AN EASTER GLORIA GIG

Every once in a while at the Presbyterian Church I attend the choir director approaches me with a percussion opportunity.  One time there was a piece of music that had a bell tree part.  Another time they needed a djembe player.  On this particular occasion the percussion part for the featured selection called for a suspended cymbal, a triangle and a finger cymbal.

So here was my awesome set-up for the Easter service.  It wasn't exactly a massive drum kit, but it was what the music required, and what I was chosen to play.  Specifically, I used a Sabian HH 16" Medium Thin Crash, a Latin Percussion 6" Triangle and a single Treeworks Finger Cymbal.  I used a large yarn handbell mallet for the cymbal swells and a metal striker for the hanging instruments.

Now, you might be thinking, "HA! A cymbal and a triangle!  How freaking simple would that gig be?!  Any moron could pull that job off!"

Well, before you start laughing take a glance at the percussion score.  Yeah.  The triangle part is not all that difficult, but figuring out when to play it is the key.

This piece jumps around from 6/8 to 9/16 to 9/8 to 4/4 and back again, finishing up with a couple of 12/16 measures that whisk by in a jiffy.  I think this song might have been written by Dream Theater.

Anyway, after a few run-throughs I got the hang of it and the piece sounded really nice.  I hope I am called on again because I really enjoyed the experience.