Deep Field Discovery - Kevin Kenney [DIGITAL]

Deep Field Discovery is inspired by the discoveries made from the James Webb Space Telescope in the Summer of 2022. This piece takes the audience on a journey through the mystery of the unknown, through the depths of space, eventually arriving at the wonderful, awe-inspiring discovery of galaxies that were once only theorized about. This work is composed in an effort to bring a large percussion orchestra sound to a younger percussion ensemble.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 12
Series: N/A
Level: Medium Easy | Duration: 2:15

Instrumentation
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Vibraphone
Chimes
Marimba 1 [4-octave*]
Marimba 2 [4.3-octave]
Marimba 3 [4.3-octave*]
*Marimba 1 & 3 may share one 4.3-octave instrument

Timpani [4 drums]
Percussion 1: Snare Drum, High Woodblock
Percussion 2: 4 Concert Toms, Medium Woodblock
Percussion 3: Bass Drum, Tam-Tam
Percussion 4: Suspended Cymbal, Hi-Hat

Program Notes
Deep Field Discovery is inspired by the discoveries made from the James Webb Space Telescope in the Summer of 2022. This piece takes the audience on a journey through the mystery of the unknown, through the depths of space, eventually arriving at the wonderful, awe-inspiring discovery of galaxies that were once only theorized about. This work is composed in an effort to bring a large percussion orchestra sound to a younger percussion ensemble.

– K.K.

NASA on Webb’s first Deep Field Image:
“Light from these galaxies took billions of years to reach us. We are looking back in time to within a billion years after the big bang when viewing the youngest galaxies in this field. The light was stretched by the expansion of the universe to infrared wavelengths that Webb was designed to observe. Researchers will soon begin to learn more about the galaxies’ masses, ages, histories, and compositions.”

Salyards Middle School Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Joe Glass