Ensemble Bash's World of Percussion No. 12
Cymbal juggling | Wood knocking | Limpe Fuchs | Rhapsodic Bohemians | Astonishing solos
We appear, inexplicably, to have come to Ensemble Bash’s World of Percussion No. 12.
How on earth did that happen? A complete year of percussive nonsense that’s included jugglers, dancing bushes, Muppets (twice), Swiss drummers and muscle-bound shouters.
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We promised not to spam, and we think we’ve managed that. We never promised to be on time with our publishing, and we certainly haven’t managed that.
So welcome to another reasonably random assortment of drummy morsels that we’ve found from around the world.
And we still don’t know what’s going on with the cymbal juggling. And we’re not likely to try.
WoP#1
Very often we describe things as ‘extraordinary’, and we make no apologies for using that word again.
This is extraordinary.
And, to be fair, somewhat pointless, but that only makes it all the more extraordinary.
Cymbal juggling, or twirling, is a new thing on us. Watch this display… the cymbalist here clearly has her game face on, and it’s not one you’d want to argue with.
Those cymbals are heavy - even light ones are heavy - and holding them out for any length of time is a challenge. Jackie Mann, our agent, also works as a Army Reserve percussionist in the Waterloo Band of The Rifles, and she’ll happily confirm that a parade’s-worth of bish bash boshing soon develops the biceps and triceps.
The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (for it is they) was first set up over 100 years ago, and are part of a great American tradition of performing brass and percussion bands that we just don’t have in Europe.
It’s bonkers, bizarre, and astonishingly well-drilled.
Here’s another clip of one of their performances - a little more camp this time, no?
If you’re on Facebook, this is a rather lovely clip of a Danish military band (we can’t embed from Facebook, sadly - unless you can tell us how to? We tried the embed code and it didn’t work).
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1LLdqvGerv/?mibextid=wwXIfr
And if you want it all a bit more street, this is fabulous. The theatrical cymbal battle at then opening gives way to more refined playing later, so if you’re not in the mood to watch it all, you can skip to 50” for a bit of swagger, 1’20” for some marvellously louche dancing, and then 2’10” for the rival challenge.
That cymbal technique won’t win you any friends in an orchestral setting, and can you imagine…
Two big brass bands, dozens of drummers, 14 cymbal players, one sports hall…
The noise!
The noise!
The noise!
We trust ear defenders were supplied.
WoP#2
Long time friend of Bash and uncontested lovely person Jonny Gee brought our attention to this wonderful bit of Basque percussion.
The txalaparta was used for sending messages, celebrating, having fun while creating slaked lime (huh? We don’t know what that means either, we’re just quoting our research), or using the tools you used to make cider for summoning the neighbours for a party.
At least, that’s what Wikipedia says.
But wouldn’t it take just a bit longer to make cider?
Whatever. The playing of this instrument nearly died out in the 1950s, but thankfully, a few dedicated souls brought the tradition back to life and this quasi-improvisational manner of playing, where each player chooses to be protagonist or supporter, lives on.
We’re not sure we’d want to hear an entire evening of this, but as a percussive sorbet, a brief rhythmic frisson, a thrilling thumping interjection, it’s pretty damned good.
Thanks for reminding us, Jonny.
Of course, any amazing percussion technique will always be taken up by an established percussion group, and the amazing Amadinda (something of an inspiration and counter-inspiration for Ensemble Bash when we started) managed to turn txalaparta into a concert piece.
Somehow, the intensity of the playing seems to evaporate some of the spontaneity of the music’s character, but maybe that’s just the setting.
Or is that just us? Are we being harsh? Let us know!
And if you have any favourite percussion clips for us, shove them in the comments!
We read and reply to everything that’s sent to us.
Talking of amadindas, here’s Chris having a lesson on one in Uganda with the irrepressible Robert Kikogwa, who would turn up to lessons on a motorbike, with his amadinda strapped to his back.
