Rider and Tech Specs

Full performance

Documentation

The Only Way Is Through is entirely acoustic: no amplification or stage monitors are required. The only signal routed to the in-ear monitors is a click track, which keeps the percussion quartet and conductor together across the performance space.

Technical requirements

  • Wireless in-ear monitor system: 1 transmitter and 5 belt-pack receivers (Percussion 1–4 and conductor)
  • Percussionists and conductor provide their own earpieces
  • Click track playback: 1 laptop running Logic, Ableton, QLab, or similar
  • Playback operator: 1, to run the click and monitor system (composer or conductor can serve if present)

Choir and harmonicas

  • SSA choir, 30–35 singers
  • 11 singers play a single-pitch harmonica, blow only, with every other hole covered in masking tape
  • All 4 percussionists play mounted harmonicas
  • 15 harmonicas in total: 4 C, 5 F, 1 G, 4 E, 1 A. The rider suggests the Fender Blues Deluxe

Percussion instruments

  • Keyboard: 2 vibraphones; 2 glockenspiels (1 with low C extension); crotales, 2 octaves; loose glockenspiel and crotales bars
  • Metal and pitched: energy chimes, metal pipes, gongs, almglocken
  • Drums: bass drum, kick drum, 2 bongos, hi-hat, sizzle cymbal, wood block with foot pedal
  • Shakers: 2 cabasas (mounted), 2 maraca/caxixi
  • 4 K&M harmonica holders
  • Pitches are in the rider

Staging

Two examples of staging, not a fixed plan. The percussionists sit far apart on the corners of the main area. They enter from beyond those corners with hand-held instruments, pass through two rows formed by the choir, and move to their main stations. The choir then surrounds the main area.

1. OpeningPercussionists enter from far beyond the four corners and walk through two rows formed by the choir, divided in two parts.MAIN AREA1Player 1in-ear clickvibraphone2Player 2in-ear click3Player 3in-ear clickvibraphone4Player 4in-ear clickCHOIR PART 1CHOIR PART 21234Player 1 — energy chimes (hand held)Player 2 — crotales (hand held)Player 3 — glockenspiel (hand held)Player 4 — metal pipes (hand held)AUDIENCE (example: one side shown)2. After the openingThe choir surrounds the main area, facing in, with the percussion stations spread inside it. Audience around the outside.MAIN AREA1Player 1in-ear clickvibraphone2Player 2in-ear click3Player 3in-ear clickvibraphone4Player 4in-ear clickCHOIRAUDIENCE: around the outside (examples vary)

Downloads

Rider and tech specs→ google doc

The click can be provided as MIDI so it can run in any program (e.g. QLab).

Questions? Contact me.