Diminutives for Euphonium & Percussion by Nathan Daughtrey

Program Notes
Written for and dedicated to the Moreau/VanTuinen Duo during the time of COVID-19, DIMINUTIVES is a collection of ten 1-minute duo vignettes for euphonium & percussion. Six are brand new works and four are adaptations of earlier chamber works. They may be performed as a complete suite, individual short works, or combined in any way you see fit.

1. The Heroes Around You
Percussion Needs: Vibraphone
“Once you begin to see the heroes around you, the ones that stand quietly and love the world with everything you are, it is hard to miss that you are bigger because of them & don’t be surprised if one day you choose to stand up too and show what happens when you live that kind of life.”
– Kai Skye

2. Dance Like Nobody’s Watching
Percussion Needs: 5-octave Marimba, Temple Blocks
“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, And live like it’s heaven on earth.” – William W. Purkey

3. In the Deep Solitude
Percussion Needs: Vibraphone
Adapted from my duet for oboe & vibraphone, “Tangling Shadows,” which was inspired by the poem “Thinking, Tangling Shadows” by Pablo Neruda.

4. Where Angels Fear to Tread
Percussion Needs: 5-octave Marimba, Sizzle Cymbal, Snare, Kick Drum
Inspired by the Alexander Pope quote, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” In other words, people without good sense or judgment will have no hesitation in tackling a situation that even the wisest would avoid.

5. Graveyard of Buried Hopes
Percussion Needs: Vibraphone with 2 bass bows & 1 heavy, soft mallet
Inspired by a line from Anne of Green Gables, which goes, “My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.” This was written during a particularly rough period during the peak of the pandemic.

6. Run With the Stars
Percussion Needs: 5-octave Marimba, Desk Bells (or Vibraphone)
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars and see yourself running with them.”
– Marcus Aurelius

7. House of Mirrors
Percussion Needs: Vibraphone, Low Woodblock, Sizzle Cymbal
Adapted from my duet “House of Mirrors” for bassoon & 2 percussion, which was inspired by the Japanese folktale “House of 1,000 Mirrors.” At its simplest, the tale shows us that we get back what we put into the world.

8. Are You My Shadow?
Percussion Needs: 5-octave Marimba
Adapted from my flute/marimba duet, “An Extraordinary Correspondence,” which was inspired by the Griffin & Sabine trilogy of books by Nick Bantock.

9. Surrender
Percussion Needs: Vibraphone, Crotales (low octave)
A simple reminder to just breathe.

10. Moon Dancer
Percussion Needs: Vibraphone, Crotales (low octave)
Adapted from my duet for bassoon & marimba, “Triple Moon.” The piece is a musical representation of the the Triple Goddess symbol, which aligns with the three phases of the moon – waxing crescent, full moon, and waning crescent. It is dedicated to the three generations of women closest to me, including my daughter, my wife, and my wife’s mother. The section used for this miniature is meant to capture youthful enchantment & exuberance.