Clockbox

by Boccherini, arr. Brian Slawson

8 players

Instrumentation:

Glockenspiel

Xylophone

Chimes

Vibraphone

2 Marimbas — (1) 4-octave, (1) low A

Accessories — temple blocks (2), or 2 med/low woodblocks

Arranged by Brian Slawson, Clockbox is a medium-easy percussion octet for young performers drawn from the second movement (”Andantino”) of Luigi Boccherini’s Symphony No. 1 in D, Op.12. Clockbox features very basic rhythms and phrasing structures but challenges players with various accidentals throughout and overall musical structure. The piece begins in the key of D harmonic minor, where many of the accidentals in the piece are found. Later the key changes to the relative major (F major), which could be a good introduction to the topic of relative keys. At the end of the F major section, a first ending is present directing players back to the beginning to perform the short work once more. This is a quick piece to put together while providing students with an educational musical experience.

Clockbox ships as a printed, professionally bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or tablet viewing.