David Bithell | Windward
As a part of the art faculty at Southern Oregon University, David Bithell brings the unique perspective of interdisciplinary performance and composition to the arts programs he teaches. “Windward” is a perfect example of Bithell’s melding between music, technology, visual art and theatre. An animation is projected onto a bass drum rigged with microphones and lights as the performer guides the animation through a journey of birth, conflict, and death.
Bryan Jeffs | Flowing #1 and #2
I was so eager to finally perform these graphic scores. Bryan and I had been discussing the ideas of the pieces: monochromatic with highlight colors, spacious but with lots of detail, to be performed with my vibraphone. So it was such an incredible experience to see the works unveiled for the first time at St. John’s School in Vancouver, March 29th, 2023. Graphic Scores were the topic of my first recital as Artist in Residence at SJS, and I am so glad we were able to invite Bryan to work with the students, and allow me to give this premiere. I was joined by Kody Beaudoin who created the electronic synthesizer that allowed the performance to really blossom into its final form.
J.A. Hails | Tarantella for Tambourines
Tarantella for Tambourines is a piece composed in and inspired by my visit to Italy in the summer of 2021. I often experiment with dance, gesture, visualized atmospheres and moods, which set the tone of this piece. The Tarantella dance is a folk dance with origins dating back to the 15th century and it came about as a way to rationalizing the frenzied psychological condition of tarantism, allegedly caused by tarantula bites. This piece follows the story of a tarantula in four parts: The spider, the bite, the dance, and the message. The piece explores the tambourine in many ways, creating textures and timbre shifts in the surrounding movements, and the internal movements characterize the theatre of the tarantella dance itself. The bite is depicted by the frenzied shake rolls and frantic choregoraphy, while the following section is a more traditional approach to the steps of the tarantella and the playing styles of the southern Italian tamburo and tamburello. The 6/8 meter firmly cements the traditions of the music style while allowing room for varied compositional processes based on 6 and 8.
Georges Aperghis |
Le Corps á Corps
One of my all time favorite works for percussion. The melding of theatre, gesture, and musical virtuosity culminate in this tour de force for speaking percussion. Originally in french, I was inspired to adapt it to English at the suggestion of Dr. Aiyun Huang (University of Toronto) and I have really enjoyed giving the piece new life with the translation.
English
Matthew Keown | Searching
for Solo Snare Drum
A commission for solo snare drum
Audio/Video Recording and Editing by Audrey Sliger
Astor Piazzolla arr. Sergio Assad | Invierno Porteño
The Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas or The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires are a set of four tango compositions written by Ástor Piazzolla. Sergio Assad, renowned classical guitarist, has arranged each of them for guitar. The similarities in range and voicings between guitar and vibraphone make these pieces ideal for vibraphone. The winter movement (Invierno) presents a haunting theme, again and again, in different variations and tonalities. With a little effort and creativity, this arrangement by Assad has been adapted for the vibraphone by J.A. Hails.
Thierry De Mey | Silence Must Be…
Pushing the limits of how percussion is defined and hyper-accentuating the visual elements of music “Silence Must Be…” has cemented itself as a truly revolutionary piece in the repertoire. It serves as both a study on gesture as well as an artistic opportunity to express musicality through movement.
Cristina Spinei |
Five O’Clock Waltz
In collaboration with RoseLynn Dance Company, we bring you this virtual collaboration of dance and music. Adapting the harp arrangement of Spinei’s “Five O’Clock Waltz” to vibraphone adds a sense of sustain and motion even in the long pauses of sound where the dancers are featured.
Christopher Larkin | Dirtmouth
arr. by J.A. Hails
The popular Indie video game “Hollow Knight” has inspired many gamers and artists alike with it’s melding of game design, visual art, animation, and a beautiful score composed by Christopher Larkin. This piece serves as a tribute (1 of 4 in the Hollow Suite) to the games opening moments and gives a sense of melancholy and reflection to the unassuming player.
Maslanka - Mass
Oregon State University Wind Ensemble, OSU Chamber Choir, Corvallis Repertory Singers, and OSU Bella Voce.
Soloists: Nicolai Strommer and Amy Hansen
Conducted by Christopher C. Chapman
