The CNU Percussion Ensemble took center stage last week, presenting their final show, “Standing On the Shoulders of Giants”. With music inspired by Reich, Bonham, Zappa, and Cage & Lucas, the ensemble experimented with different instruments and sounds, including the crowd favorite keytar (keyboard worn as a guitar) towards the end of the show.
The percussion ensemble is one of many music programs at CNU. Students onstage include music majors, non music majors, percussionists, and non percussionists, so a wide variety of talent and experience was involved in this production.Under the direction of Scott Amman, The show opened with William Shaltis’ “Reich In Rainbows”, a cohesive and dynamic performance that left a lasting impression. After “The Cage We Make”, the ensemble moved into the song “Clapping Music,” featuring intricate rhythmic patterns created solely through the performers’ handclaps.
For the second half of the show, the ensemble performed “Bonham”, a flashy drum number serving as an ode to rock drumming, particularly Led Zeppelin’s legendary drummer, the late John (“Bonzo”) Bonham. Moving into “The Mandalorian”, which featured a fun lightsaber moment, the ensemble performed the theme music from the popular Star Wars show “The Mandalorian”. This one seemed to be a crowd favorite. They transitioned into “The Gilded Cage”, another flashy drum number with the “cage” theme being exhibited in the way the performers created a constantly evolving visual cage with their sticks.
The show closed with “The Black Page/Ionisation”, which is actually the largest number the percussion ensemble has ever put on. As the final notes echoed through the theater, the audience showered the Percussion Ensemble with applause and cheers. The evening was a celebration of music, rhythm, and the boundless possibilities of percussion.
