Found Percussion-Gun Powder

Hi guys

I know this idea sounds completely insane, but I'm thinking of using Gunpowder as a form of found percussion. I remember on halloween my teacher took some black powder and ground it up in a mortar and pestle and it was really really loud, but I was wondering if a) the average orchestra percussionist could handle it b) if it could be used more than once and c) if black powder put into a mortar and pestle and gone off a few times would work.

Also if anyone else knows any other really nifty forms of found percussion I'm really really interested to hear the idea. I'm in love with found percussion.

many thanks my fellow composers

Yaz

mmmmm I'm not sure it's a good idea... percussionists didn't study how to handle powder, you would have to write in the score "Caution, Read this before" and explain it, then in other page, "Warning, Read how to handle Dangerous Percussions" "Risk of harm" etc...:)

and if someone make a mistake .... BOOM!!!

...what you want the powder for, .. get a powerful amplifier and play a recoding of the "boom" ... even with that, you will scare that pretty violinist girl. (there's always one) :)

I got the idea from 1812 Overture. I thought Howitzers really not all that convenient, cause they have to be far away and even then, they are defeaning. Black powder in a mortar and pestle-wouldn't that be sort of feasible? or am I going into a dangerous realm of dangerous percussion instruments?

like I said.....I'm not sure.... I don't know that stuff, I have never handled powder, and neither the percussionists.

for safety do the concert in the outside.

have a "good baada boom" :) *

Edit:

* That's form "The Fifth Element"

Yeah it's feasible... the issues I see are availability of black powder and, if one has to make it, the volatility and variance in results.