bee cult
Marimba.
bee cult refers to the mythical cult of the Kouretes who were entrusted by Rhea to guard the infant Zeus. They danced a so called ‘bee dance’, beating drums and clashing spears on shields so that the cries of the infant would not be heard by Kronos, god of time. The Kouretes supposedly invented the art of bee-keeping, and under their protection the infant Zeus was fed by the daugthers of Melliseus, the ‘bee-man’. (paraphrased from George Thomson's “Aeshylus and Athens”, Haskell House, 1940)
bee cult is a short piece for marimba with shaker and bass drum foot pedal parts. It is a polyrhthmic fantasy written for Tatiana Koleva with funding from the Dutch funds for new music (Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst).
The music can be ordered from Donemus Publishing House, Amsterdam.
performance history
- 12 October 2004; Premiered by Tatiana Koleva, Ultima Festival, Oslo.
- Performed by participants of Tromp Festival, Eindhoven.