Laila Tov (Goodnight) - Three Lullabies for Solo Marimba, by Noah Gorman

Translated from Hebrew as “Goodnight,” Laila Tov is a collection of three short lullabies for solo marimba that were inspired both by my time working at Jewish summer camps, as well as having two very young cousins at the time of writing these. The third and final movement of this piece, Your Lullaby, can and should be dedicated to someone of the performer’s choosing.

I. Sammy’s Lullaby is a chorale in 5/4 that puts the focus on the performer’s ability to balance the individual voices of each mallet. This is dedicated to my cousin Samuel (2), son of Michael and Deborah.

II. Reese’s Lullaby is a soft and playful melody that moves between 6/8 and 3/4. This split between two pulses within the same amount of space creates a unique challenge for the player, as well as a unique feeling for the listener. This is dedicated to my cousin Reese (1), daughter of Kevin and Danielle.

III. Your Lullaby is a chorale in 4/4. The name of the game for this lullaby is flow, as the movements between seemingly unrelated chords in the first section should feel as natural as possible. The second section takes the form of a traditional chorale, with the bottom three voices being largely stationary as the soprano voice sings free. The third and final section of Your Lullaby is a much more modern chorale, with all four voices freely moving complementary to one another. This is meant to be dedicated to whomever the performer chooses.

Number of Players: 1

Instrumentation: Marimba (4.3 octave)

Difficulty: Intermediate

Duration: 5:28 (I. 2:13, II. 1:25, III. 1:50)