Cascade

by Zach Paris

Medium-Easy Concert Percussion

5 Players

Instrumentation

• Glockenspiel
• Drums – 2 bongos, 2 congas, 2 small toms, 2 large toms, concert bass drum
• Cymbals & gongs – small suspended cymbal, large suspended cymbal, tam-tam
• Accessories – 2 triangles

Cascade by Zach Paris is a contemporary work for percussion quintet that features elements of both Japanese Taiko drumming and atonal improvisation. Its title comes from the cascading waterfalls common in Yellowstone National Park. 

Performed on a series of drums, metallics, and a single pitched instrument (glockenspiel), the piece alternates between the turbulence of powerful waterfalls and the tranquility found above and below the cascade.

Sections of the work are driven by strong, unison 8th notes with accents moving around the ensemble, allowing for some visual flair. These are in stark contrast to quiet sections of aleatoric improvisation which guarantee a different performance every time and provide a great opportunity for ensembles to explore musical spaces together. 

Cascade ships as a fully bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for either printing or tablet viewing.