Messiaen's La Naiveté du Seigneur.

Saturday, December 8, 2001

All Soul's Orchestra, Christmas Praise,  Westminster Central Hall.

Thoroughly entertaining.

Lively, energetic performance, and colourful presentation. Exciting rhythms and clever improvisations, but I found myself longing for something more three chords for harmonic variety by the end of the night.

But I was reminded of the lecture we had back at Adelaide University in the '70's, by a visiting African musician. While demonstrating his dazzling rhythmic skill and drumming techniques to our class of conservative classical musicians, he told us of his London experience as a student here some years before. He arrived in London shortly before Christmas and his first introduction to western music was going carol singing with some other students. He couldn't believe the inane rhythmic structure of carols like "Good King Wenceslas."  He played his impression of the Carol on his drum with simple straight even beats - rather dull. To an African, the beauty of music is primarily found in its rhythm - quite unlike a Carol which relies on its harmony for its beauty. So tonight, I was reminded to appreciate the beauty of performers' rhythms, and not try to impose my Western ears' longing for harmonic interest on their music.

Exquisitely beautiful concert. 

Thursday, December 20, 2001

London Community Gospel Choir,  Royal Albert Hall.