Mountain Drumming with Batala Lancaster

 

On Saturday 14th May, Batala Lancaster headed for the Dales for an extreme fund-raising event which combined walking the Three Peaks of the Yorkshire Dales, running drumming workshops and giving free performances in and around the village of Clapham to raise money for the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT).

After a very early alarm call, nine members of community drumming band Batala Lancaster pushed themselves to the limit, hauling their (very large and very heavy) drums up hill and down dale as they took on the 25 mile marathon walk of the Three Peaks Challenge.

These dedicated drummers set off at 6 o'clock in the morning from Horton carrying their 7Kg drums for the 14 hour, 25 mile trek over the hills of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.

Meanwhile, other avid Batala drummers teamed up with YDMT to run a drumming workshop in Clapham village hall for a group of local children, teaching them the basics of samba drumming.  By the end of the workshop, band-leader Juliana had the group working together to give an impressive mini performance to the gathering of parents.

Ingleton Primary school pupil Robert (aged 10) said the workshop was “extremely good fun” and unlike anything he’d ever done before, whilst 14-year-old James from Lancaster described the morning as “loud and full of energy”.

An appreciative and enthusiastic crowd of over 90 people gathered to watch the incredible free performance by Batala Lancaster staged at the entrance to the Nature Trail in Clapham.  Passing walkers stopped in their tracks to appreciate the music and dance as the band performed again for our enjoyment outside Ingleborough Caves.  Staff from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust were on hand with collecting buckets to receive any donations.

The day culminated in a final performance on the top of Ingleborough where the Three Peakers were reunited with the rest of the band.  Together, Batala Lancaster played a dramatic free gig on the summit.  Shrouded in low cloud, the band could certainly be heard before they were seen, and many walkers stopped to enjoy the show.

Batala Lancaster (www.batalalancaster.com) is a community band that plays authentic Brazilian Samba Reggae drum music. A powerful combination of drums and dance, it captures the dynamic vitality of Brazilian culture with an exciting fusion of rhythm, movement and costume.  The band plays at music festivals, carnivals, and other events all over the North West. The landscape of the area and the band’s level of endurance and stamina prompted Gordon of Batala Lancaster to come up with the unique idea of Mountain Drumming.

Batala Lancaster would like to do more to support local communities and disadvantaged groups, and to encourage projects that care for the environment.  Its partnership with YDMT in this extreme drumming and fundraising venture is a logical and harmonious one.

The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust is a small charity doing big things, working to support the natural and built environment, and the social and economic well-being of the Dales and the surrounding area.  To date YDMT has helped to deliver over 1,200 projects worth around £20 million.  Find out more at www.ydmt.org
 
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