Travelers in a Foreign Land

About the Music:

Featuring the doumbek, a middle-eastern drum, Travelers in a Foreign Land evokes a journey through distant countries of the Arabic world. Performers and listeners alike journey through cities and landscapes, finding exciting new places they have never before visited. This piece was premiered as the titular piece of a 2017 symphonic band concert at Brigham Young University.

Performance Notes:

The doumbek in the percussion section is a key element to the overall groove of the piece. The doumbek should be placed in a prominent location in the percussion section in order to get the best projection of sound. The double bass part in this piece is optional. At rehearsal markings E, F, and G, the piece settles into a breakdown section focused on an alto saxophone solo and a duet between the alto saxophone and piccolo. While the men singing in unison with the tuba should be heard, this must not overwhelm the solo and duet. The percussion and low woodwind hits also must not overwhelm the solo and duet. The piccolo is purposely written in its lower register in order to achieve an airy and distant sound quality; therefore, the piccolo must play loud and great care must be taken to keep the other instruments quiet enough to not overwhelm the piccolo in this section.