Beaming Candles - percussion ensemble - digital edition
Beaming Candles is a meditation of thankfulness inspired by six very important teachers in my life. They saw what was possible when I didn’t. They gave advice that changed how I saw the world. They revealed endless possibilities. They were the candles that lit the way forward, and their teaching still lights the way for me today. We can often forget how powerful one candle can be. But when we cannot see, when the pathways are dark, the light of a single candle changes everything.
The title references a short nighttime conversation in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The moon has disappeared, and Portia and Nerissa observe how bright and far-reaching the light of a distant, previously unnoticed candle can be in the darkness. Portia likens it to the power of a good deed in a wicked world. When Portia suddenly notices music, Nerissa tells her it is played by musicians in her palace. Portia realizes she never truly appreciated it during the clamor and commotion of the day but now finds it sweetly beautiful in the silent surroundings of the night.
We may not notice or understand what our teachers do for us in the moments they are nearby. But from a distance, and especially in times of darkness, we can find ourselves overwhelmed by the light of all they shared with us, all they taught us, and all they did for us.
In Beaming Candles, there are six motives. They are built on the letters (and the number of syllables) in each of my teachers' names. You will hear them ringing throughout the piece. Marjorie Engle, Peggy Benkeser, Larry Mathis, Michael Burritt, Halim El-Dabh, and John H. Beck all lit the way for me, and I am eternally grateful. The piece honors them and all they’ve done for all their students. I hope the piece will help those who perform or hear it remember the amazing teachers in their lives, too.
Beaming Candles was commissioned by the North Gwinnett Middle School Percussion Ensemble. The students in the ensemble have many paths in front of them, and they will have great teachers who will light the way forward. One of those teachers is Travis Downs. His inspiring work has given the students opportunities to perform at the highest level. The NGMS Percussion Ensemble has a strong reputation across the country, and I am honored that Mr. Downs asked me to write a piece for the group to perform at the 2024 Midwest Clinic in Chicago.
“How far that little candle throws his beams.” - Shakespeare
Beaming Candles is a meditation of thankfulness inspired by six very important teachers in my life. They saw what was possible when I didn’t. They gave advice that changed how I saw the world. They revealed endless possibilities. They were the candles that lit the way forward, and their teaching still lights the way for me today. We can often forget how powerful one candle can be. But when we cannot see, when the pathways are dark, the light of a single candle changes everything.
The title references a short nighttime conversation in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The moon has disappeared, and Portia and Nerissa observe how bright and far-reaching the light of a distant, previously unnoticed candle can be in the darkness. Portia likens it to the power of a good deed in a wicked world. When Portia suddenly notices music, Nerissa tells her it is played by musicians in her palace. Portia realizes she never truly appreciated it during the clamor and commotion of the day but now finds it sweetly beautiful in the silent surroundings of the night.
We may not notice or understand what our teachers do for us in the moments they are nearby. But from a distance, and especially in times of darkness, we can find ourselves overwhelmed by the light of all they shared with us, all they taught us, and all they did for us.
In Beaming Candles, there are six motives. They are built on the letters (and the number of syllables) in each of my teachers' names. You will hear them ringing throughout the piece. Marjorie Engle, Peggy Benkeser, Larry Mathis, Michael Burritt, Halim El-Dabh, and John H. Beck all lit the way for me, and I am eternally grateful. The piece honors them and all they’ve done for all their students. I hope the piece will help those who perform or hear it remember the amazing teachers in their lives, too.
Beaming Candles was commissioned by the North Gwinnett Middle School Percussion Ensemble. The students in the ensemble have many paths in front of them, and they will have great teachers who will light the way forward. One of those teachers is Travis Downs. His inspiring work has given the students opportunities to perform at the highest level. The NGMS Percussion Ensemble has a strong reputation across the country, and I am honored that Mr. Downs asked me to write a piece for the group to perform at the 2024 Midwest Clinic in Chicago.
“How far that little candle throws his beams.” - Shakespeare
Beaming Candles is a meditation of thankfulness inspired by six very important teachers in my life. They saw what was possible when I didn’t. They gave advice that changed how I saw the world. They revealed endless possibilities. They were the candles that lit the way forward, and their teaching still lights the way for me today. We can often forget how powerful one candle can be. But when we cannot see, when the pathways are dark, the light of a single candle changes everything.
The title references a short nighttime conversation in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The moon has disappeared, and Portia and Nerissa observe how bright and far-reaching the light of a distant, previously unnoticed candle can be in the darkness. Portia likens it to the power of a good deed in a wicked world. When Portia suddenly notices music, Nerissa tells her it is played by musicians in her palace. Portia realizes she never truly appreciated it during the clamor and commotion of the day but now finds it sweetly beautiful in the silent surroundings of the night.
We may not notice or understand what our teachers do for us in the moments they are nearby. But from a distance, and especially in times of darkness, we can find ourselves overwhelmed by the light of all they shared with us, all they taught us, and all they did for us.
In Beaming Candles, there are six motives. They are built on the letters (and the number of syllables) in each of my teachers' names. You will hear them ringing throughout the piece. Marjorie Engle, Peggy Benkeser, Larry Mathis, Michael Burritt, Halim El-Dabh, and John H. Beck all lit the way for me, and I am eternally grateful. The piece honors them and all they’ve done for all their students. I hope the piece will help those who perform or hear it remember the amazing teachers in their lives, too.
Beaming Candles was commissioned by the North Gwinnett Middle School Percussion Ensemble. The students in the ensemble have many paths in front of them, and they will have great teachers who will light the way forward. One of those teachers is Travis Downs. His inspiring work has given the students opportunities to perform at the highest level. The NGMS Percussion Ensemble has a strong reputation across the country, and I am honored that Mr. Downs asked me to write a piece for the group to perform at the 2024 Midwest Clinic in Chicago.
“How far that little candle throws his beams.” - Shakespeare
Performance Notes
All notes in the marimba parts should be rolled
Marimba should use soft mallets that allow for smooth rolls with little or no contact noise
Chimes, glockenspiel, and vibraphones should let all notes ring
The chime mallets may need a thin layer of felt to reduce harsh attacks
Glockenspiel mallets should not be too bright/pingy. Try for a more mellow sound
Vibraphone mallets should be articulate, but with a warm sound (Ed Smith vibe mallets, perhaps)