Didgeridoo

 

 

The didgeridoo is the national instrument of the indigenous Australians, and sounds unlike any other instrument I know. Most of us will know this 1-3 m long beast from New Age records, if at all, and its use in classical music is predictably scarce. The most famous composer who wrote parts for it is undoubtedly Peter Sculthorpe, for instance in his composition Earth Cry. For a real concerto, we have Sean O'Boyle, who composed a fairly popular concerto for didgeridoo earlier this century. It is in four movements, titled Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. It is played by William Barton with the Queensland Symphony under the composer on ABC Classics.