Candlesticks

This 2½ minute piece is groovy in its presentation of the minor-key melody, driving rock beat, and rhythmic compliments. Written for beginning groups, this work will keep heads bobbing in the ensemble, as well as the audience, thanks to the heavy 2 and 4 backbeat being laid down by the drum set player. The timpani do not require any tuning during the work, the keyboard parts are all played with two mallets, and they can easily be doubled/tripled depending on the size of your ensemble.

In addition to the easy-to-grasp melodic and harmonic material, this piece will also help the players work on ensemble awareness via moments of rest and recapitulation. The composer states that with the piece being written in A-minor with “a hint of Middle Eastern flavor,” this work “is also a suitable selection for holiday programs in search of Hanukkah material.”

—Joshua D. Smith
Percussive Notes
Vol. 61, No. 1, February 2023