hurdy-gurdy

The hurdy-gurdy is a type of mechanical fiddle which produces sound by a crank wheel that is the "eternal bow." Melody strings are shortened by tangents and a melody is accompanied by the sound of the chanters.

hurdy-gurdy

When you play in a sitting position hurdy-gurdy is held on knees, right hand turns the crank and left hand presses the keyboard from the bottom. The crank is connected to the wheel that turnes and rubbes strings, as a bow in other instruments.

At least one string functions as a melody line and is shortened through the keys with wooden dowels. Other strings seem to sound in a constant height - bourdon. Hurdy-gurdy was popular instrument in the music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, until the early twentieth century, when it became a seldomness.

hurdy-gurdy-legend
projekt - warsztaty

Workshop

Is it possible to create MUSEUM OF SOUND?

In our project, the old folk instruments with unusual names such as: gadulka, sarangi, Bilgoray Suka, Plock fiddle and others will come to life in the hands of professional musicians. Fusing the sounds will help to create SOUND BANK. Thanks to modern, motion-sensitive controllers will be possible to create original arrangements.

Under the project we will conduct workshops where participants will compose and play a variety of tunes - we will create  together THE ORCHESTRA OF INVISIBLE INSTRUMENTS. The lasting effect of the project will be also a website that will enable to compose and play music by using PC keyboard.

During the workshop participants will get acquainted with folk instruments and know the rules of composing contemporary music. They will learn what is silence in music, the importance of the roles in the Orchestra and what does a Conductor actually do. They will find answers to the questions: whether noise can be melodic? whether silence only serves as a break during broadcast of music?
We will look for connections between the old, folk instruments and the advantages of the latest technology - each workshop participant will be able to perform a piece of music by using motion sensitive controller.

The workshop will be held at the Janusz Korczak Children's Museum in the National Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw. The workshops conducted during week will be for organized groups and the workshops for individuals - on weekends.

The workshops are free.