The Game

Item details

Description +
- Preface
  
  'The Game' was commissioned by Odense Percussion. The parts are set at different standards, rising gradually in difficulty from Player 1 - 6. The basket ball bounce may be taken by a separate player or, if taken by Player 1, they should ignore the maracas after bar 89. At this point the player should come to the centre of the stage. Depending on performance venue/circumstances, for added drama the basket ball may be thrown in the last bar - perhaps caught by someone in the audience, or if performed in a sports hall, aimed at a hoop.
  
  This piece uses a lot of repetition. A phrase we hear a lot is 'practice makes perfect' and musicians often have to repeat phrases a lot to hone a particular skill. The same is true in sport. Everyone has to practise on their own but a piece/game only works when players work together.
  
  'The Game' is meant to be enjoyable and fun. It never gets too serious. Even its climactic moments are fake climaxes really - based on diminished seventh chords. After all, it's only a game.
  
  Edmund Jolliffe
Instrumentation +
- Percussion Sextet
  
  Marimba (5 Octave)
  Xylophone
  Vibraphone
  Drumkit
  Triangle (small)
  Maracas Referee
  Whistle (on string around neck)
  Basket Ball (may also be taken by a separate player)
About the composer +
- Edmund’s music draws on a huge range of styles and influences. He writes music for film and television and is also an award-winning concert composer.
  
  Recent commissions include pieces for the ABRSM, the Pink Singers, the Royal Academy of Music, the London Chinese Children’s Ensemble, and Oxford University Press Collections. His choral music is available from OUP, Stainer and Bell, and Banks Music. Many of his pieces are set works on the ABRSM syllabus (initial grade piano and clarinet).
  
  First Prizes include: Orpheus Academy Chamber Music Competition, Austin, Texas, USA (first and second prize); Eastern Michigan University Choral Competition, USA; Kantos Chamber Choir Carol Competition; Freudig Singers Choral Composition Competition, USA; Ithaca College Choral Composition Competition, USA; Amadeus Choir Songwriting Competition, Canada; Ely Consort Advent Composing Competition; Hendrix Candlelight Carol Competition, USA; Renée B. Fisher Composer Award, USA.
  
  He has been writing music to picture for over twenty years. Major series he has composed music for include The Traitors, Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC1), Homestead Rescue (Discovery), Sort Your Life Out (BBC1), Grand Designs: The Street (C4), Crazy Delicious (C4/Netflix), Long Lost Family (ITV1), and Unreported World (C4). He was nominated for an RTS Craft and Design Award for his score for the BBC film Elizabeth at 90.
  
  He taught composition for many years at the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music (Junior Departments) and also lectured in Composing for the Moving Image at City University.
  
  In 2021, Odense Percussion, led by Søren Monrad, commissioned a new ensemble piece by Edmund called The Game, which was world-premiered at the Danish National Academy of Music, Denmark on November 15, 2021.
  
  More information about him can be found at: www.edmundjolliffe.com
  
  Information current to August 2025
Reviews +
- Review (Percussive Notes, June 2022)
  
  The Game” is a percussion ensemble piece in which each part is more difficult than the other. This means that Part 1 is playable for almost any percussionist, including beginners, and Parts 4 and 5 are much more difficult and use four mallets. Given the unique structure of the parts, this is perfect for a situation where you would want to blend ability levels; think high school/college age playing with middle school and even elementary aged students.
  
  The composer writes, “This piece uses a lot of repetition. A phrase we hear a lot is ‘practice makes perfect,’ and musicians often have to repeat phrases a lot to hone a particular skill. The same is true in sport. Everyone has to practice on their own, but a piece/game only works when players work together.” This is also a good opportunity to teach the process of practice and repetition.
  
  In addition to the orchestration of levels being something entirely unique, it is simply a delightful piece, and I highly recommend it for situations that demand players of varying skill levels.
  
  —Joe Millea
Credits +
- Front Cover graphics and layout: Ronni Kot Wenzell
  Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
  Copyright © Edition SVITZER
  www.editionsvitzer.com
  With support from Koda’s Cultural Funds

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