Eye (Perc Ens 12)

Eye presents the Hai River and the Tianjin Eye with musical themes and carries them through the piece in a way that transports the listeners to the ferry, exploring the river themselves.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 12
Series: N/A
Level: Medium Advanced | Duration: 7:00

Instrumentation
Player 1: Glockenspiel
Player 2: Xylophone, Crotales [2 octaves]
Player 3: Vibraphone 1
Player 4: Vibraphone 2
Player 5: Vibraphone 3
Player 6: Vibraphone 4
Player 7: Marimba 1 [4.3-octave]
Player 8: Marimba 2 [4.3-octave]
Player 9: Marimba 3 [4.3-octave]
Player 10: Marimba 4 [4.3-octave]
Player 11: Marimba 5 [5.0-octave]
Player 12: Marimba 6 [5.0-octave]

Program Notes
The idea for Eye came to me after two trips to Tianjin, China in 2012 and 2013. The city is a northeastern Chinese metropolis filled with 16 million people. Tianjin as a city is undoubtedly fast-paced, but is wonderfully juxtaposed by the parks found throughout the city – each one filled with residents enjoying the beautiful scenery and their community. Tianjin is a port city near the Koreas that features a dark and mighty river that flows through the center of the downtown area, called the Hai River(海河).There are several bridges that cross the Hai, each featuring its own distinct architectural interest, but the most distinguishable bridge is the Yongle Bridge featuring the Tianjin Eye ferris wheel. From riding the ferris wheel to passing under it on the Hai River ferry tours, seeing this structure in person was unforgettable. Eye, presents the Hai River and the Tianjin Eye with musical themes and carries them through the piece in a way that transports the listeners to the ferry, exploring the river themselves.