Ghlash to Rainbow Bridge

Item details

Description +
- Ghlash to Rainbow Bridge consists of two continuous movements for ten percussionists and video with embedded fixed audio playback. The video art was created by Kevin O’Meara. Thxe music was composed by Rich O’Meara.
  
  The first movement, Ghlash, begins with fixed audio playback and video only. The ensemble enters for short episodes periodically throughout the movement, occurring at rehearsal letters A through H. These episodes occur simultaneously with the audio track without need for synchronization or click track.
  
  Player 3 (Hi-Hat & Vibraphone) cues each of these entrances and sets the tempo. There is one sound that provides a signal for Player 3 before each ensemble entrance. This sound, “Glass Roll,” first occurs at timestamp 1:04 in the performance video. It is a sample of a ribbed drinking glass rolled across a counter with a delay effect applied. Each subsequent “Glass Roll” occurrence differs in length and is sometimes heard at different pitch levels simultaneously. Player 3 should note the beginning of each “Glass Roll” occurrence and give the appropriate cue within six to twelve seconds after the beginning of each “Glass Roll.” There is no need for an exact number of seconds to be counted. Player 3 should focus on how each “Glass Roll” develops while choosing when to cue each entrance. If these suggestions are followed, the movement will time out as intended. Each performance will be slightly different.
  
  The manner in which Player 3 executes the cues is determined by the needs of the ensemble. The tempo should be clearly shown, so it may be helpful for Player 3 to conduct through the whole note rolls at each rehearsal letter until the Hi-Hat part begins. Use a separate conductor only if necessary.
  
  The second movement, Rainbow Bridge, begins with a black screen. Then, a tolling bell/bowl sounds seven double whole notes on the fixed audio track, at a tempo of 112 beats per minute. Player 4 (Tam-Tam and Chimes) cues the ensemble entrance at rehearsal letter I by playing two half notes in tempo on “E” after the seventh toll, as notated on Chimes. No further cues are necessary. The audio track is silent from this point until the end of the piece.
  
  It should be noted that Player 5 may need to photocopy pages 4 and 5 of their part, and lay them out after pages 2 and 3, or use a page turner or tablet.
  
  Timestamps from the video/fixed playback appear periodically in the score and parts to help cue up rehearsal locations.
  
  A plan for variable lighting should be used if the venue is so equipped and has a lighting technician that can follow the timings in the score. At the start of Ghlash, the stage should be dark except for stand lights or tablets. A few seconds before each ensemble entrance, the lights will fade up to illuminate the ensemble just enough to play comfortably without washing out the video. The lights will fade to dark after the end of each ensemble section during Ghlash. The stage should stay dark during the tolling bell transition to Rainbow Bridge. Then, the lights should fade up a few seconds before the chimes player enters at one measure before letter I. Lighting should stay constant during Rainbow Bridge, at the same low level as in Ghlash. The lights should fade to black as the video fades to black and the instrument sounds decay. If it’s not possible to fade lights up and down, then the lighting should be low enough throughout to avoid washing out the video.
  
  The second movement, Rainbow Bridge, may be performed as a stand-alone ensemble piece without video if desired. In that case, the tolling bell meditation at the beginning should be played by an ensemble member on a resonant bowl or bell that is the pitch “E.”
  
  Contact Edition Svitzer at mail@editionsvitzer.com to obtain the playback media. The download consists of a .mov file of the video with embedded audio track for performance.
  
  A demo of the piece with MIDI instruments may be viewed here: https://youtu.be/PBrLRsYTBu0
  
  A special note of thanks to my friend, composer and percussionist Richard McCandless (richardmccandless.com), for permission to use several of his modified tam-tam samples as raw material for the audio track. In addition, his input was invaluable in preparing the score and preface materials. Thanks also to Patsy O’Meara for her meticulous proofreading and editing. Thanks again to Johan Svitzer for supporting this project and providing invaluable guidance.
Instrumentation +
- Player 1
  Glockenspiel
  2 Bongos
  
  Player 2
  Xylophone
  Floor Tom
  
  Player 3
  Vibraphone
  Hi-Hat
  
  Player 4
  Chimes
  Tam-Tam (large)
  
  Player 5
  Marimba (shared with Player 6)
  Tom (medium pitch)
  
  Player 6
  Marimba (shared with Player 5)
  Snare Drum
  
  Player 7
  Marimba
  Tom (low pitch)
  
  Player 8
  Marimba
  Wind Gong (gong with flat edge, at least 20", set at shoulder height)
  
  Player 9
  Doumbek (low, open sound + high slap)
  
  Player 10
  Ankle Bell Shaker (small ankle bells shaken by hand, not sleigh bells)
  Concert Bass Drum (laid flat)
Watch+
About the composer +
- Rich O’Meara is most known for his compositions for marimba that are performed and recorded throughout the world. His solo album, Red Chard, presents the premiere of Tsubaki Dance for marimba and drumset. It also features works for solo marimba, chamber percussion, electronic music, and improvisation. His work has been featured on the NPR program “New Sounds” and the PBS documentary “The Music Instinct, Science and Song”. He presented a master class and concert of his works at the Eighth International Festival of Percussion in Argentina and has received four ASCAP Plus awards.
  
  As a founding member of Silent Orchestra, he began a collaboration with Carlos Garza to develop and perform new scores for classic silent films. They have appeared at museums, theaters, and film festivals throughout the U.S., as well as at PASIC in 2001. Their scores for the iconic films Nosferatu (1922) and Salome (1923) are available on DVD.
  
  Working with playwright/actor David Kessler, he created and performed music for two live multi-media theater productions during the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC.
  
  O’Meara has performed with Kwo’m Percussion, Sandbox Percussion, One Earth Percussion Theatre, the Contemporary Music Forum, the National Symphony Orchestra, and as a soloist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and The Women Composer’s Orchestra. Along with the members of So Percussion and his son, Kevin O’Meara, he has played with the Dan Deacon Ensemble and appears on Deacon's albums Bromst, America, and his soundtrack for Well Groomed. He is an active member of the experimental music scene, and has produced three albums with Colla Parte, a quartet that creates music in the moment.
  
  Rich and his wife, Patsy, currently live in Bethel, Connecticut with their extended family and four dogs.
  
  https://richomeara.bandcamp.com
  https://www.facebook.com/richomeara
  http://youtube.com/madeinmarimba
Credits +
- With support from Koda’s Cultural Funds
  Cover art: Kevin O'Meara
  Front Cover Graphics and Layout: Rich O'Meara
  Engraving: Rich O’Meara
  Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
  Copyright © Edition SVITZER
  www.editionsvitzer.com

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