TorQ brings unique percusssion brew to Alberta

TorQ Percussion Quartet is speeding towards Morinville and it’s bringing a high-wattage energy quite unlike anything the town has seen before.

Dedicated to spreading the word about percussion music through performance and teaching, the ensemble flies out of Toronto and arrives in Edmonton today for a 20-day tour of the three Prairie provinces.

Immediately they head out to Drayton Valley for their opening show before heading to the Morinville Community Cultural Centre on Friday, Jan. 13.

“We’re really excited to be out there. It’s our first time on the Prairies and we’re excited to share our music,” says Adam Campbell. Completing the quartet is Richard Burrows, Jamie Drake and Daniel Morphy.

Although not quite as flashy as STOMP or Blue Man Group, TorQ has nonetheless invented its own unique brew.

“We have lot more intimate moments. We show the audience how an instrument works. There’s no secret. We’re happy to explain and everyone sees something they’ve never seen before,” Campbell adds.

Trained in the classical repertoire, TorQ performs both traditional works and junk percussion.

Packing about 80 instruments, the band hauls traditional percussion instruments such as drums and a vibraphone alongside ordinary household objects such as flower pots, dog toys, conch shells, tin cans, mini beer kegs and even a lions’ roar (a drum with a rope pulled through it).

“We have a most exciting range of instruments from a nine-foot wide marimba to garbage cans and everything in between. We can play music that is sweet and melodious, music that is quirky and exciting, or music that is big and bombastic.”

TorQ’s origins started in 2004 when four University of Toronto percussionists formed a group for the express purpose of competing at the International Percussion Competition Luxembourg, the Olympics of percussion quartets.

Returning home they accepted a few engagements and school shows. Word of mouth spread and today they perform about 130 shows a year and have released two CDs.

The first CD, a self-titled release with 13 tracks, was a collection of choral pieces, originals and improvisations. Their 2011 release, Two + Two, had a recurring theme of pairing pieces and included the works of recognized composers such as John Gage, the grandfather of percussion composition.

“The first album did well. But the second put us on the map as one of the best percussion ensembles in North America and we’re even getting world recognition. It’s given us a measuring stick so people can realize musically what level we’re at.”

But Campbell believes he’s lucked out finding three other guys he connects with so easily.

“It’s been the funnest, most rewarding and most challenging times. But I can’t imagine being in any other percussion group.”