...of the Earth is a non-pitched percussion quartet in which the bass drum is the only true drum in the ensemble and is shared by all four players. The title refers to the primitive nature of the instruments (wood, metal, calf skin). Each player has four "melodic" instruments (brake drums, cow bells, woodblocks, log drums). Also, each player has a two "toys" and share china cymbals, a tam-tam, and a thunder sheet. The piece features two main motives in the "melodic" instruments that are developed and juxtaposed over a driving rhythmic backdrop. ..of the Earth was written by Robert McClure in the fall of 2007.
Number of players - 4
Difficulty - Grade 5 (medium advanced)
Instrumentation -
4 brake drums (high to low)
4 woodblocks (high to low)
4 cow bells (high to low)
4 log drums (high to low)
Bass drum (shared by all 4 players)
Thunder sheet
Tam-Tam
2 China cymbals (1 high, 1 low)
Ratchet
Maracas
Slap Stick
Claves
Vibraslap
Castanets
Tambourine
Guiro
