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Review from Percussive Notes (2021):
Xywayz
David Macbride
“Xywayz” is scored for xylophone, percussion, and piano. As with much of David Macbride’s music, there are extensive performance notes at the beginning of the score. These notes indicate percussion instrumentation (with possible substitutions), notation explanations, and possible interpretations of the more aleatoric sections of the piece. Also, there are specific notes about timing (e.g., xylophone enters 5–10 seconds after the beginning of piece, etc).
“Xywayz” is divided into sections called “mazes:” Intro Maze, Maze IA, Maze IB, End Maze I, Maze IIA, Maze IIB, Maze III, Maze IIIA, and Maze IIIB. Macbride states, “Players may move across or down only. The path chosen should be determined by the immediate musical context: always be aware of the rest of the ensemble.” Therefore, each interpretation is open, but should create a cohesive and logical musical context. The piece has moments of contemplation and serenity interspersed with rapid, chaotic figures.
I would recommend this piece for an advanced university or professional group. The piece is technically and musically challenging and requires extensive planning as well as mature chamber skills to achieve an accurate performance.
—Justin Bunting
