Favorite Pit Moments? (Bands, Corps, and/or Indoor)

[N.E. Brigand]

An acquaintance of mine, an experienced critic of classical music performance, recently was assigned to review something a bit outside his regular field of knowledge: a professional percussion ensemble. He's forthright in his review about the limits of his past experience with a group like this, and most of the piece consists of the thoughtful and generally warm reactions of a perceptive listener.

One early line, however, might give some readers here pause:

"A listener might expect all-percussion music to consist of a lot of deafening thumps, but [this ensemble] stays far away from the style of a marching band. This group’s basic sound is soft and gentle, focused on tuned mallet instruments: xylophones, marimbas, and other such devices."

I'd like to send him some examples from the marching arts of percussion performance that sounds nothing like "a lot of deafening thumps." Most battery features, no matter how expertly done, are probably going to sound that way to his ears. So I'm curious to hear to know: what are your favorite front ensemble moments?

(Also, he praises one selection the group played for how the composer "is able to build up his sound into coherent climaxes, resulting in musical waves reminiscent of the style of that classic work for percussion ensemble, Ionisation by Edgard Varèse." How does that 1931 piece stack up, technically or aesthetically, against a typical WGI percussion show?)

[50fly]

I have always loved how Center Grove 1997 feature the pit/percussion.  It was probably one of the first marching bands of that era to treat the pit as a feature instrument, giving alot of the melodic passages to the mallets.  Its always interesting to see how marching bands translate string parts from source materials onto non string instruments, and i think Center Grove was one of the first to give alot of the well known string melodies over to the pit rather then wind instruments.  Combine that with the innovative staging of the pit in a concert arc across the middle of the field rather then the front sideline, its clear they were building alot of the show around the percussion (and of course the amazing color guard).

I am also very partial to the front ensemble writing for SCV 2000, especially during the feature in the opener and the transition out of Adagio for Strings into the whole closer.  Very melodic and tonal creating a nice subtle atmosphere for the entire show.

[boahistorybuff]

I have always found that high school marching bands that have really strong indoor percussion at the WGI level tend to have some of the most unique and enjoyable pit percussion features. In the example used about an experienced critic of classical music, who was surprised about the musicality of the pit instrumentation, I suspect this person did not have much experience to competitive marching bands or DCI. This person seems to have a fixed stereotype that all marching bands play like they are performing for a football crowd, in other words more focused on getting the crowd loud and cheering. In DCI and the high school competitive marching band circuits, the introduction of the pit (1982-1984 time frame), when all percussion instruments no longer had to be marched on the field, immensely increased the musical depth and sophistication of the percussion.

[WoodlandsMom4ever]

I probably have a non traditional favorite pit moment. At our school the band is fully inclusive. We have had kids on the spectrum that fully participate and are completely immersed in the student experience. No para’s or assistants. They travel and attend all games and performances with us. The neuro typical students learn so much having that daily interaction with them and watching out for them during travel.

I can’t figure out how to attach a photo here…. But on the left side of our pit as you watch our show you’ll always see a couple of kids having the time of their lives with cymbals or a practice pad.

[bigtrombone]

The guard/pit feature in The Cavaliers 2014 show. I saw this live in Madison, WI and my jaw dropped.

[salvation]

The Bluecoats closer from this past year was some of the best pit wrtiting I've ever heard.