Program Notes

Program Notes African Nuances Pays tribute to the many rhythms folk music influenced by the continent of Africa. This piece moves through four rhythms that are grounded in African tradition. 1. Iyesa brought to Cuba the Yoruba tribe of West Africa, 2. Tui Tui a traditional rhythm brought from Cuba from Nigeria, 3. Bossa and Samba popular rhythms of Brazil whose roots were born in West Africa, and 4. Bantu (from Angola, Congo, Zimbabwe and Mozambique).

Ritmic V & VI Roldán wrote at least six pieces carrying the title Ritmica; the first was for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, and piano. The fifth and sixth called for eleven percussion players. As the title states, these latter items are purely rhythmic studies; even the tuned instruments are used exclusively as rhythmic devices. The musical inspiration, as usual with this composer, is Afro-Cuban. Despite the rather large personnel requirement, Ritmica V proceeds mainly with quiet taps from a garden of percussion instruments, with only occasional unruly outbursts. A polyrhythmic crescendo begins to build two-thirds of the way through, but Roldán refrains from ending with the expected crash; a few loud, decisive conga-drum beats suffice.

Adoration for Marimba Quartet Received its world premiere by the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra Percussion Section at the 2021 Percussive Arts Society International Convention held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally, composed for Organ in 1951, Adoration is one of Price’s most popular works. It has been arranged for String Quartet and Orchestra. This arrangement for Marimba Quartet is the first published percussion arrangement of this work. Florence Price was born in Little Rock, Ark., in 1887. She enrolled in the New England Conservatory of Music at 14, where she studied composition and graduated in 1907. In 1932, Price’s Symphony in E Minor won a composition prize, leading to its premiere by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra —the first composition by a black woman to be performed by a major orchestra.

Infantryman Leaning on a lifetime of rudimental practice and study, Tilburg's Infantryman seamlessly blends the old with the new. Coming in around 4 minutes 30 seconds, this trio brings the groove, the hockets and the fun!

Zeug The title of this percussion quartet, Zeug, is a German word loosely translated into English as “stuff.” The collection of instruments required – brake drum, impact drum, ride and china cymbal, concert bass drum, tam-tam, snare drum, and four concert toms – suitably fit into the category of typical percussion, without being able to be further categorized into a single percussion family such as drums, cymbals, accessories, etc. The writing, similarly, is generally loud and impactful, somewhat groove based, but not overtly, based on a few recurring motives or themes, but again not such that it fully codifies the work…in short, just some stuff written to be played on percussion stuff.