Marimba solo -- "A cricket sang and set the sun" by Blake Tyson

This work takes its title from an Emily Dickinson poem that begins, "The cricket sang, And set the sun." When I read these words, I was moved by the powerful ideas they evoked. It was not just the image of a beautiful and slowly shifting sunset that struck me, but the idea that something so small could affect something so large, that a cricket's song could transform day into night. Although the piece is not directly based on the poem, I have tried to capture the sense of fascination, inspiration and beauty that these opening lines create.

Visit www.blaketyson.com for more information.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• marimba
• Blake Tyson
• percussion
• UCA
• University Central Arkansas
• cricket sang set sun
• ceiling full of stars

[monkeyrilla5]

hey how difficult is this? I've been playing piano and drums/percussion for about 6-7 years

[BlakeTysonMusic]

@monkeyrilla5 Technically, it's not the most difficult piece in the world, but not the easiest, either. I've heard it performed by professionals, but I've also heard great performances by high school students. The most biggest technical challenges are in the middle section of the piece. The sequential stickings I use can be changed to "doubles" if the torque required for the close intervals isn't quite ready to go yet.

[cedalphorn]

trop fort!!

[BlakeTysonMusic]

@cedalphorn Thanks!

[DISSODANTS]

this is wonderful, thanks for sharing it.

[BlakeTysonMusic]

@DISSODANTS Thanks! And thanks for giving it a listen. I appreciate it.

[indujon]

Is this written for a low a?

[Cameroon993]

What marimba are you performing this on? I'll most likley be perfoming this on a Mark Ford marimba and wondering what it will sound like/

[4XxPeNnYxX4]

Good lord. This piece looks fun but it looks like a pain to learn. That's alot of notes.

[poketripper]

Amazing!!! you are very talented

[BlakeTysonMusic]

@AcridWaters THanks for playing "cricket." I usually play this piece with BT4's and sometimes use a BT3 in the bass.

[AcridWaters]

I'm a high school freshman playing this for my solo this year; I love your work. Of your mallets, what would you reccomend for this? I need something softer than IP240s...