Coventry Storm (Perc Ens 7)

Coventry Storm is an arrangement based on the classic Coventry Carol. Full of dialogue between the players, this piece is as enjoyable as it is demanding.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 7
Level: Medium | Duration: 5:40

Instrumentation
Chimes/Bells
Xylophone
Vibraphone 1 (3-octave)
Vibraphone 2 (3-octave)
Marimba 1 (4.5-octave)
Marimba 2 (4.3-octave)
Marimba 3 (5-octave)

Program Notes
Coventry Storm is an arrangement based on the classic Coventry Carol. It begins slowly with the instruments layering in, all while executing a grand accelerando. The main theme is presented at a hurried pace with the marimbas in a chorale-like setting. After a dialogue between the top marimbas, the theme is presented again with the rest of the ensemble, with the lead marimba playing a complex triplet figure against the second marimba’s straight eighth-note pattern. The section climaxes on an A major chord, which transitions the piece into a new section. The vibraphone completes a chordal solo, which is a major modulation of the main theme. There is a brief vibraphone duet, which succeeds a full-ensemble recapitulation of the A major theme. The lead marimba then has an extended cadenza with fast triplets and arpeggios. The ensemble then plays a variation that is back in A minor, and the piece ends with fast A minor arpeggios.