Kevin Volans: Chakra For Three Percussionists

Commissioned by Sisu with the assistance of the Arts Council of Ireland and the Fond for lyd og bilde, Oslo. Written for Sisu. Each player has 8 drums played with sticks (one high set and one lower set) chosen for their non-ethnic sound quality, and 1 bass drum played with a footpedal. The drums should be tuned in equal steps of roughly a tone apart, each set of drums (starting with the highest set of player 1) being roughly a tone lower than the one above, so that all the drums notated on the second lowest line of the stave (for example) should have the same pitch. The drums should be tuned in a scale of equal steps, each slightly smaller than a whole tone. There should be no minor thirds, if possible. The higher set of 4 drums are notated in the spaces and should be roughly equivalent to rototoms or bongos, the lower set is notated on the lines of the stave and should be roughly equivalent to tom-toms or congas. The bass drum is notated at the bottom of the stave with stems facing downwards.