Sandman's Castle

Written for Dame Evelyn Glennie as part of the "50 for 50" project to celebrate her 50th birthday, Sandman's Castle sees Ho draw a multitude of sounds from a single tam-tam, most notably by having the player use an array of objects to strike or rub against the instrument. Often, Sandman's Castle is spacious and gestural, allowing time for the rich resonance of the tam-tam to be savoured. Elsewhere, animal-like scratchings intensify to produce dense rolls that display the deep power of the instrument.