Grade 3 - Swings & Roundabouts

Program Notes

Fun, lilting, and evocative of joyous childhood interactions with playground equipment, or watching circus performers on a flying trapeze, 'Swings & Roundabouts' is a lilting, catchy, and accessible piece in 5/8 meter with memorable circular themes and motifs perfect for intermediate to more advanced wind ensembles. Also referring to the often-used vernacular for the circular ups-and-downs of life, or feeling like our progress is two steps forward and one step back (or in this case 3 steps forward and two steps back!), Swings & Roundabouts also captures cherished moments of delight, satisfaction, solace, achievement, curiosity, and nostalgia that balance things out and keep our momentum moving forward.

Scoring Notes

Less common instruments, and some lower chairs/parts are doubled, and/or cued to facilitate playability in ensembles with more limited instrumentation. For ensemble balance and texture it is desirable to have at least a bass clarinet, baritone sax, or bassoon in addition to a tuba/bass. Also, in general, alto and tenor voiced instruments have essential underpinning roles throughout. 

There are 8 percussion parts scored, but this work can be performed adequately with a minimum of 3-4 percussion players (see percussion notes below). Alternatively, because some of the percussion parts are very low in technical difficulty, they can be performed by non-percussionists from within the ensemble.

Instrumentation

(*Picc); Fl 1-2; (*+Ob); (*+Bsn) Cl 1-2-3; (+BCl); ASx 1-2; TSx; (+BSx); FHn 1-2-(+3-4); Tpt 1-2-3; Tbn 1-2-(+3); Euph/Bar TC; Tba; (+DB/Bass Guit)

Percussion notes

Glockenspiel (essential part)

Percussion I: Side Drum & Bass Drum (essential parts) - both parts can be performed by one player on drum kit if necessary. Contains some triangle cues.

Percussion II: Suspended Cymbal (essential part) - felt mallets

Xylophone or Marimba (only omit if an oboe player is present, however, some feature parts may be covered by the glock player if not enough players for both).

Timpani (are a feature of this work, but may be omitted in order to cover a more essential part)

Percussion III: Tambourine & Triangle - (optional) in order of preference, omit triangle first, then tambourine) some triangle is cued in the SD part. If additional players omit the tringle in favour of the timpani part, or some triangle can be covered by the tambourine player when not playing tambourine.

*cued

+doubled