Naturally enough, those giant taiko drums always attract the most attention. There is something elemental about the sight of a man, dressed in a loin-cloth, testing his stamina against such an implacable adversary.
Yet the most intriguing segment of this concert by the troupe from Sado Island, western Japan, involved much smaller instruments that produced, when grouped together, the subtle, humming cadences of summer rainfall. At a gesture from the lead drummer, the volume rose inexorably until the sound resembled a monsoon hammering against corrugated iron. Then the tattoo slipped back to a whisper, and a profound sense of calm washed over the auditorium.
Fêted around the world, and admired by such luminaries as the late Max Roach, the Kodo Drummers have attained cult status over the course of a quarter of a century. Combining Japanese ritual with punishing displays of physical endurance, the group has also managed to tap into Western appetites for ecumenical, New Age spirituality.
At their most potent, the rhythms produced by the dozen or so percussionists evoke a sense of timelessness. The word kodo means “heartbeat”, and there is an unmistakably primal quality to the display, transforming a theatre into a gigantic, all-embracing womb.
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Although the audience responded with a standing ovation at the end, there were longueurs too. In a venue the size of the Festival Hall the production sometimes seemed undernourished. While nobody would expect the members to adopt the showbiz mannerisms of a Riverdance, there is still ample room for more theatrical touches.
The lighting, for instance, is mundane, and the masked dance sequence in the second half looked somewhat threadbare in this setting. The simple black and white tunics of the performers - who include a sprinkling of female faces - are striking, but the production itself often settles for a bland, monochrome effect. Sharper choreography would make all the difference.
After the interval, the unrelenting duel on the large drums generated some hypnotic power, but it was the combinations of small hand-cymbals and the lesser drums, along with simple flute phrases that cast the strongest spell.
The One Earth tour continues at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, tomorrow; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri; The Sage, Gateshead, Sat & Sun, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, Feb 11