Aboriginal Dreams
by Roland Barrett
Percussion Ensemble - Sheet Music

Percussion Ensemble Percussion Ensemble (Bells & Vibraslap, Xylophone & Singing Bowls, Vibraphone, Marimba 1 (4-octave) & Wind Chimes, Marimba 2 (5-octave), Chimes & Woodblock, Timpani (5), Percussion 1 (Wind Chimes, Snare Drum, Bongos or Congas, Suspended Cymbal, Woodblock), Percussion 2 (Log D) - medium difficult

SKU: CN.16481

Composed by Roland Barrett. Score only. Duration 11:50. Published by C. Alan Publications (CN.16481).

Set in 5 movements - Ritual, Rain, Sacred Earth, Pintubi Dance and Fire - "Aboriginal Dreams" is intended to offer brief glimpses of the Aboriginal culture. Beautifully scored and full of color, grace and unstoppable energy.

Commissioned by Rick Minnotte and the Mt. Lebanon High School Percussion Ensemble (PA), the five-movement "Aboriginal Dreams" offers brief glimpses of the Aboriginal culture. The first movement, Ritual, is introduced with powerful triplets and works into a sixteenth feel often breaking into passages of syncopated unison rhythms. The second and shortest movement, Rain, as the title suggests, starts gently and ripples with fast layered triplets ending as gently as it starts. The third movement is called Sacred Earth, Sacred Sky and has a peaceful, relaxed character loaded with rich harmonies in the mallet instruments supported by cymbal effects in the battery. Pitubi Dance is next and uses fun techniques such as bursts of thirty-second-notes and hand clapping to enhance the head-bobbing groove. The piece finishes with a movement appropriately named Fire. It starts with an out-of-meter timpani solo and explodes into a fast, primal melody. As the movement surges forth, the phrases get passed between the mallets, timpani, and battery leading to a huge four-note ending.