Canon Fodder by Chad Heiny

Chad Heiny’s Canon Fodder was written as a reflection on the current climate of our social, educational, and ecological systems, where untold damage is being done. In his own words, he “needed a way to get [his] wide range of feelings out.”

This unyielding quartet features a homogeneous instrumentation from player to player, each having two woodblocks and three graduated toms, giving the piece its sense of cohesion. Later in the piece, two players interact on a shared glockenspiel and resonant metals. The piece gets its name from the “canons” that are passed around the ensemble and are as visually compelling as they are musically compelling. It also has a thread of incessant “clock ticking” symbolizing that time remains universal and unflinching.