Climate Change (Perc Ens 7)

Climate Change is a work for 7 percussionists that begs the question, "Will the natural world survive or is the earth and all life in imminent danger?" A frenzied climax attempts to answer the question of our fate in the darkest and most violent way possible, only to temporarily yield back to the serenity and beauty of nature. Filled with programmatic elements, such as nature sounds (bird whistle, ocean drum, rainstick, frog rasp, cricket caller) and a ticking clock (temple blocks & chimes), the piece is filled with colorful imagery to delight the imaginations of players & audience members alike.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 7
Series: N/A
Level: Intermediate | Duration: 3:30

Instrumentation
Player 1: Glockenspiel, Siren, Snare Drum
Player 2: Xylophone, Thunder Drum, Brake Drum
Player 3: Vibraphone, China Cymbal
Player 4: 4-octave Marimba, Suspended Cymbal
Player 5: 4 Timpani, Ratchet, Mark Tree, Nightingale Bird Call [optional]
Player 6: Ocean Drum [optional], Concert Bass Drum, Temple Blocks, Triangle
Player 7: Shell Rattle (or pod rattle, seed rattle, maraca swirl, etc.), Cricket Caller (or claves), Frog Rasp (or guiro), Rainstick, Suspended Cymbal, Chimes, Tam-Tam

Program Notes
"Climate Change" opens with solo glockenspiel, followed by a pastoral vibraphone melody that is underpinned by the peaceful sounds of nature. These nature sounds, performed acoustically by the percussionists on bird whistle, ocean drum, rainstick, frog rasp, and cricket callers, are quickly drowned out by an ominous incoming storm. Throughout the work, a cohesive yet uneasy tension persists. Will the natural world survive, or is the earth and all life in imminent danger? The urgency of the moment is continuously hinted at by the temple blocks and tubular bells, a less than subtle reference to a ticking clock. A frenzied climax attempts to answer the question of our fate in the darkest and most violent way possible, only to temporarily yield back to the serenity and beauty of nature. The listener should take the conclusion of this piece as they wish. None of us know what the future will bring. Hopefully we will make the correct decisions, and our earth will survive far into the future.

While there are obvious literal connotations to the title Climate Change, the title also refers to the several time signature changes, changes in phrase length, and general changes in both character and dynamics.

Climate Change was commissioned by The Cooper Middle School Band from McLean, Virginia for the 2022 VMEA Conference in Richmond, VA. Thank you to Directors Matthew Baker and Alexandra Singer, Percussion Assistant Julianna Lee, Principal Lisa Barrow, and the wonderful Cooper Middle School percussionists for making this possible.

Cooper Middle School Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Doug Wallace