Turning Points - David R. Gillingham [DIGITAL SET]

Written for a Sue Gainforth, a former student of the late Robert Hohner, percussion professor emeritus at Central Michigan, Turning Points celebrates both Hohner's legacy & influence, and Sue's talented program at West Ottawa High School (Holland, MI). The music is uplifting, tuneful, nostalgic, with a reminder of Robert Hohner's influence, and builds to an exciting ending.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 12
Level: Medium Advanced | Duration: 8:45

Instrumentation
Conductor's Score (8.5"x11" spiral bound)
Crotales: 2 octaves, bass bow
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Chimes
Vibraphone 1
Vibraphone 2
Marimba 1: 4.5-octave
Marimba 2: 5.0-octave
Timpani: 5 Drums
Percussion 1: Mark Tree, Crash Cymbals, 2 Bongos, Temple Blocks, Triangle
Percussion 2: Suspended Cymbal, 2 Congas, 4 Concert Toms, Floor Tom, Brake Drum
Percussion 3: Bass Drum, Hi-Hat, Rain Stick, Ratchet

Program Notes
Turning Points was commissioned by the West Ottawa High School Percussion Ensemble, directed by Sue Gainforth. Sue was a former student at Central Michigan University and studied percussion with the late Robert Hohner whose percussion program and ensemble were known throughout the United States and abroad. After Sue graduated, she became an excellent music teacher, most notably as the Director of Percussion at West Ottawa High School in Holland, Michigan, for 20 years. Throughout her tenure, her students and ensembles have always been of the highest quality. Therefore, this piece is a tribute to her achievement.

The work is in three parts. Part 1, "Roots (Hohner)", gives homage to Sue's training at Central Michigan University under Robert Hohner. The section uses a theme which spells the name, ROBERT HOHNER. The letters which are not musical tones are derived from a rubric. The music is reminiscent of some of the classic percussion ensemble music often performed by the Hohner Percussion Ensemble at CMU. Part 2, "Aspiration", reflects Sue Gainforth"s hard work building the percussion program at West Ottawa High School. It is a set of variations on a rather somber theme. The variations become more intense and build in texture with a "tour de force" by the whole ensemble at the end. Part 3, "Achievement" is a celebration of Sue's 20 years of building a quintessential percussion program. The music is uplifting, tuneful, nostalgic, with a reminder of Robert Hohner's influence, and builds to an exciting ending.