Cymbals (pronounced like the word “symbol”) are percussion instruments. They are discs made of copper, bronze or a special alloy. They look rather like saucepan lids, but in the middle they jut out a little and they have straps there that pass through a hole.
There are two ways of playing cymbals. One way is to use a pair of cymbals that are the same. The player holds one cymbal in each hand, holding them by the strap. He then bangs the cymbals together. There are many ways of doing this depending on the sort of sound that is wanted. For example, a very quiet sound can be made by rubbing the edges of the cymbals together. A very loud sound can be made by hitting them together as the arms form a circle, and letting the cymbals vibrate for a long time by holding them in the air.
Another way of playing the cymbal is to use just one cymbal, and to hang it on a stand. It can then be played with a beater, stick or wire brush. It can be hit at the edge, in the middle, or half way between, depending on the sound that is wanted.
Cymbals are made in different sizes. Some may be just 25 cm across, large ones may be up to 60 cm across. Cymbals do not normally give any particular pitch. There are, however, small ones based on an old form of cymbal which are called “crotales”. There are also Chinese cymbals which have a turned-up edge.
Cymbals are used in many different musical groups. They are heard in an orchestra, in jazz groups, percussion groups and bands, including marching bands. A drum kit always has at least one cymbal. This may be a “crash cymbal” (on the top of a stand) or a pair of hi-hats (a pair of small cymbals operated by pressing a pedal with the foot.
The word cymbals comes from the Latin "cymbalum", which itself comes from the Greek word "kumbalom", meaning a small bowl. It was used in many ancient cultures including Egyptian civilisations.
Cymbals are often used in orchestras. The first composer to use them was probably Joseph Haydn in his “Military Symphony” (1794). They are often used when there is a big climax (for example in the “Academic Festival Overture” by Johannes Brahms, but they can also sometimes be played very quietly. Sometimes players should let the cymbal vibrate for a long time after a big crash, but at other times he may have to hold the cymbals against his body quickly to stop the noise. This is called “damping” the sound.
Cymbals have traditionally often been played together with the bass drum. This makes a "crash-bang-wallop" noise.
"The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments" by Könemann;
Woodblock
A wood block is a small percussion instrument. It is made of wood and hit like a drum. The woodblock is hollow inside so that it makes a big, resonating sound. It can come in different forms, but many modern woodblocks are shaped like a brick.
It is sometimes called a Chinese block because it has Chinese origins.
The sticks used to hit the woodblock can be snare drum sticks or xylophone beaters. It makes a hard, high sound. It can often be heard in large orchestras, e.g. in Bernstein's "West Side Story".
Berwickshire
Berwickshire is a British county in Scotland. It is also the name of a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council. Berwickshire is on the boundary of Scotland with England. It is named after Berwick-upon-Tweed, but Scotland lost Berwick to England in 1482.
Berwickshire's first county town was the Royal Burgh of Berwick-upon-Tweed. In 1482 England seized Berwick. After that the shire's business was done at Duns or Lauder until Greenlaw became the county town in 1596.
A Sheriff Court sits in Duns.
Berwickshire County Council, like all the County Councils in Scotland, was made in 1890. The Council met in Duns. Berwickshire County Council was ended in 1975.
In 1975 a new Borders Region was made. A Berwickshire District Council was made within it too, with an area like the county’s but not the same. Berwickshire District Council was ended in 1996.
Berwickshire is now all in the Scottish Borders Council Area.
In 1890, when Berwickshire County Council was made, the Council asked the Lord Lyon King of Arms to give them a shield and arms. He gave a shield and arms to the County Council on 10 October 1890.
The shield shows a bear chained to a wych-elm tree. The bear and wych-elm are part of Berwick upon Tweed’s shield because they sound like the town’s name.
On 12 November 1975 the Lord Lyon gave the arms again to Berwickshire District Council. When the district council ended in 1996, the right to the arms went back to the Queen.
Berwickshire’s name is still used locally. "The Berwickshire News" is a newspaper in the county and many groups keep "Berwickshire" in their titles.
The Berwickshire Civic Society is (2009) asking the Council to put road signs up to tell drivers who are coming into the county that they are coming into Berwickshire. The Berwickshire Civic Society has a "Keep Berwickshire Tidy" competition each April.
Places in Berwickshire include:
Claves
Claves (Spanish word: second e is sounded) are percussion instruments. They are small wooden sticks made of tropical hardwood. They are used in pairs. They are traditionally heard in Cuban music, e.g. salsa.
In Cuban music they often repeat a special rhythm called "clave" (pronounce: "CLAH-ve").
The usual way of playing claves is to hold one clave lightly between the thumb and the fingertips with the palm of the hand facing upwards, or to cradle the clave in the hand. The other, held with the other hand, hits it.
Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge
The Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge or Southern Pacific Railroad Bridge is a historic railroad bridge in Torrance, California USA. It spans across Torrance Boulevard at Bow Street, a short distance west of Western Avenue. It was once part of the north/south Torrance to San Pedro spur line of the Pacific Electric Railway. The line was the railroad's first interurban line to San Pedro. After splitting off to the east from the Union Tool Company plant which was once a short distance south of the bridge, the line ended at a Columbia Steel steel mill (later United States Steel) by running up and over the east/west Torrance local line. It is the only part of the PE which crossed itself this way. This was due to the area's geography. If the railroad simply built a spur off of the main line, it would have meant that trains trying to get to the steel mill would have faced too steep a climb. The steel mill has since been torn down to make way for the national headquarters of American Honda Motor Company, but the remaining part of the Torrance line - which once had two separate tracks - was rebuilt in 2003 and is still in use for local train runs by the Union Pacific Railroad. Gone too are the Pacific Electric's Torrance shops at the western branch of the split, now the site of an industrial park and which still receives trains on the local line.
The bridge was designed by Irving Gill and was built in 1913 as part of the original layout of the city as drawn up by Jared Sidney Torrance and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.. It became the city's second entry in the National Register of Historic Places on July 13, 1989 after Torrance High School. It is also listed with the California Office of Historic Preservation.
Though tracks and track parts remain on the bridge, it is no longer in use nor has it been for quite some time. There is no chance of the bridge ever being used to carry trains again, since the right-of-way at either end has been changed and the tracks removed. Even so, the Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge has become a symbol of the city as part of the Torrance Police Department's logo as of January 1, 2000, only the third such change in the department's history.
Eskdale
Eskdale, Victoria is a small Australian town in the Mitta Valley with Mitta Mitta and Dartmouth. The Mitta Valley is in the north east of Victoria about from Albury and Wodonga
It has one shop, one cafe, a hotel, two churches and one school.
Anglerfish