Valor Day by Tom Rarick

Valor Day by Tom Rarick was composed for the Vandegrift High School Percussion Ensemble to honor the life and legacy of the school’s namesake, Lieutenant Matthew Vandegrift, who was killed in Iraq in 2008 while serving in the United States Marines 5th Battalion. “Valor Day” is observed at the school every April in his honor.

Drawing on the number five and the phrase “Second to None” (both borrowed from Lt. Vandegrift’s battalion patch which features five stars along with the phrase “Second to None” inscribed in Latin), the piece features rudimental snare drum, the intervallic relationship of a second, and the reliance on rhythmic groupings of five.

There are in fact three snare drums — a rope drum, a concert snare drum, and a piccolo snare drum, all shared by two players — that provide the focus of the piece. Various drum and cymbal combination setups provide support and color the snare material, while harmonic textures are provided via piano and vibraphone. Rarick’s clever and efficient scoring yields an impressive amount of color and attitude with relatively few players.

Valor Day blends militaristic and modern percussive influences in celebration of Vandegrift High School’s history and commemoration of Lt. Vandegrift’s sacrifice.

Valor Day ships as a fully bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for either printing or tablet viewing.