Call For Scores: Horn And Percussion Duet

Hello! 

I have two high school friends who have asked me to post a call for scores here for a duet of horn and percussion. 

Deadline: Scores must be submitted no later than 11:59pm, March 7th, 2014, Arizona time (Mountain Standard Time, with no daylight savings).

Grand Prize: The winner's piece will be performed by the duo in an April concert at Payson High School, in Payson, Arizona. A video recording of the piece will be made and a copy of the video recording will be provided to the winning composer. A copy of the winning composition will also be kept in the Payson High School Music Library for future study and performance by students. 

Process for Deciding a Winner: The winning score will be chosen by a jury of the two performers and their director (a total of three jury members). The jury will select the winning piece no later than March 14th, 2014. The winning score will be announced here and the winning composer will be contacted by personal message on this site, unless another form of contact is requested. The winning composer must provide their name, or the pseudonym they wish to appear on the program, as well as information on how a digital copy of the recording of the performance may be sent to them.  

Legal Mumbojumbo: The Payson High School Band/Music Director reserves the right to remove the piece from the program without notice and at any time. The Payson High School Band/Music Director reserves the right to remove the piece from the Payson High School Music Library at any time and without notice or notification. 

The following is a message from the duo with their further requirements for the piece. :

 

Percussion and French Horn duo

 

Overall feel:  Modern (but not atonal!). Latin-esque, but not strictly Latin.  Very rhythmic and percussive.  Make sure the piece sounds nice.  This is supposed to be modern, but not disgusting- it should be pleasing to the ear.  Funky and fun and not harsh on the ears.  Melodic with a focus on rhythm.  Don’t make it very long.  If at any point it feels like it’s dragging on, it’s too boring- this should be interesting the whole way through.  2-6 minutes, loosely.

 

Percussion:  There is only one percussionist.  He is extremely talented.  Feel free to use as many percussion instruments as desired, but make sure one person can play the part.  For example, timbales in conjunction with a bass drum and foot pedal are fair game, but quints with marimba is a no go.  Not required, but if desired, you can go outside of traditional percussion instruments and try trash can lids, hammers, or anything else relatively easy to get ahold of.

 

French Horn: Use the horn as a percussive instrument, but not in any way that would damage it.  Use it as an aerophone proper, and utilize quick licks, stopped horn, etc.  Elephant noises.  Whatever.  If it sounds cool, use it.  The horn makes a lot of funky sounds that are not used very often.  The range of this horn player (in F pitches) is the G at the bottom of the bass clef to the A above the treble staff.  If there’s a part that REALLY needs a trombone slide or a muted trumpet (low trumpet register) or other brass part, then throw it in (for the horn player to switch to).  Only do this if you REALLY think it’s necessary.