Anything Cimbalom, Dulcimer, Hackbrett, Santour, etc.

CWA News

Here are some extracts from the News section of :

CWA News volume 5, issue 2, December 1997.

CWA News December 1997

International News

New Dulcimer Book
Australian member Gillian Alcock is researching a new book about dulcimers from different traditions. For several years she has been visiting museum collections to record details of the dulcimer family instruments they have there. She now has details of several hundred instruments in countries such as USA, Britain, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Italy.

As she lives so far from Europe, in Australia, this work has to progress in small steps. So she asks people who know of instruments in collections in their country to contact her. The book will take the form of a checklist, detailing each instrument: its form, where its was made, the maker if known, when it was made, sizes, details of decoration etc. The checklist, when published will be a valuable information source for those people interested in dulcimers in their many forms. If you wish to contribute to this project, please contact Gillian.

New Gillian Alcock CD and teaching set
Gillian Alcock has a new CD: The Pleasures of Hope. This CD was recorded in 1997 with a famous Australian Harpist, Andy Rigby includes music form the baroque, folk music and some original music written by Gillian. It is available from Musikverlag Preissler Munich (Pf. 101058, 80084 Munich, Germany) or from Gillian.

She has also published a new book and cassette of tunes with Andrew Purdham called A Bag of Sticks, Volume 1: Leaping off the plateau. It includes music for duets, trios and quartets of dulcimers. They may of course be played on any kind of dulcimer (cimbalom, yangqin, etc.). The cost is $28 Australian or $20US and is available from Gillian.

The material includes separate parts and cassette tape, and tunes are: A Ukraine Christmas Carol, Canzone di Zampognani, Sakura, 7 in Bulgarian (Purdham), Recuerdos de l'Alhambra (Tarrega), and the Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel).

Gillian's email address is Gillian.Alcock@netspeed.com.au. You can also purchase these books and CDs via her web site:
http://www.netspeed.com.au/gillian.alcock

Hungary - New cimbalom design
A new model of cimbalom is available from the KOZMOSZ instrument workshop. More and more cimbalom players were interested in a smaller instrument like the Bochak type. So Istvan Jancso, instrument maker, designed this small cimbalom with a range from 'big' G to E'''. The tone of the instrument is pretty full.

You can get more information about it from KOZMOSZ Musical Instruments (Budapest, VI, Hajos ut. 25, Hungary, Tel: 36-1-1116914, Fax 36-1-3120831).

Hungary - Viktoria Herencsar/ International Music Camp / Kalman Balogh
In 1998 there will again be cimbalom workshops at the International Music Camp in Balassagyarmat from 21 to 31 July. Anyone wanting more information can contact the CWA.

Kalman Balogh had a very successful concert tour in Western Europe in November.

France
In France the Cimbalom gains more and more interest. Tunde Balbastre gave concerts all over the country, her repertoire including classical, folk and contemporary music. She had a big success with concerts for young people. With the Trio Tympanon Mrs Balbastre had concerts in Grande Paroisse and in Cercigny. Their last concert was broadcast on Radio.

She also performed in Switzerland and next Spring she is visiting England.

Folk music has a large interest, so there were concerts in October with music by the composers Kodaly, Bartok, Bardos and Vavrinecz. The most important event was a concert last summer at which the world premiere of music by BÈla Vavrinecz for cimbalom, orgel and voice was performed. The composer attended this concert and the work was a great success with the audience.

Germany - 5th International Hackbrett Festival
Only 5 weeks after the successful and very well organised 4th Cimbalom World Congress in Mogilev (Belarus) the hackbrett (dulcimer, cimbalom, yangqin etc.) enthusiasts had another opportunity of listening to an international hackbrett happening in Munich.

The 5th International Hackbrett festival from the 14 to 16 November 1997 did not take place as before at the cultural centre at the Gasteig, but on other stages. We succeeded in getting the Circus Krone for the opening Galaconcert. The following concerts were in studio 1 of the Bavarian Broadcasting station. In the foyer of the studio the visitors had the opportunity of looking at a little hackbrett exhibition with instruments, sheet music and CDs.

After a fantastic Friday night in the brilliant surrounding of the big Circus Krone with almost 2000 listeners, it was very clear which choice listeners had made as their favourite musicians. But nevertheless each of the groups performing that night had their own special style and way of presenting classical, folk, dance and jazz music.

