Drumroll, please

Who says you need an entire band to put on a good concert?

Jeffrey Peyton, director of percussion studies at Portland State, will conduct the PSU Percussion Ensemble Thursday, April 12, in Lincoln Hall as part of the university’s 2011–12 Performance Attendance Recital Series.

“This will be the first ‘percussion only’ program this year for the Performance Attendance Series, and it is the last performance of the ensemble prior to our appearance at the Northwest Percussion Festival at Eastern Washington University April 14 and 15,” Peyton said. “The festival brings in percussionists and ensembles from all the Northwest state universities and will give the group an opportunity to perform for their colleagues from around the area.”

Peyton, who is currently the acting director of percussion studies in the fine arts department, chose the performance piece himself and has been working tirelessly with the group of students to prepare for the recital.

“This program was designed to give the musicians a wide palette of performance experiences and instruments to play,” Peyton said. “There will be over 80 percussion instruments on stage, from five-octave marimbas to tiny bells.”

Along with percussive instruments, the ensemble will also be using “found” objects in the program.

“Some of the more remarkable sounds you will hear are five large ‘thundersheets,’ which are made from sheet metal and an array of found percussion instruments, including brake drums from actual cars, glass bottles, an instrument made from tuned lengths of metal pipe and slats made out of two-by-four lumber,” Peyton explained.

The percussion ensemble’s performance marks the second show in the 10-week recital series. Future performances will include PSU’s Woodwind Area, Opera Program and Jazz group.

In addition to conducting the band, Peyton will also be playing in a piece or two.

“The final work on the program is ‘Threads’ by Paul Lansky. It is a 30-minute virtuoso cantata for four percussionists, and I will be joining the ensemble to play this work with them,” Peyton said. “It [is] exquisitely beautiful, savagely rhythmic, humorous and quirky! It is one of the masterpieces of the percussion ensemble literature and is not to be missed.”