May 8, 2018
by Louis Harris

Chicago’s Grammy Award winning Third Coast Percussion will be offering a water-themed program that includes the Chicago premiere of their new piece, Paddle to the Sea at Thalia Hall on May 13, 7:30 pm. The four members worked together to compose the piece to be a live soundtrack of the 1966 film of the same name, which was adapted from a children’s book.

To perform the piece, the ensemble will be making noise from a large and interesting array of objects. These include traditional percussive instruments, such as drums, bells, synthesizer, and a marimba, as well as unusual objects, such ceramic floor tiles and a bowl filled with water and a submerged microphone.

Other water themed works on the program include Jacob Druckman’s Reflections on the Nature of Water for solo marimba. Third Coast Percussion will also be performing its own arrangement of Philip Glass’s 12 Pieces for Ballet, which was originally composed for piano, and Chigwaya, a piece in the African Shona tradition arranged by Zimbabwean musician Musekiwa Chingodza. Both pieces are derived from water themes.

The Chicago premiere of Paddle to the Sea will be presented at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., Chicago, IL 60608, on Sunday, May 13, 2018, at 7:30 pm. Purchase tickets here.

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