Iron Tongues
"Iron Tongues" is a percussion trio composed by Miriama Young in 1999, commissioned by Strike Percussion with support from Creative New Zealand. The work features three percussionists playing a 5-octave marimba, 5 brake drums, and a drum kit consisting of 4 tom-toms, a kick drum, and a high-hat. With a duration of 5 minutes, the piece showcases the distinct voices of wood, metal, and skin, exploring intricate and diverse timbral elements and moments of cohesive combined ensemble. Influenced by post-minimalism and the Bang on a Can school, the work was revised in 2004 and has been performed worldwide by ensembles such as Quey Percussion, So Percussion Ensemble, and TimeTable Percussion. The work has been described as "explor[ing] the phenomenal timbre of the marimba beautifully" by The Nelson Mail (New Zealand). "Iron Tongues" is a challenging work suitable for advanced percussionists looking to showcase their technical prowess and musical sensitivity.
Work Details
Year: 1999
Instrumentation: Percussion trio: 5-Octave Marimba ; 5 Brake Drums ; Drum Kit: 4 Tom-toms, Kick Drum, High-hat.
Duration: 5 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Commission note: Commissioned by Strike Percussion with funds provided by Creative New Zealand.
First performance: by Strike Percussion — Oct 00. Wellington Town Hall, Wellington NZ
The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc assocaited with this woork:
post-minimalist, influenced by the Bang on a Can school
Revised 2004
