If you’re a regular viewer of the show you may remember that over the years, we’ve sometimes invited marimba and vibraphone players to introduce us to the repertoire of these percussive instruments. This week we’re featuring a marimba player who adds another dimension to the instrument, combining it with electronic music and visual art.
But before venturing into new music, a trip back in time and into painting. We’re taking a look at works from Britain’s National Gallery, on show at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Percussion instruments were among the very first to be created by humans. Banging things is easy. But that doesn’t mean all percussion instruments have that long a history. The modern marimba was developed in Mexico in the late 19th century. And there’s not a long history of works composed specifically for them. Paul Creston’s 1940 “Concertino for Marimba” is thought of as the first major orchestral piece to highlight the instrument. More recently still, composers have been combining the marimba with electronic music, and that’s where Ernestina Leung’s interest lies. She’s with us now.