It looks like this message board is to be closed down as there is only me who beats things for a living around here and I doubt if tuned musicians would want to discuss our dark art.

Thanks to all who showed an interest.

Bye Bye.

If it's any consolation, although probably not much!, but percussion is the section of the orchestra which I most like watching at concerts.

But you're right, it's not very active on this board which is a shame but I gather there are more active percussion boards elsewhere.

Sorry to see you go, Ed.





PS. Although you could always stick around just for the Cafe

Sorry about that - I really want to learn to play the xylophone so I'm sure I would have joined in in the future.

I also think the percussion section really makes an orchestra - I play in an orchestra with a very limited percussion section and we miss the cymbals and triangle!

I was in xylophone club at primary school

I wonder how much xylophones cost

I love percussion, but have never had the opportunity to play. They are fascinating to watch, particularly say in in 'Rite Of Spring' or in Shost. symphonies. But the highlights for me are that I have heard MacMillans percussion concerto 'Veni Veni Emmanuel' twice live . In each case by Evelyn Glennie . The first one was at the Festival Hall, then not long after I heard it I was in Singapore for a business trip and she performed it there as well . (This was a few years ago before the new splendid Concert Hall was opened. it would have been better than in the old Victoria Hall).
I also have heard that piece 'Roadworks', can't remember who its by though.

A highlight I remember was Ray Gelato's swing band a few years ago! RG handed over to a drummer for a solo at one point and he ended up playing for 10 minutes. Normally a 10 minute drum solo wouldn't hold the audience's attention for that long, but he was brilliant. I can't remember if he got a standing ovation at the end but he certainly got huge applause. It was sheer magic, absolutely breathtaking. I wish I'd known his name to look out for him on other occasions.

Elliott Henshaw (drummer with Sax Assault) plays/has played with Ray Gelato, and he's a great drummer, but whether or not it was Elliott you saw I don't know.

where does it say the forum is being closed?

It says at the top of the percussion forum:(

but that quote is from 2006--i'd say more than a few weeks have passed since then, and it's not been deleted yet.

You can do great things with percussion. I remember seeing a wonderful timpanist during Rule Britannia at a ‘last night of the proms’ - the very reincarnation of “Animal” and having the time of his life!

Anyway, the piano (undeniably greatest musical instrument in the universe and elsewhere) is a percussion instrument! So for percussion instruments!

Mole

Thanks for that, TSax, I'll keep an eye out for that name

Animal is my favourite Muppet!

If I didn't do piano and organ I would want to do percussion - although I guess I already do in a way.

I love heavy metal. By that of course, i mean bells.

I would love to discuss our "dark art" but anytime I post it stays here so long with noone replying that it just ends up being deleted.

I have posted on here in the past, but there are so few percussionists around to reply! I do try and reply whenever I have something to say to someone's post. I definitely don't want it to get closed, though.

I'm interested in this forum as a sort of honorary percussionist, having played cymbals in Britten's "St Nicholas", xylophone in Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" and vibraphone in a student composition at college. Also, if anyone has a question that involves acoustics (especially bells and gamelan metallophones), I may be able to help.