By snoadmin
One can never really know what to expect from a percussion concert; it really comes down to just a couple of options in the non-drummer’s mind. It could be hours of listening to a person hit things or it could be listening to people hit things in large groups. Surprisingly, however, the Steel Drum Orchestra played some endearing tunes at the World Percussion Concert on Friday night.
Their repertoire included “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Exodus” by Bob Marley, as well as enchanting melodies in “Belavia” by trumpeter Chuck Mangione. The orchestra finished its set with a song known as “Pan in My System,” which was crowd favorite.
Between all the songs, Dr. Michael Carney, the director of Percussion Studies, had an enjoyable anecdote about every song, including the misnaming of one of his compositions.
The following group was the World Percussion Ensemble. Their three-song set was composed of two songs from West Africa and one from Cuba. This group strived to stay as traditional as possible to the music and culture and their costumes reflected it. Not only were there drummers in the show but they had new members dancing and chanting in the Ghana style, which was a bit abrasive at first.
However, not even a minute into the first song, “Gadzo,” did I unconsciously start tapping my foot and bobbing my head. It was entertaining to watch the members dance because it was obvious that all of them got extremely involved in their roles, which reflected their dedication to the art.
The next two songs, “Bata” and “Agahu” included more singing and complicated rhythms by three lead percussionists.
To wrap up the evening, the final song included audience participation and ended with nearly half of the auditorium dancing along with the percussionists in a circle around the core drums.
Overall, the World Percussion Concert was a pleasant surprise. Not only did it show off the talents of the Bob Cole Conservatory’s percussionists, but it did so in an outlet that was culturally-stimulating, as well as entertaining
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