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| Vol. 18, No. 19 | Feb. 11, 1999 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 19 | Feb. 11, 1999 |
The Spoken Hand Society, a 16-member hand drumming orchestra, will perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 27, in Mitchell Hall. A master class, free and open to the public, will be held at 2 p.m., also on Feb. 27 in Mitchell Hall.
Additionally, the University's Blue and Gold Club will offer a Central American buffet dinner prior to the performance. The buffet begins at 5:30 p.m. and costs $17 for adults and $8 for children 5-11.
Composed of four percussion batteries that reflect the traditions of Afro Cuban bata, Brazilian samba, North Indian tabla and West Afican djembe, the Spoken Hand Society's music honors both the secular and sacred elements of each tradition. The group also strives to highlight unusual combinations such as an Afro-Cuban cajon and tabla duet and to celebrate the unity of all the traditions with fresh innovative vision and composition. It gives value to the element of traditional drumming in a contemporary forum and is a collage of historical expression linking the past to the present.
The Spoken Hand was commissioned in the spring of 1996 by the Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia to create new works and to serve as an educational resource. Codirected by well-known percussionists Daryl Kwasi Burgee and Lenny Seidman, the group includes many of the city's most experienced traditionally based percussionists and teachers in their respective disciplines.
Writing in the Philadelphia Forum, Derek Davis called the group "drums that speak the lives of other cultures around the world." Forming the group, he wrote, it may be "one of the most difficult musical projects ever undertaken [yet] they've achieved something magical and unprecedented."
A reviewer for the Philadelphia City Paper called a recent performance "a riveting experience... it was the kind of rhythm extravaganza you can listen to everyday, forever, and never get bored."
Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for UD faculty, staff and senior citizens and $6 for students and children 12 and under.
The Spoken Hand Society's UD appearance is part of the Performing Arts Series. For tickets or more information, call 831-2204.
-Beth Thomas
