Eardrum is a focused evening of drums-centered performance celebrating rhythm, pulse, and gesture. Placing percussion at the forefront, the program features solo jazz drum (Isaac James), contemporary classical percussion (Hoi Yin Ng), and a closing solo drum work with dance (The Drum Also Dances).
Isaac James is a London-based drummer, presenting his first solo performance. He has played at venues including Ronnie Scott’s, PizzaExpress Live (Soho), and the Vortex Jazz Club. He is a member of band Happy Garden, collaborates with Afro-grunge artist Peter Xan, and works across many freelance projects in London.
Hoi Yin Ng is a specialist in solo and chamber percussion with a particular focus on contemporary music. The winner of the RCM Contemporary Prize in 2025, her regular chamber involvements include Duo Selah with fellow RCM percussionist Matthew Kosciecha, the RCM resident percussion quartet PeRC’M, and New Light Collective (percussion, cello and Chinese flute trio). Apart from these commitments, she is also frequently invited as a collaborator for contemporary chamber projects and has been involved in multiple premieres and collaborations with composers.
The Drum Also Dances is a collaborative project from drummer Freddie Krone and dancer Zac Priestley that focuses on tribute and exploration. The name is derived from drummer Max Roach’s 1966 tune The Drum Also Waltzes. It is not difficult for listeners to hear the similarities between this and part one of the project: an extended drum solo in odd time with expressive figures played over a foot ostinato. The full video was released in February and now is your chance to see the first live performance. Part one is strictly composed and choreographed, part two is fully improvised, and part three is a mixture of both approaches. The developing, often improvised, dialogue between drum and dancer is what makes, somewhat paradoxically, this project both unique and firmly rooted in history.
