Dandelion, The (Percussion Quintet)

The Dandelion is a medium-advanced etude for timpani and four additional percussionists inspired by the 1913 poem of the same name by Vachel Lindsay. Various ostinati spring forth to represent the pernicious weed only to be quickly chopped down by violent interruptions. But as any gardener will tell you, the dandelion always wins in the end!

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 5
Series: N/A
Level: Medium Advanced | Duration: 5:00

Instrumentation
Timpani: 4 Drums, Inverted Cymbal
Percussion 1: Small and Medium Brake Drums, Splash Cymbal, China Cymbal,Suspended Cymbal, 3 Woodblocks, Ice Bell or Zil Bel, Hi-Hat
Percussion 2: Bongos, Conga, Floor Tom, Low-Jam Block, Medium Stack or China Cymbal
Percussion 3: Small Roto-Tom, Snare Drum, Floor Tom, Kick Drum, Ribbon Crasher, Small Splash Cymbal
Percussion 4: Small Roto-Tom, Medium Splash Cymbal, Floor Tom, Kick Drum, Rock Tambourine, Snare Drum

Program Notes
Commissioned by Eric Hollenbeck and the Colorado State University Percussion Ensemble, this short etude for timpani and four additional percussionists is inspired by the 1913 poem of the same name by Vachel Lindsay. Various ostinati spring forth to represent the pernicious weed only to be quickly chopped down by violent interruptions. But as any homeowner will tell you, the dandelion always wins in the end.

O DANDELION, rich and haughty,
King of village flowers!
Each day is coronation time,
You have no humble hours.
I like to see you bring a troop
To beat the blue-grass spears,
To scorn the lawn-mower that would be
Like fate's triumphant shears.
Your yellow heads are cut away,
It seems your reign is o'er.
By noon you raise a sea of stars
More golden than before.

– Vachel Lindsay, 1913

Colorado State University Percussion Ensemble
Eric Hollenbeck, director