Last night Bill and I went to the Café du Soleil in Saignelegier to listen to a concert by Linda Bsiri and Michel Godard. I did not know anything about these two musicians besides the fact that Godard would be playing a recently made copy of an ancient musical wind instrument; the Serpent. (learn more about it on the Serpent website)
It is reportedly a extremely hard instrument to play, which is perhaps why it was so readily replaced by the tuba, but nevertheless still has a fervent following. Yet like many ancient instruments, the craftsman skills to make one are not easily found, and the old instruments are not easily replaced.
Apparently Mr. Godard who had already began working with Swiss Alp Horn maker Mattias Wetter had a stroke of luck three years ago in meeting Stéphan Berger, a leather expert, at the Café du Soleil. Last night’s concert was the inauguration of the trios work!
I was fortunate to have seen and actually touched one of the four (if I’m not mistaken) instruments already made earlier this year at Bill’s and can report that the craftsmanship involved is extraordinary, even if you do know a bit about working with wood and leather it looks like this instrument spontaneously created itself with nearly no trace of human intervention. So I was not that surprised when Mr. Godard announced that these instruments where as nice as the ancient one he has played for many years. More information will hopefully soon be posted on their newly made Serpent Makers website.
The sound is hard to describe and also depends on what is being played. The concert begun with a couple of medieval madrigals that brought a wisp of the orient to what I would call a dark, rounded and somewhat subdued sound that superbly reflected the materials this instrument is made with. Then the duo played a series of there own compositions, with Linda Bsiri’s singing and vocal effects contrasting on Godard’s fast paced grunts and squeals, showing if nothing else that this instrument can be perfectly at home in a more contemporary environment.
My sketch was quickly drawn with one of the café’s waitress’s pen and pad at the bar, after this enjoyable concert was over. The leather circle pictured here is my concert ticket!