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Beastie
By Tom Harrold
On July 10th we recorded Beastie, a fantastic new work for my second Tubagility CD project.
I first heard Tom Harrold’s music while performing in the BBC Proms Young Composer of the Year Awards Concert in the summer of 2007 where I enjoyed his wonderful prize winning composition. I contacted him about the possibility of a challenging commission that including tuba, drums and tuned percussion.
I love this work. It’s full of complex and shifting rhythms, wonderful instrumental colours from the tuned percussion and all driven along by the funky and at times ‘growling’ tuba with drums. This was a challenging work to record and perform but I’m very happy with the results
It was a difficult and challenging day with Tom and family flying down from Glasgow and Barry hopping over from Amsterdam. I had to run about organizing and collecting the tuned percussion as well as making the tea for everyone and that was before I even got to the tuba out of its bag. But the day was a great success and followed by a much needed pint! I hope you like it too!
Click Here To Download Sheet Music
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“Beastie” – A few notes from Tom Harrold
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“Beastie” is a Scottish word that has the most common meaning of a mythical creature or monster which has its roots from Celtic mythology. According to ancient folklore, these beasties were ferocious creatures which lived in solitude in remote areas of the countryside. Despite never actually being seen by any man, legends existed of a terrific, deafening roaring which these creatures made on foggy nights. This coarse, rough and often harsh sound has been recreated through the tuba-writing in “Beastie”.
The combination of solo tuba, tuned and untuned percussion alongside gave the piece the possibility of having a real driving force behind it, through the use of groovy pop-and-rock influences on the drum kit combined with minimalist, syncopated lines in the tuned instruments. When these components are brought together, they work with each other to create a bouncy, talkative texture, with an almost relentless momentum in the music.
Generally, my idea was to create the feeling of a cool, sophisticated Beastie!
Extracts
Right Click below To Save
Extract 1
Extract 2
Extract 3
Beastie Personnel
Benjamin Ellin |
Musical Direction |
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Dan Gresson |
Xylophone |
Barry Jurjus |
Marimba 1 |
Mark McDonald |
Marimba 2 |
Pete Dawson |
Drums |
Laurence Hill |
Percussion |
Nick Etheridge |
Solo Tuba |
Chris Traves |
Recording engineer |
Thom Bowles |
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Recorded on the 11th July 08 at Penge Congregational Church hall and edited at Kenilworth Studios Penge by Chris Traves and Nick Etheridge. |
