The Southern Oregon University Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Terry Longshore, will present “Mano a Mano: Contemporary Percussion Music of Latin America” on Monday, March 12, at 8:00 PM in the Music Recital Hall at Southern Oregon University.

The program will begin with Cuban composer Amadeo Roldán’s “Ritmica No. 5” and “Ritmica No. 6”. Roldán is regarded as one of the founders of the modern school of Cuban music. Most of his music was inspired by Afro-Cuban folklore. He was extremely interested in the use of indigenous instruments, both melodic and percussive, and was among the first to use Cuban percussion instruments extensively in orchestral works. However, he believed that they should not be used in order to obtain local color, but for the purpose of widening their significance beyond the national boundaries. The two Ritmicas, composed in 1930, are considered the first two compositions written for the concert percussion ensemble.

Paul Bissell’s “The Alabados Song” (2003), for solo marimba and percussion ensemble, is inspired by the Book of the Alabados, used in Hispanic/Catholic communities in the southwest United States in place of a formal church or clergy. The Book of the Alabados is an ancient text with Spanish origins once used to deliver news to remote villages. The book’s prose was an odd mix of Catholic imagery, violent war stories, and political gossip. The town elders would improvise melodies in a chanting manner over the bedside of the dying, using the book’s text in place of a formal last rites ceremony. The performance will feature senior music performance student and Evans Family Scholarship winner, Joseph Perez, as marimba soloist.

Encouraged by the American mavericks John Cage and Lou Harrison, Mexican composer Carlos Chávez gladly accepted their offer to compose an important piece for a group of six percussionists. However, he sadly overwhelmed the technique of the Cage-Harrison group, which did not possess the requisite ability to perform, in particular, the many demanding drum rolls that dominate the first movement. Though composed in 1942, the “Toccata” would wait until 1947 for its world premiere. It has become one of the landmarks of 20th century music, helping to create the emancipation of percussion into the instrumental pantheon of Western music.

The title work for the concert, “Mano a Mano”, is a percussion duet by Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra. In this demanding work, performed by senior music performance students Joseph Perez and Jacob Phelps-Ransom, Sierra explores the polyrhythmic possibilities of percussion that can be obtained by using different tempi or by superimposition of different accentuated patterns. The work starts with the unsettled rattling sounds of the maracas and gradually evolves to the more defined and articulated pulsations of the bongos and congas.

Finally, two works by Brazilian composer/percussionist Ney Rosauro will be featured. The first, “Concerto for Vibraphone and Percussion Ensemble”, will feature senior music student Kevin Conness as vibraphone soloist. The program concludes with Rosauro’s “Valencia”, for twelve percussionists, which he calls “a piece in the Spanish-Flamenco mood…that reflects my impression from Spain and in particular the state of Valencia that I have visited several times.” It will feature senior music performance student and music scholarship winner Chris Matthews as marimba soloist.

Tickets for this performance are $8 for general admission, $6 for seniors, and free for students. Tickets and season passes may be purchased by calling 541-552-6101 or at the Music Box Office prior to the performance. For more information, please visit Southern Oregon University’s Department of Music website at www.sou.edu/music.