The composition was inspired after seeing a Brazilian dance troupe at a local fiesta. This is a style of music that I had been heavily involved with several years earlier with musicians from South America.
All of the limbs get to play simple parts, which create a common samba rhythm. I also include a whistle, which helps to cue in the separate instruments in the beginning of the piece.
This piece is played on a left-handed setup, which merges into the body of the main kit. Left foot plays the bass drum while the right foot plays between the bell tam and the cowbell. Right hand plays the blocks with the left hand playing a marcia melody on the toms.
THE SANDS OF EGYPT
the sphinx
a slaves world
- curse of the pharaoh
entering the tomb
the pharaoh's wrath
I THE SPHINX
This first piece introduces the two key rhythms for the entire work. The first is a rhythm containing a note grouping of 3,4 & 5. This is introduced by the left hand on the toms. The second comes in with the feet & is a repetitive 3-note grouping with an accent on the first of each group.
The soundscape is meant to represent the sphinx & the mysteries about it's age and origin.
II A SLAVES WORLD Part one
The start of this movement is based around a 2 over 3 feel with sixteenth notes on the bass drum. the right hand introduces the 3,4,5 rhythmic phrase in an eighth note melodic phrase on the toms. The left hand then enters playing the 3,4,5 rhythmic phrase in sixteenth notes on the percussion.
the right hand then drops out and leaves the 2 over 3 on the feet and 3,4,5 left hand rhythm as the ostinato for the right hand to solo against.
Part two the bass drum pattern changes to a six stroke (a permutated inversion of the original paradiddle-diddle) in 3/4 time. the left hand continues its 3,4,5 patter but remains on the tambourine.
the right hand continues with a more aggressive solo over this new ostinato. Both hands then drop out and the foot patter continues. The hihat (w/foot) is then added on quarter notes (using the side swiping technique). Then hands then improvise before returning back to the original feel for the movement.
III CURSE OF THE PHAROAH
(i) TO ENTER THE TOMB this section represents the entry of a tomb by grave robbers. there is a sense of mystery and suspense. But also excitement and anticipation, as the robbers think of the riches that await them.
(iii) THE PHAROAH'S WRATH the robbers set off booby traps which send them into a state of confusion. the left hand plays two groups of 11 and one group of 2. The right hand plays four groups of 5 and one group of 4 (this is enough to confuse anybody!).
With both hands playing their respective groupings the feet are then added with 32nd note combinations of the 3,4,5 pattern. this is very heavy sounding and represents the pharaoh's wrath on the robbers of his tomb. The bass drum beaters have jingle attach to them, which are to represent the scarab beetles (as from the 'mummy').
The hands then drop out and the foot pattern continues as an ostinato for a new solo section.
THE TALE OF LAH
gladiators march
The Battle
Lullaby (dreamscape)
dance of the warrior
A composition based on a friends experience with glandular fever and the emotions involved of going from sickness back to health.
I The Gladiators March: (8/4)
The low bass drum rhythm in this movement is a representation of the old Roman Empire when the Christians were to be feed to the lions. This sets the scene for the tension and suspense of being diagnosed with an illness.
II The Battle: (7/4)
This movement deals with the struggle between the mind and the body. The piece features a 7/4 foot ostinato and a melody which is made up of the hands playing a rhythmic cannon upon various sound sources.
III The Lullaby (dream sequence): (6/4)
When sick, one could wish that you were having a bad dream and would wake up the next day and it would all be gone. I use an arpeggio on the toms creates the foundation for the lullaby.
IV Warrior Dance: (5/4)
This battle is over and 'Warrior Dance' represents the celebration of overcoming the enemy. The first section of the piece is in 5/8 and deals with multiple layered rhythms from all four limbs to create a powerful and dense reflection of the Warrior in dance. Next it moves to a different ostinato, which modulates a 5/16 feel into a quintuplet based set of rhythms. An improvisation takes place with the right hand while the other three limbs hold down the underlying rhythms. Next is a move back to first section of warrior dance with improvisation utilizing a variety of rhythms over.
DOGBOY
This is a fun piece which has some classic patterns of drumming. the first obvious one is the good old 4 to the floor with the hihat openings on the off beats. Another is the rolls around the toms.
It was named after a character from a friends acrobatic group.
in the first section the feet move between the main bass drums and the hihats. the next section where the hands solo has the feet moving between the bass drums and a hihat/woodblock/cowbell combination.
JUNGLE FEVER
Wichdoctor
....... (i) the trance
.......(ii) the dance
Snake Charmer
Barrel of Monkeys
Part 1 - "The Trance"
This is where the witchdoctor has his subjects gathered around the fire and is putting them into a trance. I have used a repetitive tom tom figure that repeats to create a hypnotic effect. The melody is played on the highest three toms. A metallic sound of a tambourine comes in and this is where the witch doctor is throwing some magical powder onto the fire (I'm sure that we've all seen this in the movies).
Part 2 - "The Dance"
The piece moves from a hypnotic beat into a more colourful groove with a busier feel and brighter sounds. The left hand and feet hold down the multi-layered ostinato while the right hand improvises. This is the dance around the fire. At the end of the dance, the original 'trance' feel is mixed with the 'dance' groove as the Witchdoctor brings his subjects out of the trance.
II Snake Charmer
The piece is based around an afro-Cuban 3:2 son clave on the right foot woodblock in the first half and the traditional guiro pattern played with the left foot on the bell/tam in the second half. The name Snake Charmer comes because it reminded me of the snake in Walt Disney's animated movie "The Jungle Book". I pictured the rotation of concentric circles in my minds eye when playing the intro section in the compositional process.
III A Barrel of Monkeys
This is a fun piece, which has the Mozambique rhythm played melodically between five tuned temple blocks. This is done with the right hand and enters after the introduction of the tom melody with the left hand. The foot ostinato used in this piece incorporates five different sound sources, of which four are played by the left foot (including the foot snare). The moving feet set up an excellent groove so that the hands can then improvise.
MR. CRICKET AND THE SWAMP MONSTER
I was teaching at the Central Queensland Conservatorium on the north eastern coast of Australia and was awaiting the arrival of my next student. The building was situated by a swamp and while waiting I started listening to the sounds that I was hearing. I started to notice patterns coming from the crickets and decided to transcribe the rhythmic pattern.
Then as I heard more rhythmic variations I transcribed them also. These rhythms make up the foundation for the composition.
The swamp monster came about as I started to get attacked by mosquitoes. I represent this with the entry of the hihat's during the conclusion.
