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Friends
Colin Bell’s duet for shared marimba Friends, is a short but sweet piece which allows two players to come together and make music with minimal equipment requirements. All that is needed is a single marimba (4.3 or larger) and two musicians. The piece does not require virtuosity; however, it does require skills that any quality performance would need: expression, communication, artistry, and emotion.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• 1 marimba—low A*
*Includes options for enhanced performance on a 4.5-octave (low F) marimba
“Friends” is composed for two performers sharing a 4.3-octave marimba. The composer’s notes explain that the piece does not require strong technical skill but does require chamber music skills such as communication and expression. The purpose of the piece is to collaborate with a friend and be able to make music together without an incredible amount of practice time.
This being said, one of the parts is for four mallets and requires early to intermediate technical facility. The two-mallet part could be played by someone without much percussion experience if necessary. However, the E-flat and D-flat key signatures could be tough for a beginner. That said, the piece is accessible, beautifully composed, and brief (only about 21⁄2 minutes).
This piece would be perfect for a young student’s recital, a crowd-pleasing addition to an advanced player’s recital, or even as an opportunity to grab a friend with little musical experience and make music together relatively quickly. Great idea and great result, Colin!
—Justin Bunting
Percussive Notes
Vol. 57, No. 4, September 2019
Colin Bell’s duet for shared marimba Friends, is a short but sweet piece which allows two players to come together and make music with minimal equipment requirements. All that is needed is a single marimba (4.3 or larger) and two musicians. The piece does not require virtuosity; however, it does require skills that any quality performance would need: expression, communication, artistry, and emotion.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• 1 marimba—low A*
*Includes options for enhanced performance on a 4.5-octave (low F) marimba
“Friends” is composed for two performers sharing a 4.3-octave marimba. The composer’s notes explain that the piece does not require strong technical skill but does require chamber music skills such as communication and expression. The purpose of the piece is to collaborate with a friend and be able to make music together without an incredible amount of practice time.
This being said, one of the parts is for four mallets and requires early to intermediate technical facility. The two-mallet part could be played by someone without much percussion experience if necessary. However, the E-flat and D-flat key signatures could be tough for a beginner. That said, the piece is accessible, beautifully composed, and brief (only about 21⁄2 minutes).
This piece would be perfect for a young student’s recital, a crowd-pleasing addition to an advanced player’s recital, or even as an opportunity to grab a friend with little musical experience and make music together relatively quickly. Great idea and great result, Colin!
—Justin Bunting
Percussive Notes
Vol. 57, No. 4, September 2019
