An orchestra of up to 16 elephants who perform at the Thai Elephant Conservation
Center
in Lampang, Northern Thailand. I cofounded the TEO in 2000 with Richard
Lair, a conservationist who lives in Lampang and is the world's
foremost specialist in the care, upkeep, and status of the Asian
elephant. The TEO recording sessions bring public awareness to the
first center devoted to elephant conservation and give the elephants a
pleasant activity to enjoy - and as you will hear, to make some very
good music. And one has the chance to hang out with the elephants.
The
orchestra per se very rarely performs in public, but four of the same
elephants perform music for a few minutes a day at the Conservation
Center, including a bit of solo free improvisation on a giant marimba.
Beethoven's sixth symphony performed by the TEO with Lampang High
Marching Band, on their second CD, photo by Millie Young
This and other photos (SEE PAGE BOTTOM FOR A
DOWNLOADABLE POWERPOINT
FILE) can be used by the media without permission with credit for the
photographer.
Watch a
documentary film about the orchestra made by Paul Spurrier at
higher resolution (or see at lower resolution here).
An article (from the book Kinship with Animals) by
Dave Soldier on the Thai Elephant Orchestra
Link to
the orchestra's new (Feb 2011) official website.
This
TEO was inspired by painters Komar & Melamid who collaborated with
animals for years, starting with a dog in the 70’s in Russia. They
started painting with elephants at the Thai Elephant Conservation
Center, which suggested to me and Richard, one of the Center’s
directors, to see if elephants could play music, particularly as
elephants like to listen to music.
We built over 22 giant instruments, mostly of steel, but
also include
commercial harmonicas and a variety of other instruments that can be
played by the elephants. Many of the isntruments are based on those
used in the local music traditions.
The third and final CD, Water Music, was released in
February, 2011.
Water Music 2011 Dave Soldier/Richard Lair/ The Thai
Elephant Orchestra
The ultimate recording, music for 14 elephants living at the Thai
Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang. Pieces by Dave Soldier &
Richard Lair with the Orchestra and recorded live without edits,
overdubs, or human sounds except for one piece with a Buddhist priest.
1. Invocation
2. The Last Monsoon of Summer
3. Gentle Monsoon
4. Gathering Storm Clouds
5. Two Rainbows
6. Bathing in the River
7. Sun Breaks Clouds
8. Clouds Cover Sun
9. Teak Forest Mist
10. Monsoon Tempest
Dave Soldier/Richard LairElephonic Rhapsodies
(2004, Mulatta) Music for 12 elephants living at the Thai Elephant
Conservation Center in Lampang. Pieces by Dave Soldier & Richard
Lair with the Orchestra and many homo sapien guests.
1. A Child's Guide to the Elephant Orchestra (Soldier/Lair) 2. Phong's Solo (Phong, improvisation by a 5 year-old
elephant) The Ganesha Symphony (Symphony
#1)(Soldier/Lair) in four movements
3. The Birth of Ganesha
4. Shiva Beheads Ganesha
5. A Head is Found
6. Ganesha Trimuphant
7. Rhapsody in Grey (Soldier/Lair)
8. An Elephant's Swan Song (Soldier/Lair)
9. Three Baht Opera (Soldier/Lair)
10. Little Elephant Saddle (Trad.) Elephants with Dave on violin
11. Floating Down the Pin River (Trad.) Elephants with a local
mahout hillbilly band
12. Pin Pia (Smithitham) Elephants with a traditional Thai
instrument
13. Bamboo Dreams (Seiber/Lair) Elephants with cellist Jamie Seiber
14. Bamboolin (Muangling) Elephants with a bamboo violin
15. Dancing With Prathida (Seiber/Lair) Another with cellist Jamie
Seiber
16. An Adult's Guide to the Elephant Orchestra (Soldier/Lair)
17. Kaw-Liga (Williams/Rose) Yes, they play Hank Williams with
Thai hillbilly players
18. Pastorale Lite (Beethoven, Arr. Soldier) Elephant orchestra
withmarching band
19. Homage to Harry Partch (Soldier/Lair)
20. Mr. Elephant (Trad., Arr. Soldier) Pop version with Japanese
saxophonist
21. Baby Elephant Walk (Henry Mancini) the kid's marching band,
only piece without elephants on the CD
22. Eletranz (David First) A pop dance mix for the orchestra by
David First
23. Chang! Chang! Chang! (Trad., Arr. Soldier) A version of a Thai
nursery rhyme, kids and elephants
24. Beethoven’sPastorale Symphony, First movement (Beethoven, Arr.
Soldier) Marching band and elephant orchestra
Dave Soldier/Richard LairThai Elephant Orchestra
(2001, Mulatta) Music for 6 elephants living at the Thai Elephant
Conservation Center in Lampang. Pieces by Dave Soldier & Richard
Lair with the Orchestra and recorded in the jungle by engineer Rory
Young. Link to liner notes.
1. Thung Kwian Sunrise
2. Temple Music
3. Rainforest
4. Jojo
5. Duo for Renats
6. Big Band
7. Swing Swing Swing
8. Percussion Trio
9. Luuk Kob's Diddley Bow Feature
10. Harmonica Music
11. Heavy Logs
12. Now We're off to Paint
13. Elephant Field Recordings
14. Somneuk & Four Elephants
15. Trio for Theremin & Electric Keyboard
16. Ken's Wind Instrument
17. Big Elephant Saddle
18. Somneuk's Renat Solo
19. Chang Chang Chang
December
2012: here's an orchestra version of humans playing a piece by the
elephants: Thung Kwian Sunrise. Wade Ripka transcribed what they played
from the CD, and I arranged it for the Composer's Concordance Chamber
Orchestra, with Thomas Carlo Bo conducting. We asked the audience to
guess the composer, and they came up with John Cage, Alan Hovhaness,
Dvorak, Milica Paranosic, and Charles Ives, but no one guessed
elephants!
Water Music
