An Arrangement for Front Ensemble & Battery Percussion
when the party's over
Ensembles
Front Ensemble & Battery Percussion
Advanced
Velvet Audio
$100
Featuring the Original Words and Music of Billie Eilish and FINNEAS
Release Date: 2019-02-07
SKU: VA-004 / Release Date: 2019-02-07
Runtime: 3:25
This arrangement of “when the party’s over” serves as a lyrical etude to conclude the warm-up process, following the original song’s flow while remaining in 3/4 time and within its key signature. The writing emphasizes timbre above all, using layers of sound to capture the fragility and gradual intensity of the source material.
The opening presents a hushed, transparent texture, with soft mallets and sustained tones creating an almost suspended atmosphere. As the piece develops, timbral layers are carefully stacked — resonant metallic colors glint against warmer wooden textures, while subtle rolls and delicate attacks expand the sound without overpowering it.
Moments of contrast and release are shaped through dynamic swells and shifts in color: airy, almost fragile sonorities give way to fuller, darker textures that bloom and then recede. This ebb and flow mirrors the emotional arc of the song, where stillness and weight coexist.
By the end, the ensemble achieves a sense of cathartic closure, blending power with restraint. More than just a transcription, the arrangement becomes an exploration of color, resonance, and blend, encouraging performers to listen deeply and shape phrases through the nuance of sound itself.
Front Ensemble Percussion
4 Marimbas (Two 5-Octave & Two 4.3-Octave): Four soft and medium-hard mallets
1 Xylophone (3.5-Octave): Four rubber and medium-dark mallets
3 Vibraphones (3-Octave): Four soft and medium-hard mallets
1 Glockenspiel (3-Octave) & Crotales (2-Octave): Three to four medium-plastic mallets
1 Piano/Keys: via MainStage/live playback, or acoustic grand piano
1 Bass Guitar (Notation & Tablature): Four-string, tuning: C-G-C-F
4 Timpani (Optional): with Optional fifth drum
1 Drumset: Recommended six-piece kit, or optional four/five-piece drum kit with three to four cymbals & hi-hat
1 Auxiliary Percussion: Wind chimes, tam-tam/gong, swish knocker/sizzle cymbal, concert bass drum, suspended cymbal(s), zil-bell(s), concert tom-toms (w/ mallets), splash cymbal(s)
Battery Percussion
3-9 Marching Snare Drums
2-4 Marching Tenor Drums: Two rubber/puffy mallets and sticks
5 Marching Bass Drums: Two puffy and standard mallets
2-3 Marching Cymbals: Recommended three cymbal players to cover occasional split parts
Scores & Parts (PDF)
MainStage Live Set
Audio: Ensemble, Instrumental and Sectional Standard/Click Tracks (Lossless & MP3)
Isolated Vocal Triggers (Lossless)
This arrangement contains third-party copyrighted material from Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. A supplemental licensing fee of ~$460 may be required to perform this arrangement of “when the party’s over” from the album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
Front Ensemble & Battery Percussion: Hunter W. Davis
“when the party’s over” © 2018 Billie Eilish/Finneas O’Connell. Published by Darkroom / Interscope Records / Universal Music Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
