Equinox by Michael Tompkins

Equinox is a piece inspired by the equal parts of dark and light that happen during an equinox. Its dark melodies and drum interludes make it an exciting piece that ends with incredible force.

The piece opens with a mood setting “in-your-face” statement that is sure to excite the audiences inner-musician and as the piece progresses, a constant ostinato in the first marimba takes over and pushes the piece forward. The Vibraphone 1 line is made as a “solo” and creates some unique melodies and moving lines, that give us a sense of direction. These solo passages become increasingly dark and complex and as we add performers to these solos, they become more open to interpretation, style and expression.

This is a desired effect and should be communicated to the performers. The piece should be played very intensely. It is not meant to be a “pretty” piece. It is about power, and volume and it should be performed as such. The moving lines (vibraphone and other solos) should be played with musical expression and good sound quality, but not lose intensity. During the drum solos, the piece turns to a dark and powerful creation and, in a sense, evil.