- 6’15”
- percussion ensemble (12 players): 2 xylophones, 2 vibraphones, 4 marimbas, 4 auxiliary percussion
- published by C. Alan Publications
- recorded by the University of Houston Percussion Ensemble and Texas Christian University Percussion Ensemble
Surge (2003) was commissioned by Dr. Blake Wilkins and the Moores School of Music Percussion Ensemble for a premiere performance at the 2003 Percussive Arts Society International Conference. Focused around swelling chords, driving rhythms and a highly syncopated and energetic tune, this work constantly gathers momentum until ending on a rapidly pulsing chord in the upper register of the keyboards.
REVIEW: Univ. of Houston Percussion Ensemble CD Surge, ClassicsToday.com, February 2006
“Surge, the title piece by Rob Smith, is an entertaining pop/minimalist essay…full of fun along the way.”
REVIEW: Univ. of Houston Percussion Ensemble CD Surge, Sequenza21.com, March 2006
“Surge is a brisk post-minimal work, fueled by a propulsive, syncopated ostinato and adorned with cymbal splashes and pulsating vibraphone and marimba chords. It operates at a fairly relentless pace, but Smith provides abundant variety within this fast tempo spectrum by employing frequent metric shifts; he rachets up the intensity to breakneck speed by the work’s conclusion.”
Rob Smith 