Bright Light–Dark Shadows (Perc Ens 9)

Heavily influenced by the Charles Bukowksi poem "We Must," Bright Light–Dark Shadows explores the ideas of light and dark through inventive textures and moods.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 9
Level: Medium Difficult | Duration: 11:30

Instrumentation
Player 1 (glockenspiel, tam-tam, tambourine, crash cymbals)
Player 2 (crotales, chimes)
Player 3 (vibraphone, suspended cymbal)
Player 4 (vibraphone, suspended cymbal)
Player 5 (4.3-octave marimba, triangle)
Player 6 (4.3-octave marimba, triangle)
Player 7 (4.6-octave marimba, triangle, large crash cymbal)
Player 8 (5-octave marimba, triangle, medium crash cymbal)
Player 9 (electric guitar with fixed tuning laid flat, concert bass drum, drum set, brake drum, medium woodblock, mounted sleigh bells)

Program Notes
Composed in the spring of 2016, Bright Light–Dark Shadows is heavily influenced by the poem “We Must” by Charles Bukowski. While Bukowski’s work tends to cover dark subject matter and uses a mix of pessimistic and realist viewpoints, I choose to view this poem in particular in a more positive light. While bright light casts the darkest shadows when viewed from one direction, it is up to the individual to make light of a dark situation. This concept is reflected through the music’s mood, which sometimes evolves slowly and sometimes changes in an instant.