Reach
for flexible percussion ensemble
Reach by John Herndon follows suit with his earlier compositions Begin Transmission and Again and is expertly tailored for new percussionists and/or programs that are new to percussion ensembles. It is scored primarily for pitched instruments as well as snare drum, bass drum, and auxiliary percussion.
Playable with as few as two players on a single marimba to as many as 11 or more, Herndon offers a host of suggested player configurations based on available personnel and instrumentation, making the piece extremely adaptable to any program.
Reach ships as a fully bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for either printing or tablet viewing.
- Glockenspiel
- Chimes
- Xylophone
- Vibraphone
- Marimba — (1) 4-octave
- 4 Timpani
- Percussion — bass drum, snare drum, hand cymbals, triangle
Reviews
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Josh Armstrong –
“Reach” is a new work for beginning percussion students that can be performed with as few as two players or as many as 11. John Herndon breaks the ensemble into three different sections of melody, harmony, and percussion. The two-player version uses one marimba, with students performing the Marimba 1 and 2 parts. He offers suggestions on instruments to be used for different player numbers. This allows the work to be accessible to smaller and larger groups alike.
The work uses simple rhythms consisting only of eighth, quarter, half, and whole notes. The rhythmic base in the percussion grouping closely follows the rhythm of the melody lines. Melodically, the piece uses only eight pitches in primarily stepwise motion, allowing younger students to perform more accurately. The harmonic instruments use only six pitches and closely follow the melody rhythmically. The form is ABA with a coda. This allows students to learn the piece much quicker with the repetitions of the A section, along with the repetitive nature of the sections themselves.
Herndon’s offering to the elementary percussion ensemble repertoire is not only well written but is very much needed. The flexibility of the instrumentation and number of players allows for any school or group to perform his work. Students will enjoy performing this piece, and the audience is sure to be pleased as well. Hopefully we will soon see more composers writing pieces such as this one for our younger students!
—Josh Armstrong
Percussive Notes
Vol. 62, No. 6, December 2024