An hour of ABRSM examining followed by an hour (at least) of mind-bending rhythms, all in scorching heat. What a way to spend your summer.
WoP#3
Limpe Fuchs is a legend.
Never heard of her?
Acclaimed for her influence on the “Krautrock” scene of the late 60s and 70s, she’s also been an inspiration for the experimental psychedelic underground of the late 70s and early 80s.
She works with her own homemade instruments and sounds sculptures, creating mesmerising and hypnotic sonic worlds.
Now in her 80s, she’s continuing to push musical boundaries.
Try these two performances on for size - both absolutely gorgeous.
If you want a little more Limpe Fuchs in your life, check out this playlist, curated by the go-to source of all musical things global alternative, underground and experimental, The Wire.
WoP#4
And so, from the sublime to… well, one hates to say ‘ridiculous’, but this is ridiculously wonderful.
Bohemian Rhapsody for 12 percussionists.
Go on, have a listen.
You know you want to.
Should you be so inspired, you can buy the music here, and have a fun afternoon with 11 of your mates and a glockenspiel, tubular bells, 2 vibraphones, 2 marimbas, a piano, 4 timps, electric bass, drum kit, a concert bass drum and assorted other percussion including clash cymbals, of course. And a conductor.
WoP#5
What we’re listening to
Oh, dear friends, readers, loved ones and any peeps dropping in here for the first time, wrap your ears round this.
Please at least dip into it and reel aghast at the astonishing levels of technical dexterity and colour from four players.
What finger speed. What colour. What clarity. What a sound.
All laced with the evident fun and enjoyment they get from each other’s contributions.
Going from left to right, this is Mehmet Akatay (incidentally, coming to London Sept 21st and offering lessons - find details on his Insta feed), Amrit Khanjira, Rishloo Lahiri and Nasser Salameh.
(We haven’t been able to find any links for Rishloo Lahiri - if you know of any site that he has, please let us know and we’ll add it)
If you want to listen to a little of each instrument, they play together for nearly a minute, then you get:
0’50” khanjira (or kanjira) solo - a small Indian tambourine with only one jingle, traditionally made of wood from the jackfruit tree, headed with a relatively slack skin of a monitor lizard (though that’s prohibited now, so you’re more likely to get goat’s skin)
3’00” riq - an Egyptian tambourine with 5 large and heavy jingles, traditionally headed with fish skin from the Nile Carp
5’00” tabla - one of the most commonly seen Indian percussion instruments. Originally Indian drums were a double-headed barrel-shaped drum (like a mrdingam) and legend has it that following a fierce argument between two drummers, an angry sword-carrying drummer named Sidar Khan chopped the drum in two, and hence the two halves were separated.
6’40” darabuka (or dumbek, or any of a bewildering number of names including, unhelpfully, ‘tabla’) - a goblet shaped drum usually made of clay, though there is a common Turkish equivalent made of metal.
9’00” general drum battle, trading solos. This gets a bit silly, but it’s all done with such fun that it’s hard to resist.
Bonus WoP
New video alert!
We’ve been hard at work with one of our Apprentice Artists, Will, to record a video of Michael Blake’s gorgeous piece for marimba and vibraphone, Let Us Run Out of the Rain.
It’s a piece that’s been in our repertoire for nearly 30 years and is an arrangement of a piano or harpsichord duet, which was itself an arrangement of kalimba (thumb piano) music from the Petauke district of Zambia.
We’ll be releasing it as soon as it’s ready - sign up to our Facebook page to see it first, or check for details on our website.
While you’re waiting, get 45 seconds of gorgeousness in your life with this little moment of kalimba bliss. Guaranteed to melt even the stoniest of hearts.
And should that have whetted your appetite, here’s a kalimba that you can control directly from your computer keyboard.
Either gloriously addictive or mind-crushingly frustrating, depending on how easily you can get used to the controls.
Enjoy!
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Delightful, as always!