Launched Christmas 2004 at The Royal Exchange Theatre Craft Shop, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” exhibition took inspiration from the traditional carol of the same name. Participating members of Manchester Jewellers Network were randomly assigned a number correlating to each of the twelve verses. Rowena’s challenge was to base work on the verse:

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, 
  My true love sent to me,
  Twelve drummers drumming …. “

Rowena’s central piece took the form of a box-pendant, complete with interactive movable paddles with which to “drum” and create sound and rhythm on the main body of the pendant. The work focuses on the action and concept of drumming and celebrates a favourite childhood storybook: Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins. The story rejoices in the discovery of manual dexterity and rhythm by a troop of cheeky monkeys drumming in the jungle. Rowena has quoted the story’s main catch phrase on the door of the box-pendant: “Dum ditty, dum ditty, dum, dum, dum!”