17 August 2023

After NYC

I ran straight from Wynton Marsalis to Wesley for an outing from the Music Academy at Canberra Girls' Grammar School.  This was a series of ensembles, flutes and saxes and clarinets and wind and vocal and just one trio of violin, flute and piano and also just two teachers sitting in, one of piano and one amongst the flute ensemble.  Now these can't justifiably be compared to Lincoln Center professionals.  These are students, reasonably early in their arts, performing locally, but they were satisfying and well regarded by my various mates with music backgrounds.  The music was fairly obscure.  I recognised a Khachaturian piece performed by that trio of violin, flute and piano and they did it well.  This was not an easy piece, all solo passages and quick fills and done really nicely.  Otherwise names were Luter and Lickl and Jeanjean: not known to me.  I did recognise the Strauss II Tritsh Tratsch Polka, lively and lovely and jovial.  I left with all my mates talking of how our music is in good hands.  I agree, and not just music.  Modern kids are impressive and thoroughly informed.  But politics intrudes everywhere (not just from me!).  To start the concert a student gave an intro with a recognition of country and I heard noisy huffs and poohpoohs from the back of the hall.  I recognised the voice and, when leaving, found him arguing in the foyer with an event organiser.  The argument went back and forth with no resolution or satisfaction as these arguments often do.  Sad that.  Two perfectly nice people (I frequently speak to both) but also some misinformation and belligerency.  To some we all do it, but it's not pretty.  My track, The Talking cure / The Pots, speaks of a similar situation on a cruise ship with a vet from Yarralumla, no less!

Students from the Music Academy at Canberra Girls' Grammar School performed at Wesley.

  • The talking cure / The Pots
  • No comments: