Black Rainbow

General Info

Copyright: 2014
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Level: Advanced
Duration: 00:08:30
Cost: $140.00

Instrumentation

Percussion Ensemble

Player 1: 4 Timpani & Sizzle Cymbal & Egg Shaker & Triangle
Player 2: Glockenspiel & Crotales & Xylophone & Marimba (Shared)
Player 3: Vibraphone (Shared) & Marimba (Shared) & Suspended Cymbal
Player 4: Marimba (Shared) & China Cymbal & Suspended Cymbal & [[Vibraphone] (Shared)
Player 5: 4 Concert Tom-toms & Bongos & China Cymbal & Wind Chimes & Ocean Drum
Player 6: Concert Bass Drum & Tam-Tam & Suspended Cymbal & Congas

Winds Ensemble

Woodwinds: Piccolo & Flute 1/2 & Oboe & Clarinet 1/2/3 & Bass Clarinet & Alto Saxophone 1/2 & Tenor Saxophone & Baritone Saxophone & Bassoon 1/2
Brass: Trumpet 1/2/3 & French Horn 1/2/3/4 & Trombone 1/2/3 & Euphonium & Tuba
Strings: Double Bass

Program Notes

Commissioned by the Coventry High School band (Ned F. Smith, director), Black Rainbow explores the elusive and mystical moonbow – a rainbow produced by light reflected off the surface of the moon. Because it is dark when a moonbow appears, the human eye cannot detect the full spectrum of colors that are present, making the moonbow appear to lack color, thus the name black rainbow. Using the spectrum of 7 colors found in all rainbows – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet or R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. – I derived a pitch set that is used as the thematic material throughout: B-flat, G, F, C-flat, G-flat, D-flat, D-natural.

Additionally, Black Rainbow divides into seven sections, traveling through the colors, each with its own unique energy.
Red: activity, energy, passion
Orange: creativity, playfulness, equilibrium
Yellow: wisdom, clarity of thought, orderliness
Green: harmony, sympathy, growth, expansion
Blue: peace & understanding, calm, relaxation
Indigo: infinity, bridge between the finite & the infinite
Violet: combination of red and blue energies; viewed as both an ending and a beginning

Recent Performance

Works for Percussion by this Composer

Mallet Ensemble

Immortal Dream - Mallet Septet
Spun - Mallet Octet
A Yuletide Celebration
Azul

Small Ensemble

Almost Beyond
Blaze - Percussion Septet
Black Rainbow - Percussion Octet
Ellipsis - Percussion Octet
Fever Dream - Percussion Quartet
Fidget - Percussion Octet
Lost Souls - Percussion Quintet
Mercury Rising - Percussion Septet
Power Struggle - Percussion Octet
StarDancer - Percussion Octet
Sunward/Onward - Percussion Nonet

Medium Ensemble

Adaptation - Percussion (11)
Chasing Infinity- Percussion Ensemble (13)
Edge of the World - Percussion Ensemble (10)
Firefly (Nathan Daughtrey) - Percussion Ensemble (12)
Jötenheim - Percussion (13)
Legacies - Percussion Ensemble (10)
Limerick Daydream - Percussion Ensemble (10)
Luminescence - Percussion Ensemble (12)
The Cry - Percussion Ensemble (12)
The Dreamers of Dreams - Percussion Ensemble (12)
Till the Stars Come Down - Percussion Ensemble (10)
Topsy Turvy - Percussion Ensemble (12)
What Lies Within - Percussion Ensemble (10)

Large Ensemble

DrakenVuur - Percussion Ensemble 20+
Luna, Luna - Percussion (15)
The Heroes Around Us - Percussion (16)

Percussion Concerto

Percussion Ensemble with Other Instrument

As Above, So Below - Percussion Ensemble (12) with Piano
Bounce - Percussion Ensemble (12) with Solo Trumpet
Coming Home - Percussion Quintet with Solo Euphonium
Spitfire II - Percussion Nonet with Solo Euphonium
Twitch - Percussion Ensemble (11) with Solo Clarinet
The Wexford Carol - Percussion Nonet with Solo Soprano Saxophone

Reference