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Danny Boy (Download)
Brian Mueller initially wrote Danny Boy while he was a doctoral student at Indiana University. Brian finally arrived at this current version after a brief period of study with famed marimba virtuoso Éric Sammut in Paris. It was Sammut who recommended that a variation of the piece be incorporated where the performer can improvise over the main structure.
Included in this score is exactly that, a variation structure with chord symbols and a bass line specifically for the performer to improvise if they wish. For those less inclined to improvisation, a fully-notated version of the variation as performed by Mueller is also included. Because of Sammut’s indelible influence on him, Brian decided to dedicate Danny Boy to him.
• Marimba (low C)
Brian Mueller’s arrangement of the traditional Irish ballad “Danny Boy” is in the form of a theme and variations in an improvisatory idiom. The score includes a variation structure along with a sample variation for performers who want to improvise their own versions, as well as Mueller’s written-out performance for those wanting to learn a through-composed piece.
Being one of the most popular ballads ever written, there are a multitude of ways that “Danny Boy” could be arranged and transcribed to fit the marimba. Mueller has taken a harp-like approach with this arrangement by keeping a constant ebb and flow of cascading notes under the main theme, and a triplet feel throughout. The written-out version of the piece is not long at just four minutes and 30 seconds, and there would be room for additional variations in the marimbist’s own style even if the performer chose to play the written version verbatim.
This piece is definitely appropriate for an advanced player as it involves changing time and key signatures, complex rhythms, rubato, ornamentation, and arpeggiated chords—all played with a delicate touch. The technical and musical proficiency called for in this piece is enhanced by the need to keep the original, and highly recognizable, tune of “Danny Boy” clear and accurate.
This piece would make a crowd-pleasing addition to a professional or graduate-level solo marimba recital. The delicate touch and technical skills would make this a nice semester project for an advanced player, and a good opportunity for students with the technical chops to dip their toes into the waters of improvisation and transcription.
–Marilyn K. Clark Silva
Percussive Notes
Vol. 56, No. 5, November 2018
Brian Mueller initially wrote Danny Boy while he was a doctoral student at Indiana University. Brian finally arrived at this current version after a brief period of study with famed marimba virtuoso Éric Sammut in Paris. It was Sammut who recommended that a variation of the piece be incorporated where the performer can improvise over the main structure.
Included in this score is exactly that, a variation structure with chord symbols and a bass line specifically for the performer to improvise if they wish. For those less inclined to improvisation, a fully-notated version of the variation as performed by Mueller is also included. Because of Sammut’s indelible influence on him, Brian decided to dedicate Danny Boy to him.
• Marimba (low C)
Brian Mueller’s arrangement of the traditional Irish ballad “Danny Boy” is in the form of a theme and variations in an improvisatory idiom. The score includes a variation structure along with a sample variation for performers who want to improvise their own versions, as well as Mueller’s written-out performance for those wanting to learn a through-composed piece.
Being one of the most popular ballads ever written, there are a multitude of ways that “Danny Boy” could be arranged and transcribed to fit the marimba. Mueller has taken a harp-like approach with this arrangement by keeping a constant ebb and flow of cascading notes under the main theme, and a triplet feel throughout. The written-out version of the piece is not long at just four minutes and 30 seconds, and there would be room for additional variations in the marimbist’s own style even if the performer chose to play the written version verbatim.
This piece is definitely appropriate for an advanced player as it involves changing time and key signatures, complex rhythms, rubato, ornamentation, and arpeggiated chords—all played with a delicate touch. The technical and musical proficiency called for in this piece is enhanced by the need to keep the original, and highly recognizable, tune of “Danny Boy” clear and accurate.
This piece would make a crowd-pleasing addition to a professional or graduate-level solo marimba recital. The delicate touch and technical skills would make this a nice semester project for an advanced player, and a good opportunity for students with the technical chops to dip their toes into the waters of improvisation and transcription.
–Marilyn K. Clark Silva
Percussive Notes
Vol. 56, No. 5, November 2018
