Within the waves project - the process






1. Within the waves research

I have been living in England for the past 16 years. I felt I wanted to know more about England and this project has certainly taken me into a different England. The research at Cecil Sharp House was fascinating and it was amazing to listen to the sea shanties and sea songs from all different regions. It was amazing to find the song Rio Grande which estabilished a great connection between Brazil and England. It was also great to realise all the different ways both nations understood the sea, how they both experience the sea in different ways and how it has influenced their life style and the way music has always been present withn the life by and on the sea. 

2. Repertoire

Choosing the repertoire was a hard task. There were so much great music material from both sides, however the decision was to make sure the material chosen represented aspects from both cultures and also elements of the sailors life, such as the danger to be at sea, the longing for home, the faith on God to protect the boats and the people. There was also a desire to listen to the choirs singing their own repertoire of sea related songs. The result was a fantastic mix of new, old, traditional songs, all arranged in different styles with a percussion arrangement for each song. It has not only supported the songs, but has also created a unity  within the entire repertoire.



3. The percussion

The power of percussion and voices are not to be underestimated. It was a brilliant way to arrange such a large scale musical group. The harmony provided by the choir, as well as the compeling sound of many voices were powered by all different types of sounds, deep and low end drums as well as light and delicate bells, sound effects, sounds of the water, musical bows and more. With rhythms from Brazil and England, Within the waves had a groovy, deep and at times subtle athmosphere to it. Andres Ticino is a master percussionist and has a very precise and deep touch.





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