Cellar Door by Ed Witt

Cellar Door is a collection of themes I accumulated over my high school career. It was written as a tribute to the Mt. Lebanon Percussion program, in its 26th season at the time. The piece is also dedicated to Ben Robb.

The piece features the vibraphone as a soloist. It begins with a mysterious chromatic chord theme which is later re-articulated by the marimbas. The second theme, which is much more soothing, also begins with a vibe solo. After a build-up that utilizes the entire ensemble, the fast main theme is introduced, which carries most of the weight of the piece. There is an interplay between the xylophone, vibraphone, and marimba in the 7/8 section that establishes a rhythmic motif that is referenced throughout the rest of the piece.

The sinister fourth theme modulates the piece to C minor, and emphasizes the off beats. There is a brief battery percussion break, which transitions into the 5th theme in A minor. After the vibraphone soloist references the first theme, the piece concludes with a recap of the main theme, now in C major.