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Each of the four multifaceted movements of Chad Heiny’s TRiBE depict different moods, different musical styles, and different aspects of a tribal ceremony, all cohering into one continuous ritualistic experience. The first movement, “Premonition,” scored entirely for unpitched percussion instruments, is an exciting, upbeat, and aggressive opening statement which is then offset by the second movement, “Meditation,” a slow, dark, and introspective work. The third movement, "Rite of Passage," suggests a long and steady procession of someone who is, as Heiny puts it, “up next” or “on deck.” In the final movement “Sacrifice,” the musical material is highly focused and martial, making it an exciting finish to a long and varied musical experience.
TRiBE was commissioned by Paul Murr and the Lancaster Catholic High School Percussion Ensemble.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Glockenspiel
• Chimes
• Xylophone
• 2 vibraphones
• Marimba (low A)
• Marimba (low C)
• Drums (large/deep drum, congas, bongos, concert toms, concert bass drum, snare drum, large djembe, kick drum)
• Cymbals & gongs (2 large suspended cymbals, medium china cymbal, wind gong, tam-tam, large trash stack, medium trash stack, hi-hat (w/ ankle bell/shaker attached), 2 crash cymbals, sizzle cymbal, ride cymbal)
• Accessories (loud rattle/shaker/ratchet, soft rattle/shaker, ankle shaker/bells, wind/patio/bamboo chimes, small resonant metal, bright/loud claves, 2 brake drums, shekere, large triangle, medium woodblock, large woodblock, small woodblock)
For any piece with such large instrumentation, my first question is always, “Is it worth the time it takes to set up?” I’d say that this 71⁄2-minute work for percussion ensemble is certainly worth it. First and foremost, “TRiBE” is well-composed and musically interesting. On top of that, the piece is playable by an intermediate ensemble and offers an interesting audience experience. Chad Heiny calls for the instruments to be set up around the hall—even in surrounding hallways spaces, if possible—making for a performance scenario in which each audience member has a unique listening experience.
Wherever you are, “TRiBE” takes you on an intense journey. It starts in the first movement with fast (158+bpm) and forceful drumming that pulsates in irregular accent patterns. In the resonance of a soft concert bass drum roll, Movement II welcomes a pitched drone that builds from piano to fortissimo over a long 60 seconds. Simultaneously, canonic drums placed in the hallways begin with whispers and grow in tandem with the drone. This movement ends with 16 steady chime notes that continue as Movement III begins. Here, a repeating two-bar motive becomes more and more embellished as other players enter, while the xylophone sneaks in coyly with a sixteenth-note pattern that gradually becomes the center of attention. Finally, this movement shifts to a beautiful, weaving melody in 12/8 (over 6/4) that is accompanied by driving rhythms played on the drums. The final movement, with the drums still at the center, is all about pushing tension to its limits. At the peak, everything ends, quite abruptly, with only a single B-flat left decaying from the chimes.
—Julie Licata
Percussive Notes
Vol. 57, No. 1, March 2019
Each of the four multifaceted movements of Chad Heiny’s TRiBE depict different moods, different musical styles, and different aspects of a tribal ceremony, all cohering into one continuous ritualistic experience. The first movement, “Premonition,” scored entirely for unpitched percussion instruments, is an exciting, upbeat, and aggressive opening statement which is then offset by the second movement, “Meditation,” a slow, dark, and introspective work. The third movement, "Rite of Passage," suggests a long and steady procession of someone who is, as Heiny puts it, “up next” or “on deck.” In the final movement “Sacrifice,” the musical material is highly focused and martial, making it an exciting finish to a long and varied musical experience.
TRiBE was commissioned by Paul Murr and the Lancaster Catholic High School Percussion Ensemble.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Glockenspiel
• Chimes
• Xylophone
• 2 vibraphones
• Marimba (low A)
• Marimba (low C)
• Drums (large/deep drum, congas, bongos, concert toms, concert bass drum, snare drum, large djembe, kick drum)
• Cymbals & gongs (2 large suspended cymbals, medium china cymbal, wind gong, tam-tam, large trash stack, medium trash stack, hi-hat (w/ ankle bell/shaker attached), 2 crash cymbals, sizzle cymbal, ride cymbal)
• Accessories (loud rattle/shaker/ratchet, soft rattle/shaker, ankle shaker/bells, wind/patio/bamboo chimes, small resonant metal, bright/loud claves, 2 brake drums, shekere, large triangle, medium woodblock, large woodblock, small woodblock)
For any piece with such large instrumentation, my first question is always, “Is it worth the time it takes to set up?” I’d say that this 71⁄2-minute work for percussion ensemble is certainly worth it. First and foremost, “TRiBE” is well-composed and musically interesting. On top of that, the piece is playable by an intermediate ensemble and offers an interesting audience experience. Chad Heiny calls for the instruments to be set up around the hall—even in surrounding hallways spaces, if possible—making for a performance scenario in which each audience member has a unique listening experience.
Wherever you are, “TRiBE” takes you on an intense journey. It starts in the first movement with fast (158+bpm) and forceful drumming that pulsates in irregular accent patterns. In the resonance of a soft concert bass drum roll, Movement II welcomes a pitched drone that builds from piano to fortissimo over a long 60 seconds. Simultaneously, canonic drums placed in the hallways begin with whispers and grow in tandem with the drone. This movement ends with 16 steady chime notes that continue as Movement III begins. Here, a repeating two-bar motive becomes more and more embellished as other players enter, while the xylophone sneaks in coyly with a sixteenth-note pattern that gradually becomes the center of attention. Finally, this movement shifts to a beautiful, weaving melody in 12/8 (over 6/4) that is accompanied by driving rhythms played on the drums. The final movement, with the drums still at the center, is all about pushing tension to its limits. At the peak, everything ends, quite abruptly, with only a single B-flat left decaying from the chimes.
—Julie Licata
Percussive Notes
Vol. 57, No. 1, March 2019
