That time I played the “Percussion 2” part on Persichetti’s Symphony No. 6

Several years ago, while I was the “key grip” (a joke the directors used to make…actually I was an assistant band director/percussion teacher) of the Berryville Band, the high school concert band played Vincent Persichetti’s “Symphony No. 6” for band. I taught percussion in those days and had the pleasure of working with the top percussionists in the high school band on this masterpiece. It was so different from much of the percussion writing I had dealt with up to that point that I spent the afternoon at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville picking Professor Chalon Ragsdale’s brain about how to adequately teach this piece. I wanted to make sure to do it justice.

We worked hard on that piece and it came together beautifully. If you aren’t familiar with it, you should check it out.

Where were we?

We had the pleasure of performing the symphony several times over the course of the year. One in particular coincided with our principal percussionist’s trip to New York City to perform in a snare drum ensemble at a Knicks game. There was no way we could deprive him of that opportunity, so Daniel Hodge (Berryville’s director of bands at the time) asked me if I could learn his part for a home performance before we took the band trip to Chicago, (The student would be back in time for the trip).

I am a trumpet player.

I just wanted to make that clear.

Having taught the piece, and having to become intimately familiar with the percussion parts, I said “sure.” Up to that point, I believe the only percussion instrument I had ever actually performed was the cabasa part that was written into the cornet part I played on “Hymn of the Highlands”, with the Ozark Mountains British Brass Band. The percussion 2 part to the Persichetti Symphony, however, consisting of 3 snare drums and mounted tamborine, as well as triangle, and maybe even cymbal. I can’t quite recall now. Suffice it to say, this part was light years harder than the cabasa part.

I had taught percussion in Berryville for 5 years now, and was well versed in all facets of percussion, but having to actually perform this very difficult (for a trumpet player) part in front of a crowd was un-nerving to say the least. But I did it. And it was Fun!

I can remember with infinite detail that Hodge decided to pull the percussion up right next to/in front of the band for this performance, so if I screwed up all the parents would see me do it (and wonder what on earth I was doing in the percussion section). The performance went incredibly well. I don’t remember messing up too much, but I do remember having to pass a set of brushes off to the timpani player and forgetting until the last second, which made me completely loose my place in the music right before an incredibly exposed and important tambourine part, which I played completely based off of instinct.

Man, it was a blast! It makes me realized why everyone wants to be a percussionist.

I only hope that I can provide percussionists with the immense pleasure (and a little fright) that Persichetti provided me!