Work
In the Teeth of It
for marimba and string orchestra
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About
This piece can be played as a concerto with string orchestra or as a marimba quintet with string quartet. If the piece is played as a concerto, the second movement should be for solo strings only.
The piece was formerly known as the Marimba Concerto, composed in 1990, and revised in 1992, and was first performed at that time by Richard Horne with string players from Auckland University in New Zealand. The piece was inspired partly by the concertos of Antonio Vivaldi and uses some techniques found in his concerti, such as elements of ritornello form and decorated melodic patterns in the slow movement. The 12-chord harmonic sequence of the first movement acts as a kind of "tonic" or home throughout that movement which utilizes both the rich chordal sonorities and more dexterous melodic capabilities of the marimba. The second movement is more expressive and defies a common misconception that percussion instruments are not suitable for emotion and sensitivity. The last movement was inspired by hearing the pounding rhythms and energy of African drumming and marimba playing and includes a cadenza which uses the full range of the solo instrument.
Difficulty note
Marimba part is of reasonable difficulty and has been performed by tertiary percussion students