Red Sky-SAMPLE

Red Sky by Alan Keown © 2023 Tapspace Publications, LLC (ASCAP).

All rights reserved. tapspace.com

ALAN KEOWN RED SKY for percussion ensemble

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TSPCE23-025

PROGRAM NOTES

The life of a sailor involves perilous travels on a daily basis. The weather at sea is constantly changing—gentle one moment and treacherous the next. There is an age-old saying among sailors: ”Red sky at night, sailor’s delight...red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.” Red Sky is a programmatic piece depicting a day at sea. The piece is in three connected movements: 1) morning/the trip out of the harbor, 2) the storm, and 3) the trip back to the harbor. The listener may notice the sounds of a ship’s bell, the gentle waves of the harbor, frantic SOS signals, and wild, surging waves out at sea. The somber ending represents homage to those who never returned.

Red Sky was commissioned by the North Bend High School Percussion Ensemble (Amber Yester, band director). The sea is an integral part of life on the Oregon Coast, and Red Sky was written to honor that rich tradition.

Alan Keown

PLAYERS AND INSTRUMENTATION

Red Sky requires 8 players with the following instrumentation:

1. Glockenspiel + suspended cymbal

2. Xylophone + mark tree, triangle, suspended cymbal, high concert tom

3. Vibraphone + medium concert tom, suspended cymbal

4. Marimba 1 (may share w/ M2) + ratchet, woodblock, suspended cymbal, low concert tom

5. Marimba 2 (low A) + low conga, China cymbal

6. Percussion 1 — ocean drum, tambourine, high conga, suspended cymbal, ship’s bell (shared w/ P2)

7. Percussion 2 — ship’s bell, China cymbal, concert snare drum

8. Concert bass drum + ship’s bell (shared w/ P2)

SUGGESTED SETUP

Level: Medium

Approx. playing time: 4'50"

G l o c k e n s p i e l + s u s p e n d e d c y m b a l

X y l o p h o n e + m a r k t r e e t r a n g e , s u s p e n d e d c y m b a l , h i g h c o n c e r t t o m

V i b r a p h o n e + m e d u m c o n c e r t t o m , s u s p e n d e d c y m b a

M a r i m b a 1 ( m a y s h a r e w / M 2 ) + r a t c h e t , w o o d b o c k , s u s p e n d e d c y m b a , o w c o n c e r t t o m

M a r i m b a 2 ( o w A ) + o w c o n g a , C h n a c y m b a l

° ¢

P e r c u s s i o n 1 o c e a n d r u m t a m b o u r n e , h g h c o n g a s u s p e n d e d c y m b a , s h p s b e ( s h a r e d w / P 2 )

P e r c u s s i o n 2 s h p ' s b e l , C h n a c y m b a , c o n c e r t s n a r e d r u m

C o n c e r t b a s s d r u m

+ s h p s b e ( s h a r e d w / P 2 )

° ¢

m a r k t re e ( spa r se )

/ x

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ & b b b x / x ? b b b x

o c e a n d r u m ( sl o w sw e l l s, a d l i b . )

x

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ / x / x

© 2023 Tapspace Publications, LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.

xyl o ph o n e ( w / m e d pl a st i c ) ∑ ∑ ( w / m e d c o rd )

∑ & b b b

m a r i m b a ( w / m e d h a rd ya r n ) ∑ ∑ ( w / m e d ya r n )

t a m b o u r i n e sh a k e ro l l

h i gh t o m ( w / st i c k s; c l o se d ro l l )

m e d i u m t o m ( w / st i c k

o w t o m ( w / st i c k

o w c o n ga ( w / st i c k s; c l o se d ro

su s c ym ( sh o u l d e r c r a sh e s)

su s c ym ( sh o u l d e r c r a sh e s) >

su s c ym ( sh o u l d e r c r a sh e s) >

C h i n a c ym ( sh o u l d e r c r a sh e s) > >

C h i n a c ym ( sh o u l d e r c r a sh e s)

su s c ym ( sh o u l d e r c r a sh e s) >