Strange Dreams (2001) by Nathan Daughtrey
Players: 2
Instrumentation: Marimba and Alto Saxophone or Clarinet
Duration: 12 minutes
Program Note:
Based on the poetry of StoryPeople creator Brian Andreas, Strange Dreams illustrates each story with unique colors. The first movement, Unheard Music, features a four-note ostinato in the marimba part with a soaring melody in the saxophone. Roles are reversed toward the middle of the movement. The second movement, Ballerina Mom, is a rather lop-side dance with a pattern of three 6/8 bars and a 7/8 bar. Short and sweet. The third movement, Mermaid Song, opens with the ethereal theme in the rolled marimba before moving into a bubbly sextuplet feel. The final movement, Pools of Light, is a fast and furious update of the two-part invention with wonderful interplay between the two instruments. – Nathan Daughtrey
Nathan Daughtrey is a versatile composer, percussionist, and educator, and is currently a Visiting Lecturer of Percussion and Music Composition at High Point University in North Carolina.. His compositions have been performed at many festivals including the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the International Double Reed Society Conference, and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. He was the recipient of the 2007 ASCAP Plus Award, and has over 50 published works for percussion, concert band, and orchestra. As a percussionist, his is an active solo marimba artist and clinician, performing throughout the world.
Annotated by Christine Augspurger