Pieces of Eight | Colin Shaw

Pieces of Eight is a percussion ensemble work for eight players, talented beginners, or intermediate players.
It is a piece to stretch beginners in tuned percussion, but also allowing them to play other instruments, mounted above their tuned instruments.
The tuned parts are deliberately simple allowing them to learn and practise single stroke rolls evenly and fairly fast.
The timpani player is important to help keep the ensemble together, and dynamics are essential for an effective performance. The piece even allows for some improvisation.
Quite ABBA-esque in parts, the piece is hugely rewarding for developing tuned percussion players

Instrumentation:
Percussion 1: Xylophone and Woodblock
Percussion 2: Glockenspiel and Cowbell
Percussion 3: Vibraphone and Tambourine
Percussion 4: High Toms
Percussion 5: Low Toms
Percussion 6: Snare Drum and Cymbal
Percussion 7: Bass Drum, Cymbal and Whistle
Percussion 8: Timpani (G and C)