J.S. Bach, Albert Elmenreich
Children’s Medley
percussion sextet from “Bach on Wood” arranged for percussion ensemble by Brian Slawson
Children’s Medley. By J.S. Bach and Albert Elmenreich, arranged by Brian Slawson © 2009 Tapspace Publications, LLC, Portland, OR. (ASCAP) All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Printed in USA. www.tapspace.com Notice of Liability: Any duplication, adaptation, or arrangement of this composition requires the written consent of the copyright owner. No part of this composition may be photocopied or reproduced in any way without permission. Unauthorized uses are an infringement of the U.S. Copyright act and are punishable by law. TSPCE-30
Performance notes Children’s Medley is comprised of three selections. The first two sections, Mussette in D (BWV Anh. 126) and Minuet in G (BWV Anh. 114), are both from J.S. Bach’s, Notebook for Anna Magdalena (1725), a collection of pieces compiled by Bach for his second wife. Some of the selections, however, were not written by Bach and the Minuet in G is often attributed to Christian Petzold. Spinning Song (the third section of this medley), was composed in the mid-1800s by German composer Albert Elmenreich. The catchy melody sounds like a spinning wheel, a mechanized device used to spin wool or yarn. Its familiar charm has been enjoyed by generations of piano hobbyists, young and old. PERCUSSION One of the great challenges in performing multiple-percussion pieces lies in the choreography. Instrument and mallet placement is of the utmost importance. Additional copies of the music should also be placed throughout to avoid carrying pages from stand to stand. In this case, the drummer should securely mount the ratchet and vibra-slap. Trap (accessory) tables are a must for managing quiet, professional switches of toys and mallets. Choreography must be practiced every bit as much as the music itself in order to make for a successful endeavor. Also, the approach and the instruments we choose for any given piece need to best reflect the character of the arrangement. In this case, the Mussette is mechanical, the Minuet is tender and lyrical, and the Spinning Song is silly and noisy. The crash cymbals need to have a splashy, comical, circus-like quality. Be creative with the alarm clocks, too. I recommend finding old-style bedside alarm clocks that are commonly found at “five & dime” stores. Every movement needs to be different. Go for the contrast. Go for the music! ENSEMBLE The instrumentation herein was carefully crafted in order to create a unique, distinctive sound for each of the three movements. Balance and, as a result, blend will provide the key to a memorable performance. As a point of reference, think of the three movements as 1) a cuckoo clock, 2) a music box and 3) a calliope. Keeping these items in mind will help you sculpt a playful, coherent interpretation that’ll be fun for all. - Brian Slawson
Instrument list Children’s Medley requires 6 players using the following instrumentation. • • • • • • • •
Xylophone Two glockenspiels Marimba 1 (4 octave) Marimba 2 (5-octave) Vibraphone Three timpani (32”, 29”, 26”) Two woodblocks Triangle
• • • • • • • •
Tambourine Two old-style alarm clocks Drumkit Three cowbells Three brake drums Temple blocks Mounted ratchet Siren whistle
Suggested setup
About Brian Slawson Since his scholarship studies at The Juilliard School, Brian Slawson has continued to pioneer innovative paths in percussion. Grammy-nominated as ‘Best New Classical Artist,’ Brian has appeared on NBC’s Tonight Show, Entertainment Tonight, The CBS Morning News and NPR’s "All Things Considered." Mr. Slawson has an extensive discography, including solo releases on the Sony/CBS and Belltone labels. His smash debut, Bach On Wood hit Billboard’s Top 10 and remains one of the world’s premier vehicles for exposing new audiences to classical music. Brian has shared the stage with classical luminaries Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, recorded with pop icons from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Marie Osmond and punctuated jokes for comedians Bill Maher, Eddie Murphy, and Jerry Seinfeld. He is the voice of “Gusto the Bulldog” in Warner Bros. Music Expressions and a featured artist in McGraw-Hill’s Spotlight on Music. In addition to serving as Principal Timpanist of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Brian’s multi-media company, Slawsongs, has created award-winning custom music for feature films, television and radio. Mr. Slawson proudly endorses Ludwig-Musser, Zildjian, Vic Firth, Remo, Grover Pro Percussion, Rhythm Tech, Alternate Mode and Sibelius. His teachers have included Saul Goodman, Buster Bailey, Alexander Lepak, David Smith and Drew Grouse. Legendary vibraphonist, Lionel Hampton, described Brian Slawson as “one of the finest percussionists to come along in many years.” Modern Drummer magazine calls Brian "a visionary, be it performer, producer or composer."
Level: Medium Duration: 3’40”
Children’s Medley
percussion sextet from “Bach on Wood”
Musette in D q = 100
A temple blocks Player 1 glock, mar, perc. Player 2 xylophone
Player 3 mar 1, vibes
mf
mf
Player 4 mar 2, siren
mf
Player 5 timpani, etc.
woodblock
mf
mf
M
Tamb.
Kit
hihat
B
f
f
f
f
tambourine ride cym. cross stick
ratchet
C
3 brake drums
HH w/foot
G
M
17
X
mounted ratchet
kick drum
Player 6 drumkit, perc.
3 cowbells
J.S. Bach, Albert Elmenreich arranged by Brian Slawson
hihat
© 2009 Tapspace Publications, LLC, Portland, OR (ASCAP). International copyright secured. All rights reserved.
Segue
to vib.
tom toms
Children’s Medley - arr. Slawson
2 Minuet in G q = 150
33 G
D
mp
mp
V
mp
(2nd x only)
M
G
mp glockenspiel
mp
(2nd x only) woodblock/triangle
Kit
mp
(soft mallets)
X
49 mf
E
G
X
V
mf
mf
M
mf
G
mf
(2nd x only)
Kit
mf
TSPCE-30
F
fermatta 2nd x only
Children’s Medley - arr. Slawson Spinning Song
G 65
q = 108
Alarm Clock 1
(hard mallets)
X
M
M
WB
Kit
share w/player 4
Alarm Clock 2
G
3
(4)
(8)
(4)
(8)
(4)
(8)
(4)
(8)
(4)
(4)
(4)
tom
H
84
M
X
M
M
WB
Kit
I
mp
mf
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
mp
mp
f
f
ff
timpani
ff
mp
mf
mp
mp
f
f
toms
ff
cr.
mf
TSPCE-30
Kit
ss.
gli
gli ss.
.
ff
TSPCE-30
gl
L
.
iss
(8)
(4)
(8)
(4)
(8)
ff
f
(4)
cr. full snare
glis s. glis s.
ff
ff
siren whistle
ff
ff iss
gl
Kit
M
Timp.
K
.
M
iss
gl
X
M
f
120
Timp.
.
M
gliss
s. glis
M
ss. gli
X
ss. gli
M
J
ss. gli
101
glis s.
Children’s Medley - arr. Slawson
4
(4)
(4)
(4)
tom cr.
Children’s Medley - arr. Slawson M
M 136
X
M
M
Timp.
Kit
cr.
(4)
(4)
(4)
5
(8)
(8)
(8)
fp cresc.
fp cresc.
fp
fff
fff
cresc.
fff
cresc.
fp
fff
fff
cr.
fp cresc.
fff
TSPCE-30
www.tapspace.com