Friday, December 17, 2010

Cage Against The Machine

Have you bought yours yet?

Cage Against The Machine - the video
I love the bit where the guitarist re-tunes.

Excellent article on 4'33"

www.catm.co.uk

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Honouring Saint Cecilia

Last Saturday there was a huge concert in Avy, near Pons. One of my friends was playing in it, so of course I went along.

I got a bit lost and arrived later than I would wish to find that not only was the carpark full, but cars were parked all over the nearby roads! Lucky for me that I take my own seat, because the hall was packed and people were crammed in at the back. I was surprised there was no entry fee: even one euro from each of the hundreds of audience would have been quite a wodge.

When the players came onstage (or into space-at-front-of-stage) the size of the audience was partly explained: it was a combined effort from my friend's small Harmonie and two bigger Harmonies, from the music college in Jonzac and from Montendre. A very Big Band!

The three directors took turns conducting a brilliant programme of new works, jazz pieces, swing, and arrangements of film scores; I was most impressed when the cornet section opened Pirates of the Caribbean with the pirates' chorus, so well performed that it vividly recalled that slow march across the seabed. The last piece was announced as "Volare", which sounded like it would be a disappointing finish until they started playing an amazing jazzed version which got everyone clapping and moving (as much as possible in the crowd!).

Early in the concert the announcer introduced the youngest member (10 years old) and the oldest (89, a rather young-for-his-age euphonium player), and pointed out that making music is wonderful for getting all generations together. Yay!

Newspaper article before the event, with information