When we (my wife and I) first moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2004, I had never heard of, nevermind seen, a drum called the lambeg. It was to be an interesting introduction as I realised that this drum divided communities and caused political tension. Now that’s a pretty powerful drum!

Some say the lambeg can lay claim to being the loudest drum, measuring louder than a super 120 decibels, it is easily heard for miles away. It is a voice that is not readily relegated to the background. You could say this drum carries with it a sense of auditory power and commands attention!

A brief bit of Irish history
What makes the lambeg so special (and so particular) to Northern Ireland? One needs to look at the history of the Irish nation.

In1690, Protestant King William of Orange went to battle against King James (Catholic king) and defeated him in a battle called ‘The Battle of the Boyne “. The battle was between those who desired a united Ireland (Catholic) and those who wanted Ireland to belong to Great Britain (Protestant). So there you have two people groups clashing in the name of belief, bringing division and conflict. And not too much has changed since then!

Every year on the 12th of July, marches are held across the country to commemorate this battle among others. The drum is used as a proclamation, a declaration of victory. It is always tense in many villages and town across the country when it’s marching season as conflict, unfortunately, always seems inevitable.

About the Lambeg
Whilst the “Irish down South” in the Republic of Ireland are a much more musical nation (as seen and heard in the Bodhran drum and traditional folk music), we cannot discount the “Irish up North” with their marching bands and big bass drums! Both are a sight to behold. I have seen a few parades with some drummers doing their stuff and it’s quite impressive to see how they carry those big drums the whole day long, till the blood drips from their necks as the leather straps wear against the skin. There is a sense of pride when playing the lambeg, a strong adherence to tradition and heritage in some communities. Apart from the political connotations and religious differences associated with the drum (which I personally do not agree with), it’s still an amazing instrument and deserves recognition amongst our arsenal of percussive tools!

Where to find out more
Again, I will be referencing the DrumDojo web site as Paul Marshall has some fantastic information and resource on the Lambeg drum.

• Read about the Lambeg drum on the DrumDojo site - it’s origins, specs, playing technique and more
• Our good friend, Wikipedia, has some good information with links to other resourceful sites too

And here are some videos showcasing the Lambeg drum

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Dwrs2iF7k[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD5OtRSTXu4[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0EOKM4xrOM[/youtube]

I just have to show you Terl with a lambeg!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmUR9lqAh8o[/youtube]

Pride and Prejudice
I believe we, as drummers, are called to strike our drums with pride without prejudice. It is not about tradition, religion, culture or clubs…it’s about God and His name, His Kingdom and nothing else! You can see how the Lambeg divides and pulls the ears of all around, so should it be with the Gospel and us as drummers - dividing good and evil, pulling in the lost with the heartbeat of God in our playing!

Important note:

I do not affiliate myself with any of the groups shown in the videos referring to any Orange Order or club. The videos are to show you what the Lambeg drums look like, sounds like and how they are played and presented in the Irish/British culture.

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