Title of Piece:Sunrise and Safarifor
Concert BandComposer:Adam Gorb
Publisher:Maecents MusicPerfomance
Time:approx. 8 minutes

Performance Notes:If fewer than three suspended cymbals are available, performers may experiment striking different parts of the instruments to produce contrasting pitches and timbres with two (or even one).

Senza misura, Ad lib and free time: improvisation is permitted and encouraged with regard to rhythm and even the tempo of musical lines. These may be played either complete or in part, but new notes may not be added. Where strict and free materials is used simultaneously (e.g. Sunrise fig 5 et seq.), synchronisation between the two is not expected, though at fig 7 all improvising musicians must enter together.

If an oboe is not available, it is still possible to perform this work by playing the cues shown in Trumpet 1 for Singapore Sunrise and Clarinet 1 for Night Safari.

Night Safari:fig 21 et seq. Clarinets and saxophones instructed to remove mouthpieces may prefer alternatively to use a second mouthpiece though this should not be necessary.

Programme Note:This work consists of two movements which may be played together or separately. Each movement lasts around three and a half minutes.

The first, Singapore Sunrise, is suitable for school bands, and is based on the Singaporean melody ‘Ikan Kekek’. It’s characterised by a mysterious opening with early-morning birdcalls on woodwinds before the melody takes over and rises to a climax.

Night Safari is intended for slightly more advanced bands and is a depiction of Singapore’s world famous Safari Park that can be visited only in the dark. I have tried to capture a sense of excitement and danger as the wild animals are seen (or sometimes just heard) in their natural habitat. The piece is a sort of jazz waltz, but with a lot of surprising sounds!

Sunrise and Safari was commissioned as the test piece for concert bands for the Singapore Youth Festival 2007.

(Adapted from the composer/publisher)