistently publishing high-quality music for young ensembles. - Joseph Van Hassel

Recent Performances

To submit a performance please join the TEK Percussion Database

Works for Percussion by this Composer

Solos

Auroras
Mementos

Chamber Ensemble

Bad Juju - Percussion Octet
Canon Fodder - Percussion Quartet
Coming of Age - Solo Marimba and Percussion Quartet
Elements - Marimba Duo
Epoch - Percussion Sextet
Graffiti - Percussion Sextet
Hydra (Heiny) - Percussion Octet
Lunation - Mallet Duo
Perched - Drumset & Multiple Percussion
Thundersnow
Two Preludes - Mallet Sextet
Undisclosed - Percussion Nonet
Wanderlust - Percussion Septet

Large Ensemble

Beacons of Light - 15 Players
Crossing the Threshold - 12 Players
Oneiric - 13 Players
Panthera Pardus - 12 Players
Treespeak - 13 Players
Tribe - 10 Players
Vesper - 10 Players
Walkabout - 13 Players