Thundersnow
for percussion ensemble
Thundersnow by Miles Locke is large-scale, energetic work for percussion ensemble based on a rare weather phenomenon whereby snow replaces rain as the primary precipitation in a thunderstorm. The characteristics of such an event are sonically represented by drums and cymbals for thunder, and metallics and melodic instruments for snow.
The piece is scored with flexibility in mind, accommodating a wide range of player experience levels and may be performed with as few as 18 players and as many as 24 or more. When a full complement of players is possible, antiphonal parts for impact drums positioned strategically around the audience create a fully immersive “surround sound” experience during key moments.
Thundersnow ships as a fully bound score (11” x 14”) and includes individual parts in PDF format for either printing or tablet viewing.
- Crotales (2 octaves)
- Glockenspiel
- 3 Vibraphones
- Chimes
- Xylophone
- 3 Marimbas — (1) low A, (1) low F (opt. 5-octave), (1) 5-octave
- 4 or 5 Timpani
- Piano
- Synthesizer*
- Drumset
- Drums — concert bass drum (+ opt. 2nd BD), 6 toms, impact drums*
- Cymbals and gongs — China cymbal, sizzle cymbal, splash cymbal, suspended cymbal, tam-tam
- Accessories — 5 bows, bell tree*, garden weasels (may sub triangle), mark tree, slapstick, sleigh bells, 2 tambourines (orchestral and headless), thunder tubes*, 3 triangles, whirly tubes* (F-natural and G-natural), woodblock, optional 6 tuned wine glasses (any octave—F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C, D-flat)
*optional
Reviews
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Hannah Weaver –
Miles Locke takes the listener on a 6.-minute journey through a snow-frosted landscape in “Thundersnow,” his composition for 18–24 players. Written in the style of percussion orchestra originated by Oklahoma University and popularized by groups like the Texas Christian University percussion ensemble, this piece is perfect for an advanced high school ensemble or beginner collegiate ensemble. The piece is dramatic in scope, utilizing over a dozen keyboard players and almost as many drummers, and in effects, with whirly tubes, thunder tubes, tuned wine glasses, and optional antiphonal drums.
“Thundersnow” starts off ethereal, with a translucent texture created by bowed vibraphone, tuned water glasses, triangles, sleigh bells, and suspended cymbal. Much as a battle scene might ominously unfold in a movie, the tempo gradually increases and more voices enter the texture, with mallet players churning out accelerating sixteenth notes against thrumming eighth-note chords from the piano. A sudden silence and then sharp attack from slapstick and snare rimshot ushers in the thundering drums and driving, faster tempo. The piece continues to develop and evolve, with a dance-like 7/8 and 7/16 middle section that gradually decomposes into a soft, meditative, chorale-like interlude. After that moment of respite, the ensemble comes churning back in with the faster, most dense ensemble writing of the piece. This chaotic energy drives the piece into its final dramatic fortississimo chord.
There are many challenges for the ensemble in this piece. These include numerous tempo changes — some abrupt, some gradual — and even more instances of meter changes. There are extended passages in 7/8 and 7/16, and the material in these odd meters is not just simple grooves. There are syncopated, squirmy melodic lines that require careful subdivision, and the lines are often passed from player to player. This piece requires careful listening and strong ensemble awareness from the players.
The piece includes a piano part and an optional synthesizer part. The piano part is involved enough to need someone with a piano background to cover it. The synthesizer part, however, is simple, consisting primarily of single-note lines or octave long tones. Any passages utilizing both right and left hand at the same time are simple block chords.
The flexible instrumentation and varying difficulty levels of the parts make this an ideal composition for large, intermediate-level ensembles. Directors can choose to utilize anywhere from 18 to over 24 players, and there are substitution suggestions for some of the more unusual instruments. While none of the parts are insubstantial, there is enough variability in difficulty to allow a range of ages abilities to be involved. The breadth of dynamic and tempo range, wide palette of colors, and dramatic moments of impact make this a show-stopper piece for high school and collegiate concerts alike.
—Hannah Weaver
Percussive Notes
Vol. 62, No. 6, December 2024