The Forgotten - Jessica Flannigan [DIGITAL]

Rooted in a fairly standard percussion ensemble setup, The Forgotten pulls some less-common instrumentation and colors from the depths of the percussion storage, and puts them back into circulation as the composition floats between driving, haunting, delicate, and resplendent.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 12 + Piano
Series: N/A
Level: Intermediate | Duration: 8:10

Instrumentation
Player 1: Crotales (2 octaves)
Player 2: Glockenspiel, Opera Gong
Player 3: Vibraphone
Player 4: Vibraphone, Opera Gong
Player 5: Marimba (4.3-octave), 1 Crotale (Gb), Crystal Glass (F)
Player 6: Marimba (4.3-octave), Opera Gong
Player 7: Cajón, Crystal Glass (Gb)
Player 8: Cajón, Thunder Drum
Player 9: Suspended Cymbal, Sizzle Cymbal, Crystal Glass (F)
Player 10: Log Drum (2 pitches), China Cymbal, Marching Machine, Crystal Glass (F)
Player 11: Concert Bass Drum, Sizzle Cymbal, Crystal Glass (Gb)
Player 12: 4 Timpani, Large Cymbal, Crystal Glass (Gb)
Piano (+Frog Sound Effect)

Program Notes
So we have these opera gongs…

Any time I walk into any band room, I find the same instruments shoved into the back of the percussion cabinet, or stored high up on a shelf, that haven’t seen the light of day for years. Many of these are instruments left over from iconic percussion ensemble works, and are seldom called for in other literature. Others are amusing instruments and effects that everyone seems to have, but that we rarely get a chance to use. The Forgotten is my endeavor to revive some of these instruments, while grounded in a fairly standard percussion ensemble setup. Mallet parts center on ostinato patterns, putting the moving line in piano and crotales to drive the piece forward, and the large ad libitum segment within the composition allows players to experiment with sounds and shapes, giving these once-abandoned instruments a chance to speak.

– J.F.