Wednesday, 21 October 2009

Kenji playing hammered dulcimer



First of all apologies for the fact that this YouTube video isn't of the best quality and has some extraneous sound but of course this site is open to all who want to upload onto it and the quality varies enormously. However there are two special reasons for my wanting to share this: firstly Japanese hammered dulcimer player Kenji Komatsuzaki is a huge inspiration to my more modest playing of this instrument - I'm just in awe of his technique and lightness of touch. The other point I want to make is that this a fabulous rendition of a wonderful tune by the blind Irish harper and composer Turlough O'Carolan. Called "Si Bheag Si Mhor" it is said to be about the war between the fairies of the two fairy mounds called Si Bheag and Si Mhor (the little hill and the big hill). The little hill won (allegedly).

Although I'm a great admirer of O'Carolan I have to say I don't think of any sort of battle when listening to this music! To me it is just hauntingly beautiful.

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