Hall of the White Giant
by Stephen Lias
12’ / 2012This piece is part of my National Park Series
A 12-minute piece for advanced solo marimba. This piece was commissioned by Brad Meyer (Commission Director), Kyle Forsthoff, Caleb Herron, Colin Hill, Ming-Hui Kuo, Brian S. Mason, Brian Nozny, Luis Rivera, Ben Stiers, and Joe Frank Williams. Premiered by Brad Meyer in Danville, Kentucky on May 3, 2012.
One of the more strenuous and adventurous places to visit at Carlsbad Caverns National Park is the Hall of the White Giant. Far off the public walkways, this four-hour adventure is a real spelunking trip replete with muddy scrambles, exhausting climbs, clothing-ripping tight spaces, and (of course) amazing rock formations as the reward. While this piece does not recount the journey in a literal sense, it attempts to capture some of the emotions, frustrations, and surprises of the experience. Imagine impenetrable darkness, precarious ledges, and rock frozen in breathtaking cascades.
In 2020, Meyer and Lias teamed up again to create a new edition of the work with better playability and notation. The original version appears on the Encounters CD, while the video below showcases the revised version.
