Since 2011, Synergy Percussion (Australia) and samul-nori percussion ensemble Noreum Machi (Korea) have engaged in an ongoing exchange of art, culture and ideas through the medium of music, culminating in a triumphant double-bill performance at the 2014 OzAsia festival in Adelaide to sold-out houses.

In 2015, the two groups premiered an entirely new program of collaboratively devised works: Earth Cry. Earth Cry draws from both the shamanistic traditions of Korean samul-nori music and contemporary Western percussive practice, and is set amidst an immersive triptych of captivating moving images created by Sydney artist Samuel James.

Earth Cry premiered at the inaugural SuperSense Festival at the Melbourne Arts Centre in August 2015 and was described as "hypnotic" (Sydney Morning Herald, 8 August 2015), "unique" (Limelight Magazine, 21 September 2015), and "mesmerising" (RealTime Arts, Oct-Nov 2015). Following this was a brief but highly successful tour of NSW and the ACT.

Over the course of the performance, Earth cry audiences will experience the diversity of percussive music through a dynamic range of instruments: from mighty Western drums to the smallest and subtlest Korean gong. With earthy marimbas, straw-like frame drums, crystalline metals, ancient skins, and the traditional instruments of samul-nori at its core: Earth Cry is an utterly unique and unforgettable experience.

Venue Format
Theatre
Technical Rating
C
Touring Party
9
Considerations

Video projections require: Fly tower Minimum 9 m deep stage FOH position for video artist during show

We will be touring with: Mics Sound desk Projectors Leads to facilitate projections

Synergy Percussion has the dual distinction of being Australia’s oldest and foremost contemporary music ensemble. A world of sound with percussion at its heart, the group celebrates 40 years of concerts, collaborations, recordings and commissions during 2014. Over four decades of huge cultural change, Synergy Percussion has remained vital and fiercely committed to defying expectations of what percussion music might aptly express. Core members Timothy Constable, Bree van Reyk and Joshua Hill are all award-winning and internationally acclaimed exponents of new music in their own right, equally at home on world-music stages, contemporary/experimental art venues, pop concerts and recital halls.

The ensembles’ expansive vision of percussion, together with the exceptionally wide musical experience of the members past and present, has allowed the group to work together with a diverse and exemplary family of artists from around the world. Collaborators include Fritz Hauser, Hossam Ramzy, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Aly n’Diaye Rose, Trilok Gurtu, Jose Vicente, Kazue Sawai, Dave Samuels, Evelyn Glennie, Riley Lee, Taikoz, Michael Kieran Harvey, Sydney Dance Company, Meryl Tankard and Regis Lansac, Akira Isogawa, Grainger String Quartet, William Barton, and the Leigh Warren dancers, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras among many others.

Company Website
synergypercussion.com/synergy/default.aspx

Unique Selling Point

This is a unique collaboration - no other samul-nori ensemble has engaged with a contemporary western music ensemble in this way before.

Furthermore the show presents a form of world music rarely heard outside Korea - samul-nori - in an accessible and engaging format, and Samuel James' engaging images augment the audience's experience beyond a simple concert to something deeper.

Both ensembles are internationally recognised as being amongst the best in the world in their respective disciplines, highly sought after and celebrated for their creativity, innovation, and virtuosity

Marketing Materials

Marketing Collateral: Press release, publicity photos, video excerpts, reviews, program collateral Teacher's notes covering Korean Music: History, tradition, symbolism and techniques Merch (CD of live performance)

Community Engagement

Community lecture demonstrations: the members of Synergy and Noreum Machi will present an hour long lecture demonstration in which they discuss the history, traditions and symbolism associated with samul-nori drumming.

Secondary School Concert and Workshop: consisting of an hour long concert and an hour long workshop, the ensemble will present a specially-abridged version of Earth Cry to keep it cost-effective for schools. Following on, Synergy and Noreum Machi will run a hands-on workshop for secondary music students introducing the key concepts of Korean drumming.

Tertiary Workshop: a 90 minute in depth workshop for tertiary percussion students introducing Korean instruments and drumming techniques.