The Thai Elephant Orchestra is a musical ensemble consisting of as many as sixteen elephants near Lampang in Northern Thailand. The elephants play music (essentially as conducted improvisations) on enormous specially designed musical instruments. The orchestra was created and is conducted by elephant conservationist Richard Lair of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center and the American composer/performer Dave Soldier. They have three CDs released on the Mulatta Records label with an orchestra ranging in size from 6 in the initial CD (2001) to fourteen elephants in the last, Water Music (2011).
Famous quotes containing the words elephant and/or orchestra:
“The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy; his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
““Pop” Wyman ruled here with a firm but gentle hand; no drunken man was ever served at the bar; no married man was allowed to play at the tables; across the face of the large clock was written “Please Don’t Swear,” and over the orchestra appeared the gentle admonition, “Don’t Shoot the Pianist—He’s Doing His Damndest.””
—Administration in the State of Colo, U.S. public relief program. Colorado: A Guide to the Highest State (The WPA Guide to Colorado)