“A Cricket Sang and Set the Sun”
by Blake Tyson
MARIMBA LITERATURE LIBRARY / GRADE 4
PERFORMED BY KELSEY TAMAYO
MALLETS USED IN THIS ETUDE INCLUDE:
Virtuoso Series
Designed for the solo marimba performer, the Virtuoso Series features a rubber core wrapped with a wool blend yarn for an especially warm and full-bodied sound. The 17″ handles are made of birch with a unique slip-resistant finish for excellent feel and enhanced control. A fine choice in ensemble settings as well!
ABOUT THE PIECE
A Cricket Sang and Set the Sun by Blake Tyson is a beautiful, lyrical piece for solo marimba. The opening passages of the piece ebb and flow and create a very reflective mood.
“This work takes its title from an Emily Dickinson poem that begins, “The cricket sang, And set the sun.” When I read these words, I was moved by the powerful ideas they evoked. It was not just the image of a beautiful and slowly shifting sunset that struck me, but the idea that something so small could affect something so large, that a cricket’s song could transform day into night. Although the piece is not directly based on the poem, I have tried to capture the sense of fascination, inspiration and beauty that these opening lines create.”
~ Blake Tyson
PERFORMANCE WITHOUT LIMITATION…BY DESIGN
For nearly 60 years, we at the Vic Firth Company have focused on developing and manufacturing what has become the world’s most popular drumsticks, mallets, alternative implements, and accessories… with the best durability, feel, and sound options, across the widest variety of genres and styles.
