From Reggae to the Timpani Concerto
Wim and I were close friends. We met back when we were both studying at the conservatory. Every year, we would go to Reggae Geel together. The last time we went, we talked about religion. He was fascinated by it—Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and African religions. So it wasn’t a surprise when he chose a religious structure for his Timpani Concerto. The Timpani Concerto is built around five movements: Air, Water, Earth, Fire, and Ether. And each movement is further divided into five sections: Prayer, Lamentation, Meditation, Contemplation, and Ecstasy.
We’ll be performing Wim’s Timpani Concerto under the baton of Giancarlo Guerrero. I’ve worked with Guerrero and Brussels Philharmonic before on another one of Wim’s pieces, Groove!. When the Timpani Concerto came up, Guerrero immediately replied: “That’s mine!”
Percussion Power
This is not an easy piece to perform, the concerto demands a wide range of playing styles. But the timpani part is phenomenal. When it comes to writing for timpani, Wim is in a league of his own. It’s a real challenge to spotlight the timpani without resorting to sensationalism, yet keeping it authentic. Wim succeeds brilliantly.His longtime assistant, Diederik Glorieux, finalised the score, staying true to Wim’s spirit. There is nothing in the score that isn’t “Henderickx-proof.”
Besides timpani, I’ll also play Middle Eastern percussion instruments like the daf and tombak. They add a whole new colour to the sound. They are also a reference to Wim, who used these instruments in his own compositions. During the concert, I’ll be playing Wim’s own daf.
