Huestis-Nuestro Canto (SP)-B/V/X/M/P/BG

Nuestro Canto by Michael Huestis is a medium-level percussion ensemble work that serves as an introduction to calypso music for young players. Scored for eight to twelve or more performers, the piece combines keyboard percussion with drum set, bass guitar, and a traditional “engine room” rhythm section. A written drum set solo and a fun choro (“chorus”) section where players sing “Our Song” add to the energy of this crowd-pleasing work.

Nuestro Canto can be performed on its own or alongside its steel band counterpart for a collaborative concert experience. The scoring is flexible, allowing parts to be doubled or adapted to fit the size and strengths of your ensemble.

This piece ships as a fully bound score or as an instant PDF download for printing or tablet viewing. Individual parts come exclusively in PDF format.

• Number of players: 8-12+
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Instrumentation:
• Player 1: Glockenspiel*
• Player 2: Xylophone*
• Player 3: Vibraphone*
• Player 4: Marimba 1* (4.3 octave, shared w/Player 5)
• Player 5: Marimba 2*
• Player 6: Bass guitar (optional, may substitute synth, malletSTATION, or MalletKAT)
• Player 7: Drum set (kick, snare, 2 rack toms, 1 floor tom, ride cymbal, hi-hat, 2 crash cymbals)
• Player 8: Triangle (optional)
• Player 9: Large cowbell (optional)
• Player 10: 2 congas
• Player 11: Shaker (optional)
• Player 12: Brake drum