The Elements

Earth… Air… Wind… Fire… Spirit…

Drums and percussion have been indigenous to every culture from the beginning of time. Using the elements identified by the ancient Greeks and medieval alchemists as its inspiration, The Elements takes the audience on a musical journey through earth, water, air, fire and spirit.

Featuring four virtuoso world-class percussionists - David Boyd, Ray Fean, Robbie Harris and Johnny Kalsi - The Elements will enchant children and adults alike presenting them with a dazzling display of drumming styles from around the world. The musicians will play a huge array of instruments including Indian Tabla, African Djembe, Irish Bodhrán, Japanese Kodo and the spectacle of a drummer conjuring sounds from thin air.

Employing dramatic lighting, special effects and thrilling choreography, The Elements is a foot-stomping, hair-raising, LOUD, beautiful, interactive drum and percussion show for all the family.

Watching The Elements with your class offers an ideal opportunity to explore the Listening & Responding strand of the Music curriculum demonstrating ways of visually and aurally responding to music.

If you wish to explore world music and percussion further with your class, our Beats & Rhythms From Around the World Classroom Activity Pack is an excellent resource. The pack was created by percussionist Robbie Harris, who can also be seen performing in The Elements.

This pack is designed to help you use percussion as a way to teach music in the classroom. The activities and rhythms chosen come from many different parts of the world, including West Africa, Jamaica, Brazil and The Middle East. You can use this pack to take your class on a fascinating global journey where they will discover both the universality as well as the diversity of percussion music in different cultures.

These activities can be used to explore all three strands of the music curriculum with a particular emphasis on the Performing strand as well as Listening and Responding. The emphasis of music from around the world also provides opportunities for linkage to other subjects such as Geography, History, Physical Education (especially the Dance strand) as well as SPHE.

If you prefer, as part of The Ark @ Home, we have adapted some of the activities in the Beats & Rhythms from Around The World classroom pack specifically for home use, which may be simpler for children to engage with on their own or with family members in their homes. Find out more here.

David Boyd
David has worked as composer and director for many of the leading theatre companies in Ireland and the UK. He has coordinated drumcircles for the Kilkenny Arts Festival, St. Patrick’s Festival, Barretstown Gang Camp and many other events and festivals. He devised and presented Big Little Music Show on RTE and has contributed to many TV and film soundtracks.

Ray Fean
Ray has been drumming from an early age and has been influenced by a diverse range of ethnic music styles. He has toured worldwide with Riverdance, and toured and recorded with a myriad of artists including Clannad, Paul Brady, Sinéad O’Connor, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris and Kirsty McColl. His work has featured on tracks for artists including U2, David Gray, Gabrielle and Emma Bunton.

Robbie Harris
Robbie Harris has performed and given workshops around the world. He has toured extensively with Riverdance, performed in the Broadway production of the show and lectured at Julliard and the New School, NYC. He has recorded with Emer Maycock, Eileen Ivers, Brian Kennedy and Finbar Furey amount others, and performed for President Mary Robinson, President Mary McAleese and Queen Sofia of Norway.

Johnny Kalsi
Johnny has been playing dhol (a traditional North Indian instrument made from a large wooden shell and two goat-hide skins) for many years. He has toured worldwide and played with the highly successful groups Transglobal Underground and Afro Celt Sound System; Johnny featured and contributed to their second album. He has also worked with Peter Gabriel and Avril Lavigne. Johnny established the Dhol Foundation which for the last twelve years has taught dhol to a professional standard around the UK.