DEER SKIN DRUMS

DARTMOOR DRUMS

Traditional hand-crafted frame drums made by Dartmoor artist Carolyn Hillyer

Carolyn offers drums crafted from RED DEER skin indigenous to Dartmoor; HORSE skin sourced by native Tarascan drum maker Guillermo Martinez; or REINDEER skin prepared by Anders Hakunsson, an Arctic tanner working with traditional Sami methods. Skins depend on seasonal availability.

All the materials for these drums are very carefully sourced and nothing is factory-made or mass-produced. The drums are made in our medieval stone barn in the middle of Dartmoor and the skins washed and soaked in water from the spring-fed well. The gathering of the skins is seasonal and the prepration of the raw hide can take several weeks depending on the weather conditions. We feel that the artisan quality of the materials and the making process has a significant effect on the song that each drum will sing; these are instruments with a lot of spirit.

This year we have made some significant changes to the way that the Dartmoor deer skins are prepared for the drums. Nearly all of the preparation is now done by hand, on site at the wooded smallholding where the deer herd dwell. The final drying stages of making the rawhide are carried out in a small traditional tannery on the edge of Dartmoor. The careful handcrafting of the skins means that all the individual character and colour textures of the skins are retained; consequently there is a deepening in the care and respect with which the animal materials are gathered and handled.

The skin of the drum is undecorated and beautiful in its simplicity. The drum hoop is made from northern birch wood, prepared in a small family workshop in the north of England; all hoops are 2 and 1/2" (6cms) deep except for the larger ceremonial drums, which are 4 and 1/2" (11cms) deep. The tension ring is handwrought by a Dartmoor blacksmith. The ring and handle of the drum are trimmed with leather (pale chamois, red reindeer tanned with alder bark or soft Dartmoor salt leather depending on the drum). The drum beater is made from branch wood cut on our Dartmoor farm (usually hazel, willow or ash), sewn with leather & filled with animal hair or sheep fleece. A small Dartmoor totem is hung from the back of the drum (feather, antler disc, horse hair, river stone...)

Each drum is blessed over fire in the ceremonial round house at Lower Merripit Farm. Drums are usually made to commission although in 2011 there will be a range of drums available for trying and buying at our Open Studio event in September (see events schedule).

For all prices please add 20% VAT and £10 courier postage.

RED DEER Travelling Drum (red deer ~ small 14”) £125 Forest Drum (red deer ~ medium 16”) £155 Fire Circle Drum (red deer ~ large 18”) £190 Ceremonial Drum (red deer ~ large 18" with extra deep hoop ~ comes with double-ended soft/hard beater) £275 The faces of these drums vary from pale & creamy to golden & shadowy or textured; very good resonant tone with a deeper sound on the larger drums. The forest drum is popular as a first drum because the tone is medium low and it is easy to carry around.
REINDEER Ice Drum (reindeer skin ~ large 18” with extra deep hoop ~ comes with double-ended soft/hard beater) £275 Reindeer Skin Drums are also made to diameters of 14"/16"/18" with regular hoop ~ prices as above Dark nut brown skins with mottled designs that often suggest the hoof patterns of circling herds on frozen lakes. A bright singing resonance,which is finely balanced on the large Ice drum and gives a metallic cold song on the samller drums. Finished with red alder bark dyed leather and decorated with antler bead.
HORSE Hills Drum (horse skin ~ 14"/16"/18") ~ prices as above Great Hills Drum (horse skin ~ large 18" with extra deep hoop ~ comes with double-ended soft/hard beater) £300 Very dark brown or even black skins with sturdy thick texture; a flat resonance so they are good for fast running beats and less sensitive to damp weather. Heavier drums for playing and carrying, especially the ceremonial size. Decorated with horse hair.

Please call us on 01822 880301 for more details or if you have any questions.