Short Ride in a Fast Sled

A nod to John Adams' well-known Short Ride in a Fast Machine for your winter concert. It presents a neat opportunity for directors to show John Adams' famous work to their students, as the two pieces share several key elements: constant woodblock, minimalism, and repetitive dissonant ostinato patterns. After the patterns (including sleigh bells!) set the scene, a spirited holiday melody shows a fast sled ready to move. Quotes from Deck the Halls are dusted throughout, and all sections have melodic and interesting parts to play. Fun!