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Try something new
05th March 2009. Posted by Ruth Ward. Trackback
Photo by canonsnapper
I've just got back from a fantastic concert by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG), conducted by Oliver Knussen. As well as being another example of Birmingham's world class cultural scene, tonight's concert has reminded me just how great it feels to try something new.
I'm not a stranger to live music. When I was younger I played violin in Milton Keynes Youth Orchestra, and thanks to my parents' diverse and eclectic music tastes I was lucky enough to experience concerts ranging from Isaac Stern and Kyung Wha Chung to Paul Simon, the McGarrigle Sisters and The Rolling Stones. My love of live music has grown from there, and doesn't fit into any particular genre. But contemporary classical music is not something that I can claim to know much about.
Maybe I'm still affected by Heston's Victorian Feast earlier this week, but the opening piece Khorovod, by Julian Anderson, made me feel like I'd just fallen through the rabbit hole and found myself on a Russian dancefloor. Alhambra Fantasy, also by Anderson, brought back memories of magical holidays in the Granada sun. The energy of the performers was truly inspiring, the CBSO Centre is a great venue and, just like my first taste of opera a few years ago, tonight's concert has reinvigerated my desire to get out of my comfort zone and experience something completely different a little more often.