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Stuart P. O'Neil's original percussion ensemble piece Parade of the Penguins is very metered, but don’t let its march-like quality fool you—this is a jovial piece that will have wide appeal. The writing is very well balanced between the melody in the keyboard parts and the contributions from the nonpitched instruments. This creates a more sophisticated piece than is sometimes heard at this level, and offers any number of teachable moments with your ensemble.
Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.
Don’t let the title fool you into thinking this is a tawdry, juvenile work; the material contained within this threeminute piece is crafty in its playfulness and intelligent in its stylistic presentation. While there are a variety of musical layers containing a wide sampling of rhythmic and melodic complexities, the final result doesn’t sound cramped but, rather, is reminiscent of the quirky and playful movie music of Danny Elfman.
Even though the work begins with a marimba ostinato in C Locrian, the music never comes to rest on a “tonic," but rather twists and turns throughout a variety of accidental notes and unexpected cadences. Additionally, Stuart O’Neil adds variety to the xylophone driven 3/4 melody by adding stop-time punctuations throughout the work. These compositional techniques not only add sophistication, but also contribute variety and interest to a work that can easily be mastered by most high school and college ensembles.
—Joshua D. Smith
Percussive Notes
Vol. 52, No. 2. March 2014
Stuart P. O'Neil's original percussion ensemble piece Parade of the Penguins is very metered, but don’t let its march-like quality fool you—this is a jovial piece that will have wide appeal. The writing is very well balanced between the melody in the keyboard parts and the contributions from the nonpitched instruments. This creates a more sophisticated piece than is sometimes heard at this level, and offers any number of teachable moments with your ensemble.
Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.
Don’t let the title fool you into thinking this is a tawdry, juvenile work; the material contained within this threeminute piece is crafty in its playfulness and intelligent in its stylistic presentation. While there are a variety of musical layers containing a wide sampling of rhythmic and melodic complexities, the final result doesn’t sound cramped but, rather, is reminiscent of the quirky and playful movie music of Danny Elfman.
Even though the work begins with a marimba ostinato in C Locrian, the music never comes to rest on a “tonic," but rather twists and turns throughout a variety of accidental notes and unexpected cadences. Additionally, Stuart O’Neil adds variety to the xylophone driven 3/4 melody by adding stop-time punctuations throughout the work. These compositional techniques not only add sophistication, but also contribute variety and interest to a work that can easily be mastered by most high school and college ensembles.
—Joshua D. Smith
Percussive Notes
Vol. 52, No. 2. March 2014
