Slawson-Opa! (SP)-B/V/C/X/2M/4T/DS/P

Brian Slawson wrote Opa! as a celebration of Grandparents’ Day - a holiday that honors the bonds between grandparents and grandchildren. The title holds two meanings: Firstly, “opa!” is a Greek expression often cheered at weddings and Greek dances. The word also translates to “grandpa” in German, a fitting coincidence for the meaning behind the piece!

Musically, the work takes inspiration from multiple sources. The slow, call-and-response introduction is loosely inspired by the counterpoint of Bach. Soon after, the tempo picks up as the full ensemble breaks into exuberant music-making, including several zany quotes from Pachelbel’s Canon in D. This piece is a great addition to the intermediate ensemble repertoire for any festive occasion!

Opa! ships as a printed, professionally bound score, and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or tablet viewing.

• Number of players: 10
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Instrumentation:
• Player 1: Glockenspiel
• Player 2: Xylophone
• Player 3: Chimes
• Player 4: Vibraphone
• Player 5: Marimba 1 (4.3 octave shared w/Player 7)
• Player 6: Marimba 2 (4.3 octave shared w/Player 6)
• Player 7: 4 timpani
• Player 8: temple blocks, bongos
• Player 9: bell tree, finger cymbals, cabasa, tambourine, doumbek, crash cymbals
• Player 10: Drum set