Didgeridoo

A didgeridoo is a long tube that, if you blow it well, due to its length and shape, it can produce exciting, hypnotic sounds: intriguingly low, overtone rich and rhythmically pulsating. It sounds a bit like the word Didgeridoo itself, when you say it several times in a row. The special, mysterious instrument that is played by the native Australians, intrigued and inspired me. The sound of the didgeridoo, the tone and the rhythm became the starting point for this composition.

With the sound of the didgeridoo in mind, I started looking for possibilities with saxophones and organ to include those sounds and rhythms in the work. In essence, both the organ and the saxophones also use a tube through which air is blown to create a tone. With the organ this is done mechanically, with the saxes by means of the breath. By alternating two registers on the organ and having the saxes play the same note by means of different fingerings, a calm, fluctuating rhythm was created, reminiscent of the didgeridoo.

The idea worked for me as a template for the composition. I could attach other sounds and rhythms to it, and with that I eventually composed my musical story. As is often the case in my music, this work is also based on the sound, simplicity and beauty of a single tone from which a world of music can emerge.