Drummers' canzonetta - Buggert
Czardas - Monti
Dialogue for Snare Drum and Timpani- Garwood Whaley
Toccata Giocoso - Sean Montgomery
Bello horizonte - Matthias Schmidt
Amy's Composition - Amy Mulligan
Gigue - Eddie McGinn
The percussion ensemble has diverse origins, and became a recognised feature in music during the last half of the 20th century. For a host of reasons, nobody now bats an eyelid at the idea of a piece called Dialogue for Snare Drum and Timpani, which was one of the works presented by the DIT Percussion Ensemble at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre last Wednesday. The seven pieces on the programme, for between two and seven players, tended to fall into three categories - transcriptions, character-piece compositions drawing on specific styles and conceptual works based on contrasting sounds and rhythms. Into this last group came the above Dialogue by the US composer Garwood Whaley, and R.W. Buggert's Drummers' canzonetta for three snare drums. Compositions in this group are ultimately the most interesting ones. Nevertheless, there was worthwhile listening in, for example, the uncredited transcription of Monti's famous Czardas, and in the clever stylistic conflation of Matthias Schmidt's Bello horizonte, a neat piece of minimalism in Latin-American style, for marimba, vibraphone, bongos and piano. The one work where the piano moved significantly beyond vamping accompaniment was written by Amy Mulligan. It featured a virtuosic part for xylophone, played by the composer's sister, Georgina. Not that these were lacking elsewhere. The ensemble's director, Monica Bonnie, joined in for the last piece: Gigue, by one of the group's members, Eddie McGinn. Her enthusiasm and panache were riveting and infect her pupils. Discipline and technique came first; but they were aimed at enjoyable music making.