Pickering-Dreadnought (SP)-B/2V/C/Cro./X/4M/4T/P

Dreadnought by Caleb Pickering is a percussion ensemble scored for 11 players (8 keyboards, 1 timpani, & 2 percussion). The title of the piece refers to the unstoppable Dreadnought model battleship that dominated naval combat in the early 20th century by the Royal Navy. While not directly programmatic, the work depicts various imagery of a Dreadnought ship moving through the Pacific Ocean and engaging in combat with various ships. Because of the shear power and size of the vessel, the Dreadnought often won battles without any casualties by simply overpowering the enemy with its vast strength.

Number of players: 11
Difficulty: Intermediate/advanced

Instrumentation

Player 1: Glockenspiel, chimes
Player 2: Crotales, xylophone
Player 3: Vibraphone 1
Player 4: Vibraphone 2
Player 5: Marimba 1 (4.3-octave), low tom
Player 6: Marimba 2 (4.3-octave), low tom
Player 7: Marimba 3 (5-octave), crash cymbal
Player 8: Marimba 4 (5-octave)
Player 9: Timpani
Player 10: Concert Bass Drum, Impact Bass Drum, Triangle, Thundersheet, Congas, Snare Drum, Marching Machine, Ribbon Crasher, Tam-Tam, Crash Cymbal
Player 11: Concert Bass Drum, Impact Bass Drum, 3 Concert Toms, Snare Drum, Crash Cymbal, Hi-Hat, Metal Sound [Propane Tank, Brake Drum, etc.]