Prayer for Peace, for solo marimba, includes one score.
Print size: 11 x 14.75"
Review from Percussive Notes:
Prayer for Peace
David Macbride
“Prayer for Peace” is a somber, lyrical chorale for unaccompanied 5-octave marimba. Although Media Press copyrighted this work in 2019, David Macbride composed it in 2007. This 46-measure chorale has a marked tempo of quarter-note equals 52–56 with a style marking of “Quietly Flowing.” Attention to the selection of soft/medium mallets that are capable of a variety of tessituras from the lowest C to the A two octaves above the treble clef staff are an absolute necessity for a successful performance.
Structurally, the first 33 measures project three beautiful chorale sections—rising initially from the mid-range of the marimba, then up an octave, and finally a third phrase even higher. At this point, the remainder (13-measure closing coda) of this 46-measure chorale articulates a “warm, legato,” somewhat inconclusive ending—which is primarily in the lowest register of the five-octave marimba (except for the final ending note, which is a solitary A-sharp just above the treble clef). Although the composer notates a key signature of G major, there are no cadences in this key. One might take into consideration that five of the initial seven cadences are half-cadences (with an inferred D major triad—the dominant chord of G major). The composition lasts about 4 minutes—depending on the performer’s interpretive pauses.
This pensive, marimba chorale might be appropriate for the undergraduate senior or initial graduate level solo percussion recital. At $9.00,
it is a thoughtfully challenging bargain for the 5-octave marimba!
—Jim Lambert, 2020
Demo:
