Not surprisingly, one of my heroes! And one of, if not the, greatest percussionists ever. I'm a bit surprised that I don't have more than a couple of albums by her. I do like this Rhythm Song album, one of only fifteen classical vinyl LPs I own. Reading the sleeve notes, I am surprised that she only actually emerged after I stopped being a percussionist. But, obviously, in my heart and soul, I am still a percussionist.
Some people are very dismissive of percussion, saying "Oh it can't be that hard to play a triangle" but they totally miss the point. For a start, if you get your cymbal clash wrong, everyone notices, unlike the odd missed note from one violin amidst the sea of strings. Secondly, people don't play the triangle. Percussionists have about 250 instruments at their disposal in the orchestral repertoire. A roll on the timps is easy (IMO), but on a tambourine...no way...
Evelyn Glennie meets the Black Dyke Band is for me the glorious epitome of 'crossover' or fusion. I love the sound of percussion and I adore the sound of a traditional brass band. To combine the two is genius.
That having been said, there really is no standout tune. Some of the tunes I don't otherwise know, others I have in other versions. I would prefer to hear the other versions. However, this album is worth listening to for the virtuoso percussion and the pleasant sound of a top brass band.
What strikes me in listening to both of these albums is the extent to which I prefer untuned percussion to tuned percussion. Each sort has its place, of course, and probably my favourite of all is timpani, which is tuned but often - usually - not scored to play actual tunes. It's interesting to hear tunes played on glockenspiels, marimbas etc, but what I really really like is drums and other things that need to be beaten or shaken. I really must search out more beating/shaking music - and that is where the 'transcending genre' comes into its own.
