Alyssa Morris: "Nik Nak" for Oboe (EH), Clarinet, & Bassoon
Nik-Nak
for oboe (English horn), clarinet, and bassoon
by Alyssa Morris (b. 1984) - American composer
I. Wood
II. Glass
III. Metal
Nik-Nak was commissioned by the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra for oboist Alecia Lawyer, clarinetist Nathan WIlliams, and bassoonist Kristin Wolfe-Jensen. The title plays on the initials of the three musicians for whom the work is written: NAK.
A Nik-Nak, (or Knick-Knack) is a small trivial article. A Knick-Knack may also be known as a trinket, a gadget, a frill, a whatnot, a bibelot, a gimcrack, or a bit of bric-a-brac. In this trio, each movement includes the use of a variety of knick-knacks. Movement 1 is dedicated to knick-knacks made of wood. In the second movements, sounds are explored using knick-knacks made of glass. The third movement exhibits the use of knick-knacks made of metal.
For the performance of Nik-Nak, it will be necessary to procure several small percussion items; two wood or temple blocks, two rubber mallets, one foot pedal with which to attach the wood block, several glass bottles (tuned by filling with water), a triangle, two triangle beaters, two metal brush sticks, and several extra stands.