Winter Warmth: Percussion Mixed Duo & Ensemble, Choir, Score and Parts

Gentle and introspective, with warm layers of mallet color that shift like winter light through a window. The ABA structure creates a sense of return and resolution that feels satisfying without demanding technical fireworks.

First-year percussion ensembles and mixed percussion groups working at the Grade 2 level. This works equally well for middle school groups finding their footing and high school programs building foundational ensemble skills.

• Balance the mallet instruments carefully in rehearsal. The vibraphone and marimba lines will naturally project, so ask those players to think of themselves as supporting voices rather than leads.
• Work the chimes and wind chimes section separately before full ensemble run-throughs. These colors are crucial to the piece's character, and young players often struggle with their placement in the texture.
• Bring out the delicacy Strelau asks for by experimenting with mallet selection early. Softer mallets on the orchestra bells and vibraphone will change how the whole piece breathes.
• Let the suspended cymbal and tam-tam players sit with the sound. Younger percussionists tend to rush these resonant instruments; holding through the decay creates the warmth the title promises.

Slot this into a winter concert as a palate cleanser between heavier or more energetic works. It's the kind of piece that reminds audiences why they love hearing young musicians play with restraint and musicianship.

• Understanding and performing ABA form
• Mallet control and tone production across multiple keyboard instruments
• Ensemble balance with resonant and struck percussion
• Listening for delicacy and restraint in ensemble playing
• Coordinating entrances and cutoffs in a large mixed percussion texture