– Arrangement –
Agnes Heginger, Lorenz Raab
Avalon
Arrangement for
Voice & Percussion Quartet
Leonhard Waltersdorfer
written by:
Agnes Heginger, Lorenz Raab
lyrics by:
Agnes Heginger
arranged by:
Leonhard Waltersdorfer
comissioned by:
Agnes Heginger

This arrangement of Avalon was created for a newly formed ensemble with Agnes Heginger as vocalist.

The piece opens with three performers bowing a single vibraphone using two bows each, creating a sustained, pad-like sound reminiscent of a synthesiser texture. The first verse and refrain are shaped exclusively by the alto voice and this bowed vibraphone sound, establishing a transparent and atmospheric sonic space.

With the second verse, a Moog synthesiser enters with a subtle bass layer, gently expanding the harmonic foundation. The texture then shifts: two performers move from vibraphone to marimba and array mbira, introducing a clearer, more articulated sound world. A marimba solo emerges, supported by understated percussion that adds a restrained rhythmic pulse.

The third verse retains this more defined instrumental texture and gradually builds towards a climax before the material recedes once more. The arrangement returns to the sustained, bowed vibraphone sonority of the opening, where the piece gently fades out.

Instrumentation

  • Voice (Alto), Moog
  • Vibraphone (Front)
  • Vibraphone (Back – Low), Marimba
  • Vibraphone (Back – High), Array Mbira
  • Moog, Percussion (Udu, Handpan)