Ship of Theseus - Matt Ehlers [DIGITAL}

This intermediate work for 7-8 percussionists tells the story of Theseus’s ship as it approaches harbor and repairs begin. As you strip away broken parts and replace them with new ones, the story of the ship's adventures is told. Once the repairs are completed, the ship sails away, ready for its next adventure.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 7-8
Level: Intermediate | Duration: 4:00

Instrumentation
Score (8.5"x11" stapled booklet)

Glockenspiel: Impact Drum
Chimes: Suspended Cymbal
Vibraphone: Concert Tom
Marimba 1: 4.3-octave, Concert Tom
Marimba 2: 4.3-octave, Concert Tom
Timpani: 4 drums
Percussion 1: Ocean Drum, Sizzle Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal, Triangle, Wind Chimes, Concert Snare, 4 Concert Toms
Percussion 2 [optiona;]: Ocean Drum, Sizzle Cymbal (shared with Percussion 1), Suspended Cymbal, Tam-tam, Triangle, Wind Chimes (shared with Percussion 1)

Program Notes

Ship of Theseus was written for my percussion section’s 2025 concert, and started as an attempt to fit each of my students perfectly. Having a blank canvas in front of you can be daunting, so I used Google for inspiration and typed “Interesting things to think about” into the search engine. The “ship of Theseus” popped up as number two on that search, and I was hooked! The paradox was new to me, and I found it very intriguing. The paradox revolves around the idea of a ship, originally belonging to the hero Theseus, which is gradually repaired by replacing its rotting planks with new ones. The question is, at what point does the ship cease to be the original ship of Theseus, if all of its parts are eventually replaced?

The piece begins with the ship’s bell ringing as it is approaching the harbor. As work on the ship begins, each rotten plank that is removed tells a story of the ship’s past:

• m. 28 - the Ship‘s theme
• m. 48 - reflecting on shipmates lost at sea
• m. 60-76 - The feeling of overcoming adversity and building confidence
• m. 92 - War!
• m. 116 - Regrouping and repairing after war
• m. 152 - Back out to sea

After the work is complete, we once again hear the ship’s bell as it is leaving harbor and returning to the sea, ready for its next adventure.

– M.E.