About
It was in 2015 that this unusual musical collaboration was born, when world-renowned beat box artist Tom Thum and acclaimed composer Gordon Hamilton, along with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra embarked on creating the world’s first “Beatbox Concerto”.
‘Tom Thum appears to have swallowed an entire orchestra and several backing singers’ The Guardian (UK)
Tom Thum was propelled to Internet stardom with his 2013 TEDx performance at the Sydney Opera House, Tom’s 15 minute showcase has quickly become the highest viewed beatbox video of all time with over 50 million online views and counting. Tom’s unique vocal abilities have seen him perform to sold out crowds all over the world.
Dubbed as a “powerhouse of musical ideas”, Australian composer and conductor Gordon Hamilton is leading the charge for a ‘new wave’ of classical music. After being appointed Artistic Director of The Australian Voices in 2009, Gordon has toured the globe, collaborating with an extensive list of orchestras as well as classical, contempo- rary and urban musicians, introducing unconventional styles within the classical genre, spanning popular culture topics such as gender equality and human rights.
At first glance, you’d struggle to find a greater example of artistic polar opposites, yet anyone lucky enough to have witnessed this creative alliance would agree that such a curious pairing of music genres compliment each other perfectly. Accompanied by a number of internationally recognised ensembles, Tom and Gordon have journeyed the world over, turning concert halls on their heads, continuing to wow audiences with this remarkable collaboration.
Thum Prints boasts a broad spectrum of visual and audio delights, as the duo guide their audience on a strikingly untraditional musical journey. Comprised of original compositions written by Tom and Gordon, the sincere musical dedication from both artists shines throughout their performance. The highlight of the Thum Prints performance is undoubtedly ‘Ratchet Face’. Fusing the art of beat boxing with classical, trap, loops, rap and operatic vocals into a smouldering four-minute piece, the live video of ‘Ratchet Face’ has already gathered over three million plays online.
As the magnitude of this musical phenomenon rises steadily, the doors of opportunity continue to open for Tom and Gordon. Demand is now reaching new heights with institutions such as BBC Proms - recognised as the world’s largest classical music festival, recruiting Thum Prints for the first-ever international BBC Proms; taking place in Melbourne, Australia. Presented and aired by BBC Worldwide, this truly historical event received rave reviews with Limelight Magazine stating:
“Thum Prints is an artfully conceived, personality packed synergy between a 21st-century vocal magician, as disciplined and accomplished as any classically trained opera singer, and a superbly judged musical vernacular from Hamilton, blending traditionally conceived orchestral textures with more hard-edged gestures.It's wildly entertaining, innovative, brilliantly uncon- ventional and yet never overly irreverent. If only all crossover was as insightful and undiluted as this excellent piece.”
Exceeding all expectations, the concept and execution of Thum Prints has brought orchestral music to a young audience without alienating aficionados of the artform. Tom’s beatboxing agility and Gordon’s compositions seamlessly interweave with one another to create harmony within this juxtaposition of sounds.
Watch the full show: here
Instrumentations
Full orchestra: 2.2.2.2 – 4.3.3.1[opt]. – 2p./timp. – hp. – strings
Chamber orchestra: 1.1.1.1 – 1.1.1.0 – 1p. – 2.2.2.1.1
String orchestra: minimum 3.3.2.2.1
String quintet (must use players based in Brisbane)
DURATION
Duration: 20 min 'concerto' version or 60 min 'show' version
