Lucky with our locals

John and Marie are our locals but I pinch myself when I say it.  Like many who spend time studying and performing in European music circles, they are wonderful, informed and skilled but they are here and super friendly and helpful and open.  A concert with John is a fireside chat with delicious music.  He joked at one stage of changes of movement between styles of music, from modern through to early or vice-versa, but that they had settled on baroque.  And baroque it was.  Early 1600s to later 1700s with CPE Bach.  All played with skill but also knowledge and joy.  What a pleasure.  So today it was CPE Bach to start, then going back in time to Schmelzer, Telemann, Uccelini and Fischer.  A few movements dropped to fit in the time allotted, which they admitted to sometimes overreaching.  This was just a casual Wednesday lunchtime concert, with a grand performance 4-harpsichord-and-strings feature coming on Saturday.  Expect no less from our much loved John and Marie.  BTW, the program also said that Marie is also studying jazz piano.  Enquiring minds!

John Ma (violin) and Marie Searles (harpsichord) performed at Wesley.

John and Maruki

It's somewhat strange but lovely that a principal from the LSO and violist from a significant string quartet formed the Maruki Community Orchestra with its invitation to all to take play, regardless of expertise, and to take on major works.  But that was John Gould.  My first Maruki concert was my second orchestral concert and it featured Beethoven Symphony no.5.  I will always remember how John would recount stories of famed conductors and performers through practice.  But John died sometime back and now we record his loss with a musical biography from PC (Paul) Hubbard, now conductor.  The book was launched over the weekend with a film, String Quartet, about his Carl Pini String Quartet, a discussion with author Paul led by Andrew Leigh, and a short violin play by Winsa Daniswara on  John's old violin, now Paul's.  I have yet to read the book and I look forward to it but the discussion already was informative.  Interestingly, Paul used AI in writing the work, so that too will be intriguing.  A mark of respect for John.

John Gould and the Maruki Community Orchestra was written by PC (Paul) Hubbard and launched with a film, discussion and short violin recital at Lyneham High School Performing Arts Centre.

Discovery 8 Wrapup

Well, these things come to an end.  Just a few final notes.  The last show was essentially mostly just songs from Chantelle Delaney and Thomas Armstrong-Robley fronting the Resident band in the theatre.  As for performers, I will probably remember the drummer and guitarist from the resident band, both professional, correct and able to let go when it fits, but never when it didn't, and the lead guitarist from Rhythm Jive, Ivan Cabreros.  Rhythm Jive is a covers band and they impressed immensely with a sets of various styles, but I was taken aback when they did Pink Floyd The Wall late on the final night.  Daring, I thought.  A whole side of an album with a guitar solo that was so correct.  Then listening more for the solos, they were all just as on the records.  Stunning.  I enjoyed this mob.  Otherwise, I had my moment of fame with another passenger choir.  More a singalong in unison or octaves, but fun.  I have done a SATB choir on board before but not with so few practices.  Then off at Sydney in a supremely ordered disembarking procedure.  This is big business and very professional.  Then, of course, a war and closed air space that must have numerous passengers stranded in Sydney.  Back to the real world, I guess, and none too hopeful.

Discovery 7

There's more of course.  A cruise ship is an indulgent mass of entertainment, food and drink if perhaps not an intellectual fervour.  But it is interesting to speak to different cultures.    This ship has masses of US, Canadian, UK citizens.  Its a challenge to get all the states and areas.  French Canadian, French now US in Houston, pro-/anti- whoever might be in power, listeners and self-listeners (I try to train myself to the first, but none too successfully).  Aussies who don't continue around the coast.  All manner surprised by the chilly NZ summer but the weather is all over these days.  Three more solo acts to mention: Colby Green, guitar strummer with hat, playing country-ish but also Cold Chisel and more and features shows on Dylan and others;  Douglas Berti, solo piano with standards and vocals; Robert Deans on solo piano with endless medleys of jazz standards played with an individual style and fascinating linkages.  He spoke of once knowing 500/600 but now just improvising 100 easily from memory.  Then another few shows.  Rock edition, a rock'n'roll retrospective by tenor Thomas Armstrong-Robley with the Resident band behind (slightly altered: 2 violins, no horns, as I remember).  Then TA-R with a full stage show, the Rock Opera, with 4 singers (2 male, 2 female), dancers (6 female, 5 male) and the resident band.  This disappointed a little: I could see no story to hold it together; more a capable and exciting but meaningless Voice extravaganza.  Perhaps my fave tune was the Nescafe theme from Carmina Burana (I could look it up but you know it), oddly out of place amongst belter operatic and rock styles, like Sounds of silence, Total eclipse of the heart, JC Superstar, I don't know how to love him.  There's another show tonight.  I was not the only one who found Spotlight Bar the best and most inviting stage show, with its tunes and dances that told a story of one night of love and loss and friendship in a local US bar.  Maybe expect a final to finish this series.