On the Saturday the American-Hungarian group "Budowitz" played their joyful old Kletzmer music with Jewish dulcimer, 2 fiddles, clarinet and bass. After this unusual and beautiful treat of Jewish music, came the concert of Olga Mishula of Belarussia. Olga had the insubstantial looking cimbali brought with her from Belarus, you were surprised she could play it that fast without breaking it. Despite often playing fast and furiously she succeeds in presenting both classical and folk music with great expression. Her partner on the grand piano had no difficulty in keeping up with her.

It was a pity for the Swiss group "Barryvox" that they were a little bit uncertain when presenting their 10 minute show in the Galaconcert. They should have earned more applause and fans on Friday night especially when they brought in a cello and a panpipe on Saturday night. The musicians of Barryvox were brilliant on their instruments with hackbrett, guitar, bass and drums. There should have been a little place in front of them for dancing.

On Sunday morning, the Chinese-Bavarian "Dong-Sheng" played their sounds of far-away places on traditional Chinese instruments. It was fascinating to listen to the Bavarian Ulrike Wenicker-Kuhn playing the Chinese yangqin which she has studied since 1989. She is best known as the leader of the group Salterion, which is famous for including up to 15 hackbretts in their presentation, completed by guitars, harp and bass.

The Mongolian group "Egschiglen" played with traditional instruments - lutes, horse-hair two string fiddles and of course joqin - the Mongolian hackbrett. But the most fascinating music cam from the singer with throat and head-voice. He took us away to the Mongolian landscape.

The last concert on Sunday was played by Rudi Zapf and his group "Zapf'nstreich" (which means something as the end of the day or of a happening). This group presented an interesting mixture of styles of different countries. They started off with Bavarian folk music and travelled through many countries like Romania, Ireland, China, Africa and India. it would interesting to find out who is faster, Rudi or Olga! Anyway Rudi is planning a competition of the fastest hackbrett player in the year 2000!

Bavarian Radio made the first broadcast on 7th of December, and will broadcast a whole show of this hackbrett festival on 25 January 1998 on BR2.

Rudi Zapf, the initiator and main organiser of the festivals since 1989 will celebrate 20 years of his performing in 1999. This will hopefully give a special brilliance to the next planned festival in 1999 with highlights from the last 10 years of festivals.

It is very interesting that the hackbrett is gaining more and more public interest. We note that Bavarian Radio broadcast 3 hackbrett features in the last half of 1997: On the 2nd July Karl-Heinz Schickhaus presented his classical hackbrett music for 1 1/2 hours on the BR4 serial "Klassik plus". On the 8th and 22nd of November Heinz-Dieter Reese presented his compilation of hackbrett music all over the world, title "Die Saiten Schlagen - Das Hackbrett in der Musikkulturen der Welt". (Report by Jorg Baiter and Reinhard Tafferner).

Katerina Zlatnikova had a concert tour in The Czech Republic in 1997. She published some scores.

Slovakia
A new Academy of Arts was opened this year in Banska Bytrica. The Music faculty has cimbalom as a subject, too. The board of directors requested Viktoria Herencsar for the teaching. The first year began with 3 Slovakian students. In the future the board plans to take students from abroad, too. The registration to the Academy for next year will take place from 12th to 21 January 1998.

Belarus
The Belarus members of the CWA founded a society. The leader of the Belarus Cimbalom Society is Jevgenij Gladkov. They are joining the CWA as a group.

At the 4th congress in Mogilev, many new members joined. They are welcome!

Japan
The Japanese Dulcimer Society organised an international concert which was held on the 11th October, with great success. There were players from Japan, China, Iran and America. They plan to organise a festival next summer.

United Kingdom
After the decision of the 4th congress, plans are in motion for the 6th congress to be held in the United Kingdom in 2001.
For details contact Sally Whytehead, email sally@ftel.co.uk.

United Kingdom - New dulcimer designs
Roger Frood of Dove Dulcimers has been working on a compact, chromatic hammered dulcimer, and also on a bass instrument designed to work with his other models. For further information
contact Roger Frood at Dove Dulcimers, Barton Road, Butleigh, Glastonbury, Somerset. BA6 8TL.

Holland
Cornelius Van Sliedregt has produced a Discography of music of the Dulcimer family of instruments from all over the world. It has over 400 items from 13 countries. He would also welcome further information for inclusion. For more details contact Cornelius Van Sliedregt, Westerstraat 46, NL-1601 AK Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.