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Performed by Ben Finley (marimba) and the University of Central Arkansas Percussion Ensemble (Blake Tyson, director)
Cold Light is a term composer Benjamin Finley came up with to describe those winter days common in the western U.S. when the sky is clear, with the sun bright, distant, and low, and the air is dry, crystalline, and nearly always carried by a swift crosswind. Beautifully frozen and clean, cold light brings a bright outlook to even the most frigid days. The marimba solo that bears this moniker is equally clean and beautiful, with the accompanying percussion ensemble contributing to the brightness through the creative use of metals and even Native American drums. Written in a mix of meters, including some that are irregular, this work drives—as if carried on one of those crosswinds—to an energetic conclusion.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
The rise in popularity of chamber percussion repertoire that has a featured player or soloist has benefited students and professionals alike. Students gain the opportunity to perform in the soloist role without the need of a large ensemble, and professionals can use the repertoire to perform with students when visiting campuses. Benjamin Finley’s “Cold Light,” a new work in this category, is an excellent addition that features an idiomatic and well-written marimba component along with a colorful and often featured accompaniment.
The marimba part is frequently pattern-based and lies nicely on the instrument. At times, it is virtuosic enough for an advanced player. Each of the accompanying quartet parts incorporates a membraphonic timbre in addition to its primary instrument; the drumset player utilizes a small chamber bass drum, and the keyboard players each have a Native American drum (the composer suggests that congas or djembes can be used if Native American drums are unavailable). One prominent compositional component of the piece is the use of mixed meters and compound time signatures. The drumset player will need to have plenty of experience with mixed time signatures to bring success to a performance of this work.
—Thad Anderson
Percussive Notes
Vol. 52, No. 2. March 2014
Cold Light is a term composer Benjamin Finley came up with to describe those winter days common in the western U.S. when the sky is clear, with the sun bright, distant, and low, and the air is dry, crystalline, and nearly always carried by a swift crosswind. Beautifully frozen and clean, cold light brings a bright outlook to even the most frigid days. The marimba solo that bears this moniker is equally clean and beautiful, with the accompanying percussion ensemble contributing to the brightness through the creative use of metals and even Native American drums. Written in a mix of meters, including some that are irregular, this work drives—as if carried on one of those crosswinds—to an energetic conclusion.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
The rise in popularity of chamber percussion repertoire that has a featured player or soloist has benefited students and professionals alike. Students gain the opportunity to perform in the soloist role without the need of a large ensemble, and professionals can use the repertoire to perform with students when visiting campuses. Benjamin Finley’s “Cold Light,” a new work in this category, is an excellent addition that features an idiomatic and well-written marimba component along with a colorful and often featured accompaniment.
The marimba part is frequently pattern-based and lies nicely on the instrument. At times, it is virtuosic enough for an advanced player. Each of the accompanying quartet parts incorporates a membraphonic timbre in addition to its primary instrument; the drumset player utilizes a small chamber bass drum, and the keyboard players each have a Native American drum (the composer suggests that congas or djembes can be used if Native American drums are unavailable). One prominent compositional component of the piece is the use of mixed meters and compound time signatures. The drumset player will need to have plenty of experience with mixed time signatures to bring success to a performance of this work.
—Thad Anderson
Percussive Notes
Vol. 52, No. 2. March 2014
