Mason-Roswell, 1947 (SP)-B/2V/Cro./X/3M/4T/P

Brian S. Mason's Roswell, 1947 is a programmatic work inspired by the events and activity surrounding the Roswell Incident. This through-composed work follows the progression of those events:

•The Desert Night
•The Stormy Crash
•Discovering the Wreckage
•Controversy and Conflict of Viewpoints
•Are They Out There?

Other programmatic elements include the use of Morse code (spelling the word A-L-I-E-N-S), as well as the use of pitch organization based on the numbers 1-9-4-7 (root, M9, P4, M7, and their inversions). To link the intrigue of the conspiracy to the overall mood of the work, Roswell, 1947 seeks to elicit curiosity and mystery in the mind of the listener.

Roswell, 1947 comes in a TOP SECRET folio+CD-ROM which will unlock the secrets allowing percussion ensembles to communicate this mysterious story.

Number of players: 11
Difficulty: Intermediate/advanced

Instrumentation:

Player 1: Vibraphone 1 (with motor & bow)
Player 2: Marimba 1 (4.5-octave)
Player 3: Marimba 2 (5-octave)
Player 4: Marimba 3 (4- or 4.3-octave)
Player 5: Vibraphone 2 (with motor & bow)
Player 6: Glockenspiel, Crotales (high octave), Water chime (high C), Slapstick, African claves
Player 7: Xylophone, Water triangle, Jing gong, Bongos, Maracas
Player 8: 4 Timpani + Cymbal (for placing on head)
Player 9: Suspended cymbal, Bass drum (concert bass), Claves, Anvil, Single-headed bass drum (small), Thunder tube, Energy chimes
Player 10: Concert toms (5), Maracas, China cymbal, Cowbell (small), Trash cymbal (stacked/dry), LP Vibra-Tone, Energy chimes
Player 11: Tam-tam, Suspended cymbal, Vibra slap, Mark tree (Treeworks Echo Chimes), Cowbell (small), Woodblock (small), Temple blocks, Sleighbells
.