As the Sound of Many Waters by Zach Paris

As the Sound of Many Waters is a contemporary work for a table-top multi-percussion setup and backing track. This piece explores the various sonic characteristics of water; ranging from sparse ethereal sections to high-energy moments that challenge the chops and coordination of the performer. The piece also eliminates the need for large percussion instruments, as most of the setup can fit on a single percussion tray table. The backing track also includes a click track for easier alignment with the supporting sounds. This is an excellent recital piece, and the small setup makes this the perfect piece to perform on the go.

Program Notes
It is quite extraordinary the multitude of sonic properties water can produce; from the mighty sounds of waves, waterfalls, and rushing rivers, to the delicate sound of light rain or the falling of a single droplet. Biblical text compares the sound of saints in heaven praising God to the sound of many waters (Revelation 14:2). Much like a waterfall contains many different sizes of water droplets that create the multitude of frequencies we hear, there is a multitude of irreplaceable voices that are no longer here on Earth but continue to produce their unique sounds. Though we can no longer hear these voices on Earth, we believe we will hear them again.

As the Sound of Many Waters is a contemporary work for table-top multi-percussion setup and backing track that explores the various sonic characteristics of water; ranging from sparse ethereal sections that depict the falling of single water droplets to high-energy moments that reflect the sound of raging rapids. The multitude of sounds are created through the use of the three timbral families of woods, metals, and skins, as well as shake and scrape instruments.