Christmas concert: “Merry ChRHYTHMas!”

The Christmas concerts of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Education Programme are – in all modesty – something special. They are not only festive, they are also entertaining and educational. In 2012, it was the percussionists of the Berliner Philharmoniker who took to the stage and showed the colourful diversity of their instruments. The concert was presented by horn player Sarah Willis who, on behalf of the young audience, asked everything you ever wanted to know about percussion.

What exactly does a wind machine look like? And what does a timpanist do during a slow Mozart movement when he has nothing to do? These and many other fascinating questions are answered in this recording. And of course there is plenty of wonderful music, from Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance and Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra to pieces with such intriguing titles as Cool Rhythm, Weather Rhythm and Jungle Rhythm. There is also “Body Percussion”, but you will have to watch the video to find out exactly what that is. Another highlight is the now traditional appearance of the dancing snowflakes, performed by students from a Berlin primary school.