A Night Beneath the Stars – Marimba Ensemble

For Marimba Ensemble

Listen:

Program Notes

A Night Beneath the Stars was written during the warm months of summer, while I spent many nights taking strolls in fields, parks, and otherwise. Often times I would find a bench,
rock, or just lay in the grass and star up at the stars. During one of these nights, a melody started to form in my head and I took it home immediately and expanded on it. Within 24
hours the piece was finished. My ambitions were to capture the sounds of the stars high above, and the reflections of the mind that they brought about. For this, I used the warm key of Ab, and a combination of warm chords and suspensions to bring my melody to life. Originally written for string ensemble, this piece is composed of a simple melody enforced with warm chords that represent the serenity one feels when they clear their mind, taking not only a journey through the good memories, but possibly a tender one or two as well.

Performance Notes

This piece was originally designed for five marimbas (one player per marimba), but using five players on three marimbas also works. Mallets to be used should be very soft for everyone. Articulations are marked in parts, but every note in the piece is rolled with the exception of two quarter notes. Refer to the recording on AmbisMusic.com for questions about this. A marimba with a low C2 is highly preferred. If not available, the C can be played an octave higher (C3). Because this piece is not very technically challenging, the challenge comes from the nuancing and playing together. Be as expressive as possible. Nothing should ever stick out to harshly and should always be well blended.