citadel (2015)
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GEORGE TSZ-KWAN LAM
CITADEL (2015)
A Game for Two Percussionists (in Beta!)
Commissioned by ________________________________
Written for Synergy Percussion
In celebration of its 40th anniversary as part of its “40 Under 40” commissioning project.
Required Instruments and Equipment
● A 3’ x 3’ square table (this is the “game board”).*
● 16 small percussion instruments, where each one can be placed within a 9” x 9” square on a
table. Example instruments include:
○ Tambourine
○ Triangle hung on a small tripod stand
○ Single Woodblock / Temple Block
○ Call bell (like the ones found at a hotel reception desk)
○ Bottle that can be struck with a mallet, secured to the table
○ Cowbell
○ Small drum (e.g. a bongo placed on the table)
● 2 4-sided dice.
● 2 suspended chinese gongs, with each one placed on the floor beside each performer,
adjusted so that the performer can easily strike the gong.
● Black masking / electrical tape.
● Red masking / electrical tape.
Optional Equipment
● Top-mounted camera focused on the table with the image projected to a screen behind the
performers, so that the audience can see the game board and follow the action.
● A 40-second countdown clock projected onto two screens, one behind each performer.
* If you can’t find a readymade table, this can also be fashioned from a piece of plywood cut to size.
Alternatively, a table with a longer length can be substituted. However, the width should remain approximately
3’), so that the two players on either side of the table, while standing up, can easily reach instruments placed on
the other side of the table.
Objective
Capture the opponent’s flag (placed in one of the squares of the opponent’s home row) and
bring it back to your home row before time runs out.
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Game Setup
1. Use black masking / electrical tape to create a grid of 16 9” x 9” squares on the table.
2. Use the red masking / electrical tape to separate the game board into two halves (3’ x 1’6”
each).
3. Place each of the 16 percussion instruments in the squares.
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4. Place the suspended chinese gong to the side of each performer.
5. The performers will hold a hard yarn mallet (or similar) in one of their hands. The mallet
should be suitable to strike the instruments on the table (maybe adapt the mallet so that it
can also serve as a triangle beater) as well as the gong.
6. Set up the camera and countdown clock if needed.
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Game Play
1. Each player takes his/her 4-sided die (this is the “flag”) and rolls it to determine where it will
be placed along the player’s home row. The squares are numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 from left to
right. For example, if Player 2 rolls a “2”, she places the die in the second square from the
left along her home row, next to the small wood block in the example below.
2. The countdown clock starts with 40 seconds on the clock.
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3. During the game, the players will play different instruments to a steady pulse of about 80
beats per minute. Each player begins at square 4 in his/her home row. Once the countdown
clock starts, each player plays a short (one-beat or two-beats long) rhythm on the instrument
in square 4 in his/her home row.
To move along the game board, each player “trails” his/her steps along the route, using only
horizontally or vertically adjacent squares. Players are not permitted to move diagonally.
For example, Player 2 would like to move from the triangle in her starting square (“4” in her
home row) to the adjacent cowbell. She plays a short rhythm on the triangle; followed by a
short rhythm on the triangle, and then the cowbell. Next, she would like to move to the call
bell to the left of the cowbell. She has to start again with a rhythm on the triangle, followed
by the cowbell, and ending with the call bell. Next, she would like to move to the tambourine
to the left of the call bell. She does so by starting again with a rhythm on the triangle, then
the cowbell, then the call bell, and then finally the tambourine.
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The length of the trail is determined by whether or not the player has captured the
opponent’s flag. At the start of the game, each player must trail four squares. Upon
capturing the opponent’s flag, the player may trail three squares.
Each instrument must be played for at least one full beat. The player may use either his/her
hand or the mallet to play each instrument. Players may insert as many rests as they would
like in between rhythms.
For example, Player 1 begins by hitting the triangle in square 4 of his home row. He sees
Player 2’s flag (represented below by a small green square) in square 4 of her home row, and
strategizes to move horizontally across his home row to square 1, and then moving forward
to Player 2’s home row to capture the flag.
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4. This is what Player 1 might play:
5. Once a player has reached the opponent’s flag, the player takes the die with his/her free
hand, and moves back to his/her home row for the win. From this point on, the player with
the captured flag may only use his/her free hand to play the instruments on the game board.
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6. Once a player’s flag has been captured, the player may “tag” the opponent by landing in the
same square on the same beat only if the square is within the player’s half of the game
board (as denoted by the red tape). The player tagging the opponent yells “tag!”, and the
opponent must stay in that square and play that instrument for a minimum of 5 beats before
moving on.
7. When a player successfully travels back to any square of his/her home row with the
opponent’s flag, the player strikes the gong and ends the game. If neither player reaches
home row before time runs out, the game ends in a draw.
Playtesting
This piece still needs to be tested out in real life! Please feel free to try out different variations
so that the game can be more fun. For example:
● Is it possible to win the game in 40 seconds? If not, what’s usually preventing someone
from winning?
● Is it too easy / too difficult?
● Does the “tagging” maneuver make the game more fun? If not, why not?
● Would you need a referee to make the game work better?
● Should there be a countdown clock that gives an audible cue when time runs out?
I would love your help in making this game better! Please let me know what you think and any
suggestions that you might have.
March 29, 2015
Briarwood, New York
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