The BOOM! INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PERCUSSION opened at Sydney Town Hall with an entertaining and diverse selection of artists performing a delightful mixture of styles of percussion. This opening event showcased some of the artists that will perform in the festival this week.
As the audience entered the impressive hall they were
greeted with the tonal rhythms of the Clocks and
Clouds Microtonal Ensemble. Their gentle sounds
created a soothing start to the evening.
Song To The Earth III was the first composition
performed on stage and it was an impressive beginning
to the night’s entertainment. Warm and melodic gongs
drifted into Greta Kelly’s violin like sound
and environmental recordings of chirping insects and
birdcalls. The final movement of this piece is
overwhelming immersive with swirling sounds created on various cymbal type instruments. It was very
impressive.
Jess Ciampa and Timothy Constable then presented
Meditation. They accompanied their glorious singing
themselves on simple frame drums for one of the
highlights of the evening.
The Synergy quartet performed Ross Edwards’
Reflections, an avant-garde piece they have been
performing since the late 1980s in Australia and on
many international stages.
Last Shaman by Timothy Constable was a high energy
Korean inspired work, three virtuoso drummers
having a dynamic and beguiling conversation. It was
an energising display to finish the first half
of the show.
After intermission Claire Edwardes performed Iannis
Xenakis’ Rebonds. The rhythms and sounds that Claire
created were exciting and fascinating and enriched
the evening’s entertainment.
The next act was a more melodic presentation in this
well selected mix with artists Claire Edwardes and
Jason Noble performing Nathan Daughtrey’s Verve.
They produced beautiful rich and hauntings
sounds on marimba and base clarinet respectively.
Ian Cleworth’s Home was performed by the
exhilarating Taikoz. Taikoz are Australia’s leading
Taiko (Japanese) drumming proponents and the power
and precision mixed with impressive subtlety produces wonderful entertainment. This was another highlight in a night of stellar performances.
The evening finished with Bright Earth, Dark Sky by
Timothy Constable, performed by the Boom! Festival
Ensemble with virtually the whole concert’s line-up
on stage. It was a great way to finish the evening
and to introduce the range of entertainment that
will make up the BOOM! INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PERCUSSION.
The opening night concert was held at the Sydney
Town Hall on Saturday, 1st October. The festival
continues at the Seymour Centre until 8th October.