Clif Walker’s Shine refers to the bright colors and textures he uses throughout the piece and also the brief moments in the piece where certain players are featured, where they have their opportunity to “shine.” The instrumentation largely consists of melodic instruments like glockenspiel, vibraphone, piano, marimba, and crotales, which help to create the brilliant timbres Walker employs. There are also a host of unique auxiliary instruments like sleigh bells, a bell tree, mark tree, and spoxe, which help round out the sound of the piece to make this a uniquely uplifting musical experience.
Shine was commissioned by Ray Ulibarri and Dan Morrison and the Ronal Reagan High School Wind Ensemble Percussion Section for the 2018 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Crotales (high octave)
• Glockenspiel
• Xylophone
• Chimes
• 2 vibraphones
• 2 marimbas—(1) low A, (1) low C
• 4 timpani
• Steel drums (lead pan and double seconds)
• Piano
• Cymbals & gongs (suspended cymbal, ride cymbal)
• Accessories (3 woodblocks, jam block (high), mark tree, 2 triangles, spoxe, sleigh bells
(bell tree, temple blocks)
Shine by Clif Walker is a wonderfully composed, short (2:45) but robust work for a percussion ensemble of eight players. The title refers to the bright colors and textures used throughout the piece and the brief moments in the piece where certain players are featured. The instrumentation largely consists of melodic instruments like glockenspiel, vibraphone, piano, marimba, and crotales, which help to create the brilliant timbers Wlaker employs. There are also a host of unique auxiliary instruments like sleigh bells, a bell tree, mark tree, and spoxe, which help round out the sound of the piece to make this a uniquely uplifting musical experience.
The real genius of this piece is the way it is orchestrated vertically. The audience is never overwhelmed with sound despite the large number of players playing at a given time. The dynamics are intelligently and musically marked. Technically, this will require an ensemble that can maintain rhythmic integrity at faster tempi. The other challenge to performing this work is the shear number of instruments needed, including less common ones such as a lead pan and spoxe.
Challenges aside, this would be an excellent addition to any advanced high school or undergraduate percussion ensemble. The piece is incredibly well written and offers a lot for performers and audience.
–Joe Millea
Percussive Notes
Vol. 57, No. 2, November 2017
Clif Walker’s Shine refers to the bright colors and textures he uses throughout the piece and also the brief moments in the piece where certain players are featured, where they have their opportunity to “shine.” The instrumentation largely consists of melodic instruments like glockenspiel, vibraphone, piano, marimba, and crotales, which help to create the brilliant timbres Walker employs. There are also a host of unique auxiliary instruments like sleigh bells, a bell tree, mark tree, and spoxe, which help round out the sound of the piece to make this a uniquely uplifting musical experience.
Shine was commissioned by Ray Ulibarri and Dan Morrison and the Ronal Reagan High School Wind Ensemble Percussion Section for the 2018 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Crotales (high octave)
• Glockenspiel
• Xylophone
• Chimes
• 2 vibraphones
• 2 marimbas—(1) low A, (1) low C
• 4 timpani
• Steel drums (lead pan and double seconds)
• Piano
• Cymbals & gongs (suspended cymbal, ride cymbal)
• Accessories (3 woodblocks, jam block (high), mark tree, 2 triangles, spoxe, sleigh bells
(bell tree, temple blocks)
Shine by Clif Walker is a wonderfully composed, short (2:45) but robust work for a percussion ensemble of eight players. The title refers to the bright colors and textures used throughout the piece and the brief moments in the piece where certain players are featured. The instrumentation largely consists of melodic instruments like glockenspiel, vibraphone, piano, marimba, and crotales, which help to create the brilliant timbers Wlaker employs. There are also a host of unique auxiliary instruments like sleigh bells, a bell tree, mark tree, and spoxe, which help round out the sound of the piece to make this a uniquely uplifting musical experience.
The real genius of this piece is the way it is orchestrated vertically. The audience is never overwhelmed with sound despite the large number of players playing at a given time. The dynamics are intelligently and musically marked. Technically, this will require an ensemble that can maintain rhythmic integrity at faster tempi. The other challenge to performing this work is the shear number of instruments needed, including less common ones such as a lead pan and spoxe.
Challenges aside, this would be an excellent addition to any advanced high school or undergraduate percussion ensemble. The piece is incredibly well written and offers a lot for performers and audience.
–Joe Millea
Percussive Notes
Vol. 57, No. 2, November 2017