Medium
Duration 16:45
INSTRUMENTATION
Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Horn
Trombone
Tuba
Percussion
Small & Large Suspended Cymbals, Woodblock, 4 Concert Toms, Djembe, Xylophone, Marimba
PROGRAM NOTES
Serengeti is named for the area in east central Africa that is one of the most fascinating environments on earth. The composition can be thought of as illustrating three scenes from this region. The first movement, "Endless Plains" suggests the vast grassland that is much of the Serengeti and the activity of a day on these plains. In fact, to the native Massai the word “serengeti” means "the place where the land moves on forever." As the sun goes down in the Serengeti, many animals are finding a safe place to roll up and hide for the night, while others are just waking up and are looking forward to the cover of darkness. Serengeti becomes a different place when darkness falls. The second movement, "Twilight" attempts to capture the beauty and mystery of that time. It is the migration for which Serengeti is perhaps most famous. Hundreds of thousands of animals, including wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, and lions travel south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then swirl west and north after the long rains in April, May and June. So strong is the ancient instinct to follow the rains that nothing can deter this force of nature. The final movement, "Great Migration" gives a sense of the forward drive and drama of this unique event.
Serengeti was written for and premiered in memory of our friend, colleague, and long-time percussion instructor at Tennessee Tech, Joseph Rasmussen.
