Every year, Norway stages an Ice Music Festival. It is the only event in the world dedicated to the art of playing music on instruments made out of ice! And not any ice will do. Manmade ice produces instruments with an inferior tone, so only naturally frozen ice is used.
Last year, a team of ice carvers chose the frozen waters from Lake Finse, as well as ice from a glacier located nearby. Armed with chainsaws, chisels and hammers, these special sculptors transformed great blocks of ice into guitars, keyboards, drums and woodwind instruments. Even the stage was carved out of ice.
Terje Isungset, a renowned Norwegian jazz percussionist, came up with the idea of ice instruments in 1999 when he was performing inside a frozen waterfall. He first made a drum, then an ice trumpet and an ice harp.
The goal of the festival is to challenge musicians to try new instruments that might not sound exactly like the normal ones. The tones are similar but softer.
Playing an ice instrument is uncomfortable because the musician cannot wear gloves. They take turns performing, so they have time to warm up their fingers.
Picture Credit : Google