Clarice Assad

PLAY !
A Concerto For Percussion Quartet, Vocalist & Orchestra

Hello ! We are a group of musicians passionate about making music and sharing it with the world. Third Coast Percussion and Clarice Assad team up with top orchestras in the United States to present a brand new concerto for percussion, vocalist and symphonic orchestra. The piece includes a huge array of sounds and colors, and this page is devoted to the process of bringing this project to life! Hope you enjoy your stay !

Program Note:

Play – a word of boundless meanings.  For some, it offers an escape from life’s stresses, fostering creativity and imagination.  Musicians play instruments, actors perform, and athletes compete.  Yet, darker shades exist, like a child toying with fire or a devious mind playing psychological games. Fascinated by this word’s depth, I began a sonic exploration with the captivating Third Coast Percussion quartet.  Together, we present PLAY! – a concerto in three movements for percussion quartet, amplified vocalist, and orchestra.  

 

In”Tick, tock, scrape, pinch, blow, hit, splash, rip,” we celebrate embracing unique visions that lead to magical encounters with kindred spirits.  The movement includes narration, theatrical elements, sound effects and foley.  The second movement, “The Hour,” marks a journey of self-discovery, urging us to embrace inner brilliance and shine in the world.  The final movement is an exciting virtuosic interplay between the soloists and the orchestra. 

 

Play has always meant exploring new worlds and finding awe in the little things.  As an artist, I seek connections through playful art, transcending differences, and worries, uniting us in a harmonious symphony of life.

 

© 2023 by Virtual Artists Collective Publishing

 First published in 2023 by Virtual Artists Collective Publishing 

 

PLAY !

Information Page

Movement Titles

Commissioning & Premiere Details

Publishing & Booking Information

PLAY ! Movement Titles

I. Tick, tock scrape, pinch, blow, hit, splash, rip!

II. A Hora (The Hour)

III. KInetic Energy

Commissioner and Co-Commissioners

Lead Commissioner SANTA ROSA SYMPHONY Resident Orchestra of the Green Music Center Francesco Lecce-Chong, Music Director Co-Commissioners GRAND TETON MUSIC FESTIVAL Sir Donald Runnicles, Music Director WHEELING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA John Gennaro Devlin, Music Director

Premiere Information

Premiered by The Santa Rosa Symphony Clarice Assad, composer and vocals Third Coast Percussion, percussion quartet Francesco Lecce-Chong, Music Director and Conductor November 4, 2023

Publishing & Booking Information

This work is published by Virtual Artists Collective Publishing. For score and parts, please contact us for a quote. For booking information, please visit Third Coast Percussion's website.

ORCHESTRA

2 Flutes 

2 Oboes

2 Clarinets in Bb 

2 Bassons

 

4 Horns in F

2 Trumpets in C

2 Trombones

1 Tuba

 

Timpani 

 

Percussion (1 player *)

Solo Vocalist **

 

Percussion Quartet ***

Strings

Percussion | Solo Vocalist

Triangle, Suspended and Sizzle Cymbal, Large bass drum, Large Tam Tam

 

Solo Vocalist ** (requires amplification)

 

The performer uses a TC Helicon device called  VOICE LIVE TOUCH 2, a harmonizer pedal for narration and singing.

Percussion Quartet: Instrumentation by Player

Percussion One

  • 5 octave marimba (shared with Percussion Two)
  • Glockenspiel (shared with Percussion Two and Three)
  • Lion’s Roar
  • Bongos
  • Trap table instruments:
    • 1 Tone Chime: E6
    • Tiny bells 
    • elephant bells
    • 3 Deskbells: F#, G, high C 
    • 2 Woodblocks
    • Kung Fu Fan 
    • Anklung
    • Rainsticks
    • 2 maracas
    • Cuckoo Call 
    • Pig squeaky toy
    • Lion’s Roar
    • Rubber Chickens
    • Slide whistle 

Percussion Two

  • 5 octave marimba (shared with Percussion One)
  • Glockenspiel (shared with Percussion One and Three)
  • Trap table instruments: 
    • 1 Tone Chime: B5
    • Elephant bells 
    • Tamborim
    • Waterphone
    • Pop gun
    • 4 Deskbells: low C, A, A#, B 
    • Guiro
    • One Small Shaker (uli’uli)
    • Meinl Helix Bowl
    • Siren Whistle
    • Thundertube
    • Musicbox
    • Nightingale Call
    • Pig squeaky toy
    • Rubber Chickens
    • Bell tree on suspended cymbal stand

Percussion Three

  • Vibraphone (shared with Percussion Four)
  • Glockenspiel (shared with Percussion One and Two)
  • Low tom (shared with Percussion Four) 
  • Cajon 
  • Sun Drum on snare drum stand
  • Trap table instruments:
    • Bird Calls: Duck Call, Crow Call  
    • 3 Deskbells: D, E, B 
    • Squeaky Toy (easter bunny orage
    • Slapstick
    • Expansion Tube
    • 2 Tone Chimes (C#6, F#6, start at vibraphone)
    • Pig squeaky toy
    • Rubber Chickens
    • Bowed flexatone
    • Ratchet
    • Giant Gift Rubber Chicken 

Percussion Four

  • Vibraphone (shared with Percussion Three)
  • Low tom (shared with Percussion Three)
  • Trap table instruments:
    • 2 Tone Chimes (A4, F#5)
    • Slide whistle
    • 3 Deskbells: low C, D#, A 
    • Waldteufel
    • Sandpaper blocks
    • Frog Scrape
    • Lowest Small Cloud Gong
    • Pig squeaky toy
    • Rubber Chickens

PREVIOUS COLLABORATIONS

Third Coast Performs "The Hero"

From Archetypes

Play Video
Jester was a tour-de-force of percussion instruments traditionally used for comic effect, from mouth harp to slide whistles. What a riot to hear them all at once!

The Skeleton of the Piece

A brainstorming session where we decided not only the character of each movement, but also the order. 

So Many Sounds to chose from !

Nothing more exciting than to go chose over dozens of instruments ! Check out our video on IG below !

Theatrical !

This one movement will explore the theatrical side of PLAY – and it will include storytelling, narration, underscoring and foley!