Bulb Horn Polka

Brian Slawson

Medium Concert Percussion

9 players

Instrumentation: 

Glockenspiel

Chimes

Xylophone

Vibraphone

Marimba — 4-octave

3 Timpani (32”, 29”, 26”)

Drumset

Accessories — anvil, cowbells, duck call, ratchet, slide whistle, temple blocks

Bulb Horn Polka by Brian Slawson is a fun-filled, action-packed two and a half minutes of circus-like fun for nine percussionists. Replete with comic sound effects against the fast-paced 2-beat Polka feel, the entire piece propels the listener toward the final gag involving … wait for it … a bulb horn.

Varying meters of 4, 3, and 2 intermingle throughout the work to provide a comic, if not slightly frenetic, energy. The composer recommends using a “special guest” who is not a part of the ensemble to perform the bulb horn solo at the end.

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