Sailors and the Blue Sea (score)

Sailors and the Blue Sea was commissioned by Sasebo Minami HS Wind Orchestra. It portrays the blue, beautiful ocean and sailors venturing out on the sea based upon what the City of Sasebo represents. It begins with an intertwining alto saxophone (clarinet) and flute soli over flowing waves of the ocean drum and mallet percussion as a calm, beautiful ocean view. Then the scene switches to bold unison with timpani solo depicting sailors putting out to sea. Tempo increases as huge raging waves in stormy weather hit the sailors. After the ocean calms, yet again the rough seas return. Finally all arrive in harbor with joy and a sense of accomplishment, with a Grandioso final climax.
This can be performed with only 14 players. With 20+, the sound will be more stable, and with more than 30 members, the dynamics of sound and details can be more pronounced. There are many unisons, and it's a great way to distribute the weight for each player. Still, there are solo parts to showcase stronger players. Percussion can have a minimum of two players (3rd and 4th being optional). If you have few percussionists, members of other sections may assist during their pauses.
Ocean drum is critical to make the piece. Experiment with different ways to make it sound as natural as possible and to adjust dynamics and volume.

(Hayato Hirose)