Gishora

The original version of this work was composed for trumpet and seven African drums, commissioned by KLARA radio in 2009 as part of the Art for Life campaign. Gishora means hill and refers to a repository for “sacred” percussion instruments in Burundi. With this campaign, Klara wanted to support Studio Brussel's annual Music for Life campaign. Three works of art were auctioned on eBay, including this composition by Wim Henderickx. The proceeds from the auctioned artworks were donated in full to the fight against malaria in Burundi. The work had its world premiere in the Toots studio of the VRT. The highest bidder received the first recording as well as the original, handwritten composition sketches by Wim Henderickx during the programme Babel with Heidi Lenaerts on 21 December 2009. This work was performed live at the opening of the new wing of deSingel in Antwerp in October 2010. In 2012, Wim Henderickx wrote a version for soprano saxophone and seven African drums, and in 2019 a version for piccolo and percussion. Versions for clarinet, oboe and violin were also composed.