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
Percussion Ensemble
- A Yuletide Celebration
- Adaptation
- Almost Beyond
- Azul
- Black Rainbow
- Blaze
- Chasing Infinity- Percussion Ensemble (13)
- DrakenVuur - Percussion Ensemble 20+
- Edge of the World - Percussion Ensemble (10)
- Ellipsis
- Fever Dream
- Fidget
- Firefly (Nathan Daughtrey) - Percussion Ensemble (12)
- Jötenheim - Percussion (13)
- Legacies - Percussion Ensemble (10)
- Limerick Daydream - Percussion Ensemble (10)
- Lost Souls - Percussion Quintet
- Luminescence - Percussion Ensemble (12)
- Mercury Rising - Percussion Septet
- Power Struggle - Percussion Octet
- StarDancer - Percussion Octet
- Sunward/Onward - Percussion Nonet
- 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)
Percussion Concerto
- Concerto for Vibraphone & Percussion Ensemble
- Halcyon Days
- Irish Washerwoman
- The Foggy Dew
- Water Spirits
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