Thundersnow
Difficulty: Intermediate
Duration: 6:30
Thundersnow is published by Tapspace and is available for purchase on their website (click Tapspace logo). Physical and digital copies are available.
Thundersnow is a natural phenomenon that happens when snow falls as the primary precipitation
of a thunderstorm instead of rain. It is considered rare and must have perfect atmospheric
conditions to form. It is more common in the Great Lakes region due to the water of the lakes
heating the air above it, create the appropriate temperature differential to build a static charge
needed for lightning.
When I first heard the term thundersnow, I thought how cool that title would be for a piece. I also
thought that the juxtaposition between thunder (drums/cymbals) and snow (metallic/melodic
instruments) would be perfect for a percussion ensemble.
Thundersnow was written for the Allen Percussion Ensemble for their performance at the 76th
Midwest Clinic. The piece was written to accommodate a wide range of players.
Personnel: 18-24+ players
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Crotales (2 octaves)
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Glockenspiel
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3 Vibraphones
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Chimes
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Xylophone
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3 Marimbas — (1) low A, (1) low F (opt. 5-octave), (1) 5-octave
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4 or 5 Timpani
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Piano
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Synthesizer*
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Drumset
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Drums — concert bass drum (+ opt. 2nd BD), 6 toms, impact drums*
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Cymbals and gongs — China cymbal, sizzle cymbal, splash cymbal, suspended cymbal, tam-tam
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Accessories — 5 bows, bell tree*, garden weasels (may sub triangle), mark tree, slapstick, sleigh bells, 2 tambourines (orchestral and headless), thunder tubes*, 3 triangles, whirly tubes* (F-natural and G-natural), woodblock, optional 6 tuned wine glasses (any octave—F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C, D-flat)
*optional
Click to view score preview.