Sheng vs didgeridoo? The night 2 of the world’s oldest wind instruments went head to head in Hong Kong
What happens when you put 2 traditional wind instruments from different corners of the globe next to a Western classical orchestra? Dylan Crismani’s concerto for Sheng and Didgeridoo, Coming Together, attempts to answer that sonic conundrum
A low, sonorous tone ripples from the back of the concert hall, a deep, rolling hum from someplace out of time, somewhere primordial. As the audience turns their heads towards the source, the towering figure of William Barton, world-renowned Australian didgeridoo player, appears, walking down the aisle towards the stage, where Hong Kong sheng master Loo Sze-wang is waiting.
Together with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Barton and Loo are presenting the world premiere of Dylan Crismani’s concerto for Sheng and Didgeridoo, Coming Together, at the Hong Kong City Hall, on a mid-September evening. Under the baton of conductor Luke Dollman, the performance brings together the sounds of two traditional instruments, both specific to their ancient regions, to celebrate Australian and Chinese musical heritage.
“With good musicians, when they play, it’s like they are playing with their souls,” says Dollman, ahead of the performance. “Their instruments speak to each other. But it’s not just about the instruments; they are two musicians from completely different cultures, and I’m excited to see them playing off of each other.”
Born in Kalkadoon, in the Mount Isa region of Queensland, Barton learned the didgeridoo – also known as yidakis in his area – from his uncle, Arthur Peterson, at the age of seven. “I was drawn into the mystery and the magic of the didgeridoo as a kid,” says Barton. “I wanted to be part of that sound world and the spirit of that instrument. It’s the instrument that speaks to your heart, and it conjures up the spirit of the landscape, particularly Australia.”
In Aboriginal culture, the didgeridoo is deeply associated with the Earth, and used in various cultural ceremonies and other informal settings, accompanied by chanting, singing and dancing. Indigenous Australians believe their ancestors, at the beginning of time, created the world, its creatures, landscapes and way of life, and that everything, from the past to the present, is related. “Dreamtime” or “Dreamings” are legends that tell the creation myths while the journeys of these ancestors across the country make up a “songline”.
