LAST EVER Honors Percussion Recital until the next one in April, and that other one in May. But then we are DONE!

This was the first HPQ recital for this year and the first time it was held in this small room with fancy wing-back chairs. So the audience got to be up close and personal with the instruments, which I very much preferred. These aren't in order, as this first piece is the last one they performed. I am sorry that Thomas is tucked behind a fellow percussionist for much of it as he is leading the song (he does the first chorus and they do the traditional response on other instruments). It is called Bahrah:
This is a really nice piece, not only because the boys have to stretch themselves and work with many different instruments each, but because it is composed and published by Thomas's first percussion teacher Alyssa Smith. It is called "Lapse of Reason." Thomas seems seriously concerned that the rain stick is going to do something cheeky like fall onto the floor.
I like this piece, too. It is called "Spanish Dance." I will admit that, a dozen or so years ago when Thomas started working on the xylophone before getting promoted to 2 mallet, then 3 mallet and then (!) four mallet marimbaing that I would have said I didn't care much for marimba music. Now I know how WRONG I WAS!
Each of the four boys had to perform a solo number. Thomas is here performing "Canticle I". Apparently there are many other Canticles that COULD have been performed. During this piece you will hear a young wannabe percussionist (about 10 months old, I would guess) whooping with impatience during the quiet bits. During the loud bits he would stand (with the help of a male caretaker) on an adult lap, gaping with sheer joy at the explosive noises. Since there were many quiet moments, he was often noisy (as you will hear) and refused to be silenced. Finally, when then number was over his mother (pink faced with embarassment) lifted him up and carried him off--right toward the drums! His eyes became saucers(!!!!)---until he realized that she was not walking him TO the timpani but PAST the timpani...to the DOOR! When he realized what was happening he said sadly, "Uh oh!" (sounding very much like he had heard that phrase many, many times before). Thomas claims he gave the babe the "evil eye" but a careful watching of the video tells a different story entirely.
This was actually the first song of the show, and is called "Raspberry Tango". As Rob, their tireless teacher, quipped, "It's neither a tango nor obviously about raspberries. But there you go." He's right, there they go.