The Roaring Whirl

The Roaring Whirl is a musical journey across the North Indian Punjab – the setting for Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Kim’. The work was originally commissioned by clarinetist Geraldine Allen as a piece to take on tour, and she approached composer Sarah Rodgers for a piece that would cross continents, genres and styles. After the first performance it was clear that the short work had much more potential and it was expanded. The final version was a centerpiece of the Nottingham Now Festival in 1992, as a fully staged performance with a designed set and lighting and choreographed kathak dance. This studio recording was made at the same time but has not been made available until now.

Sarah Rodgers is a direct descendant of Henry Purcell – she has written music in many genres and takes a great interest in cross cultural music and Roaring Whirl was only the first of many such works which have been performed around the world. The four performers are all well established as leading lights in their own fields and have all developed a superb reputation in the years since making this recording. Bhasker Patel is best known in the UK for his leading role in the TV drama Emmerdale.