Sword Shield

Composer: Adam Tan

Instrument: Vibraphone and Marimba

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Published: 2022

• Description

• • Duration. 3½ min.
    
    Sword Shield was written for and commissioned by Freya Wheatley for her percussion recital here in Perth, Australia, completing a program of new works commissioned by Freya from Perth composers. Freya asked me to write a duo piece for her to play with her brother, so I instantly came up with the idea of a vibraphone-marimba duo signifying a 'friendly' battle with fighting themes - a friendly battle between two players.
    
    One player assumes the ‘attacking’ stance with their virtuosic lines, whilst the other ‘defending’ with chordal and punctuated accompaniment. These roles switch throughout the work, symbolising an equality of power in their battle, before both players realise the only way to resolve their battle is to combine their forces in a final moment of shining unity.
    
    Sword Shield is the most difficult duo work I have written so far, referencing similar thematic styles to my ensemble work We Are Heroes - a theme of heroic fighting, defending and standing up for others - with some drops of inspiration from the flashy and shimmering nature of my other vibraphone-marimba duo, Flying Colours.
    
    Adam Tan

• Instrumentation
• Vibraphone (3.0 octave) and Marimba (4.3 octave)

• Percussive Notes, April 2023
  
  Adam Tan has provided another excellent piece for the duet repertoire. Written for marimba and vibraphone, the piece requires each player to have a firm grasp of four-mallet technique along with an excellent sense of ensemble playing.
  
  This work represents two forces at battle with each other. One part performs virtuosic lines while the other “defends” with chordal accompaniment. Along the way these roles switch between the players, and both come away realizing that they can be stronger if they combine forces. With this, each player needs to be able to switch between offensive and defensive roles. When playing the accompaniment, a strong rhythmic foundation will be required to allow for the lyrical player to shine. Throughout, Tan gives musical direction with phrases like “more pronounced, heroic” and “charging onward, with confidence” that will help the performers along this journey.
  
  This new duo will be sure to please audiences in any setting, from a collegiate recital to percussion ensemble concert. The audience is sure to enjoy watching two players battle it out onstage to see who comes out on top.
  
  —Josh Armstrong