Cal Poly Humboldt Percussion Ensemble & World Percussion Group
The Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Dance, Music and Theatre presents “Contemporary Music for Percussion performed by the Cal Poly Humboldt Percussion Ensemble, Spanish Gypsy and Mexican folkloric music performed by the Cal Poly Humboldt Marimba Ensemble, and the Intricate Rhythms of the Anlo-Ewe of Ghana, West Africa performed by the World Percussion Group." Join us for this celebration of global percussion directed by Howard Kaufman Saturday, April 13th at 8:00 p.m. in Fulkerson Recital Hall at Cal Poly Humboldt. Concert tickets are $10 General, $5 Children, and Free for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu (From the "All Events" drop down menu select "Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre" and select your event.)
In the first half of the program, the Cal Poly Humboldt Percussion Ensemble will be featuring the North Coast premiere of Persistence, an exciting and grooving contemporary piece composed by Brian Blume. This quintet features a mixture of pitched and unpitched percussion instruments through ever changing time signatures. Marimbas, and crotales provide the pitches, and concert toms, bass drum, tam tam, shakers, cymbals, wind chimes, and a variety of metallic effects of resonant, semi-resonant and trashy timbres account for the non-pitched instruments. Players often share instruments, with as many as four players on two marimbas at one time. The title emerged from the persistent 16th-note rhythm played on a metal pipe throughout much of the piece. Beautifully written, this piece is both energetic and meditative. The Ensemble will also be performing Clapping Music by Steve Reich, and Warthog #3, a composition by Austin Wrinkle using East Indian rhythms and improvisation.
Next up is the Cal Poly Humboldt Marimba Ensemble performing an arrangement of La Bamba, the popular Son Jarocho piece from Vera Cruz, Mexico, and Espani Cani, a famous instrumental Spanish piece of pasodoble music by Pascual Marquina Narro (1873–1948).
Following intermission, The World Percussion Group will perform two traditional pieces from the Anlo-Ewe people of South-Eastern Ghana, West Africa. Vulolo, a processional piece in 12/8 time and Gahu, an imported piece from Nigeria, that has become part of the standard repertoire of the Anlo-Ewe. These pieces use two-toned iron bells (gankogui), rattles (axatsevu), and peg tuned barrel shaped drums (sogo, kidi, kaganu), along with a five foot tall lead drum called Atsimevu. The core music is composed of different repeated interlocking patterns, which when combined produce a rich tapestry of complex polyrhythm. The Atsimevu directs the ensemble with its large sound and communicates with the rest of the ensemble in a call & response nature. This music will surely make you want to dance in your seats!
DATES/TIMES
WHERE
PRICE
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$10
/ Free Cal Poly Students with ID
/ $5 Children
