Taking the Fifth
Peter Meechan
Ensemble: Wind Orchestra
Grade: 4
Duration: 05:30
Year of Composition: 2020
Commissioned by: Consortium led by Robert Ambrose (Georgia State University)
Publisher: Peter Meechan
Year of Publication: 2021
Publisher Catalog Number: PMM162
Available: Yes
How to Acquire: Publisher, Purchase
Links:
Piccolo
Flutes 1,2
Oboe
Bassoon
B♭ Clarinets 1,2,3,4
B♭ Bass Clarinet
E♭ Alto Saxes 1,2
B♭ Tenor Sax
E♭ Baritone Sax
B♭ Trumpets 1,2,3,4
F Horns 1,2,3,4
Trombones 1,2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Double Bass
Piano
Percussion (6 players):
1. Xylophone
2. Marimba, Vibraphone
3. Suspended Cymbal
4. Hi-Hat
5. Tom-toms
6. Bass Drum
Adapted by the composer in 2021, from the original version for adaptable ensemble.
Program Notes:
Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, originally as an adaptable chart, Taking the Fifth takes its title from both the primary interval of the work as well as from a general British expression that when something is outrageous, remarkable, or the worst of its kind that it “takes the biscuit”. Given that the piece was written during COVID-19, and that even more unpredictable news that followed every day during the pandemic, it seemed an apt title! Upbeat, occasionally dark, but always with drive and a sense of fun, Taking the Fifth was the piece that got my creative juices flowing again, having initially found myself pretty lost for inspiration during the early stages of pandemic.
Taking the Fifth is dedicated to my dear friend, Robert Ambrose.
(Peter Meechan)
