The Mad Drummer

[Pabmusic]

I was present at the 1981 First Night of the Proms when the BBCSO under Rozhdestvensky were performing Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. During one of the wilder moments a drumstick went flying several feet up in the air and came crashing down to earth in rhe middle of the orchestra. Anyone else remember this?

I don't remember this incident, but I did the same thing in Gerontius at Shrewsbury about twenty years ago (at the "'for one moment’ must every instrument exert its fullest force" chord). It was in rehearsal, and at the evening performance several of the choir members sitting near me took evasive action as the moment approached!

[3rd Viennese School]

Of course, theres an extended over the top drum roll towards the end of the instrumental section of Shoshtakovich symphony no 3 that makes ones hairs stand on end!

Another one that doesnt get played often I suppose.

3VS

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was present at the 1981 First Night of the Proms when the BBCSO under Rozhdestvensky were performing Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. During one of the wilder moments a drumstick went flying several feet up in the air and came crashing down to earth in rhe middle of the orchestra. Anyone else remember this?

I don't remember that incident, but three years earlier I was playing percs in a pit band for a production of The Wizard of Oz. Towards the end of the first half, the director wanted a grand Timp flourish before the reprise of the main WoO tune, which I was happy to provide until one night in the run one of my sticks flew out of my hand in mid-roll before said flourish, creating a trrrrrrrrrrr ... donk-donk-donk-donk effect that wasn't quite as effective. Especially among the front rows of the audience, whose attention to the activities on stage was distracted: particularly the gentleman whom the stick hit. I had no idea where the stick had gone, but was more focussed on improvising a flourish literally single handed when said gentleman from front row (presumably observing my frantic galnces round the pit) returned it saying "I think this is yours." Cheers from audience after end of Act.

The next night some kind-hearted soul put a tin of EvoStick on my Music stand.