WSU Percussion Ensemble plays a variety of instruments

PULLMAN – WSU’s Percussion Ensemble will present its fall concert at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the Kimbrough Concert Hall.

The ensemble will be performing a variety of percussion music which includes pieces by Christopher Rouse, Nigel Westlake, William Russell and Nathan Daughtrey.

Christopher Rouse’s “Bonham” is an ode to rock drumming and drummers, particularly Led Zeppelin’s legendary drummer, the late John “Bonzo” Bonham.

Nigel Westlake’s “Omphalo Centric Lecture” draws heavily on the themes and rhythms of the African Balofon, a type of African xylophone.
 

“Three Cuban Pieces” by William Russell uses an unusual instrument called a marimbula, which is an instrument of West African descent. This piece received many performances in the late 1930s and early 1940s as a staple in John Cage’s percussion concerts.

Nathan Daughtrey’s “Power Struggle” features a balanced ensemble of four keyboard percussion and four battery percussion. The struggle is apparent from the opening bars, with two halves competing for attention in an exhilarating and bombastic fashion.

Other works of the evening include Steve Reich’s “Clapping Music” and a traditional Mariachi song “La Negra.”
 
The concert is free and open to the public.

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