Stress...Relief - Scott Ward [DIGITAL]

Stress...Relief was originally written for the Lone Star Wind Orchestra Percussion Ensemble as part of "The Headache Miniatures" – a set of five musical vignettes, each created by a different composer independently from one another. Scott Ward’s high-energy work grabs your attention from the opening measures and doesn’t let go.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 6
Series: N/A
Level: Intermediate | Duration: 2:15

Instrumentation
Player 1: Bells, Xylophone, Log Drum (4), Cowbell
Player 2: Vibraphone (4 mallets), China Cymbal
Player 3: 4.3-octave Marimba (2 mallets), Suspended Cymbal, China Cymbal
Player 4: 4.3-octave Marimba (4 mallets), Suspended Cymbal
Player 5: Kick Bass (w/ pedal), Snare Drum, 4 Concert Toms, Splash Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal
Player 6: Concert Bass Drum, Mounted Tambourine, Woodblock, Cowbell, Bongos, 1 Conga, Suspended Cymbal

Program Notes
Stress...Relief was originally written for the Lone Star Wind Orchestra Percussion Ensemble as part of "The Headache Miniatures" – a set of five musical vignettes, each created by a different composer independently from one another. All five composers were given the same parameters: an instrument list for each of six players/parts (loosely based on the instrumentation of the pieces" Katraterra" by Jim Casella and "Halcyon Days" by Nathan Daughtrey); an estimated duration of two minutes; and lastly, a motive based on the pitches of the word “HEADACHE” (replacing the letter “H” with the pitch “B,” which is commonplace in many European countries), thereby making the motivic material based on the sequence of notes “B – E – A – D – A – C – B – E.” Each composer was then free to create anything within those parameters. Scott Ward’s high-energy work grabs your attention from the opening measures and doesn’t let go.