Fillmore-Rolling Thunder arr. Hobbs (SP)-M (3 players)

Rolling Thunder by Joe Hobbs is a marimba trio arrangement of Henry Fillmore’s iconic 1916 circus march. Scored for three players on a single shared marimba, the arrangement preserves the rapid sixteenth-note runs and high-energy pacing that made the original a showpiece for wind band.

Hobbs’s trio version creates a lively chamber setting where coordination, stick traffic, and rhythmic clarity take center stage. The setup is flexible: while scored for a 5-octave (low C) marimba, it comes with an adjusted Part 3 option allowing performance on a standard 4.3-octave (low A) instrument.

This arrangement maintains the spirit and momentum of Fillmore’s original while recasting its trademark virtuosity into a compact, entertaining trio format—ideal for recitals, studio classes, and any concert needing a burst of circus-march energy.

Number of players: 3
Difficulty: Intermediate/advanced

Instrumentation: 3 players on one 5 octave marimba (4.3 octave opt.)