Volleys

On December 16th, 2013, in the Northern Illinois University School of Music Concert Hall, Brian Wach and Nick Fox recorded Brian Wach’s “Volleys” for berimbau duet. Brian created this work as an homage to the berimbau in two manners: 1. an exploration of its many possible timbres and colors and 2. its ancestral connection to the hunting bow. This second connection becomes clear during an improvisatory interlude in the middle of the work in which gestures by both performers are meant to evoke the use of the bow as a hunting tool.

This duo was composed under the auspices of the Undergraduate Artistry and Research Apprenticeship Program (UARAP) research project at Northern Illinois University. The UARAP program allows faculty “to engage undergraduates in their artistic and other scholarly activities in one-to-one mentorships.” Mr. Wach worked closely with both Dr. Gregory Beyer and fellow NIU student Alexis Lamb during the Fall 2013 semester in the exploration of the instrument through the act of composition and subsequent interpretation, performance and documentation. – Gregory Beyer