David Marlatt

The Perilous Seat

The Perilous Seat was a chair intentionally left vacant at King Arthur's round table. It was reserved for the bravest knight who was willing to take on the quest for the Holy Grail. If someone sat in this seat and was unworthy, they immediately died. Sir Galahad survived this test and King Arthur proclaimed him the greatest knight ever. The shifting meter (6/8 and 3/4) is fairly constant throughout this work. This is a great pulse to introduce students to the concept of shifting pulse---both 6/8 and 3/4 have 6 eighth notes but the emphasis of the accents shifts the feel back and forth creating a fun groove.