Sailors and the Blue Sea

A portrait of the blue, beautiful ocean and sailors venturing out to sea. It begins with an intertwining alto saxophone (clarinet) and flute soli over flowing waves of the ocean drum and mallet percussion as a calm, beautiful ocean view. Then the scene switches to bold unison with timpani solo depicting sailors putting out to sea. The tempo increases as huge raging waves in stormy weather hit the sailors. The ocean calms, then the rough seas return. With a grandioso climax, the sailoras return safely to the harbor with joy and a sense of accomplishment.

This work can be performed with only 14 players. With 20+, the sound will be more stable, and with more than 30 members, the dynamics of sound and details can be more pronounced. There are many unisons, a great way to distribute the weight for each player, as well as solo parts to showcase stronger players. Percussion can be a minimum of two players, optionally up to four. If you have few percussionists, members of other sections may assist during their pauses. The ocean drum is critical to the piece. Experiment with different ways to make it sound as natural as possible and to adjust dynamics and volume. Duration: 6:00