Last night the concert band, in which I play baritone saxophone, performed outdoors under the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. We played two hour-long concerts, and we attracted a fairly big audience. It was kind of fun, but also kind of a bother. The Jerusalem Municipality, which sponsored the event, didn't even think of providing us with water to drink, and I had to park in an expensive parking garage.
More complaints: The lighting was poor, it was hard to read the music, and, since we were outdoors, it was hard to hear ourselves, though there were microphones and loudspeakers. But at least it wasn't windy.
Generally I enjoy playing in the band (otherwise I'd quit). Even though the baritone saxophone parts are usually boring, I hear and play the music from the bottom up, and that's interesting.
At the concert, we didn't exactly play my favorite kind of music (to put it mildly): some "Israeli" music ("To the Life of this People"), some "Jewish" music (a medley from "Fiddler on the Roof"), some light classics, and even Simon and Garfunkel songs. The arrangements are more sophisticated than the material itself.
I wouldn't have gone out of my way to attend our concert, but there is a place for kitschy, accessible music, and it beats a lot of other loud, thumping noises that pass for music in the public arena.
Later this month we're going to be accompanying a musical comedy, and that will be a lot more interesting in every way.
More complaints: The lighting was poor, it was hard to read the music, and, since we were outdoors, it was hard to hear ourselves, though there were microphones and loudspeakers. But at least it wasn't windy.
Generally I enjoy playing in the band (otherwise I'd quit). Even though the baritone saxophone parts are usually boring, I hear and play the music from the bottom up, and that's interesting.
At the concert, we didn't exactly play my favorite kind of music (to put it mildly): some "Israeli" music ("To the Life of this People"), some "Jewish" music (a medley from "Fiddler on the Roof"), some light classics, and even Simon and Garfunkel songs. The arrangements are more sophisticated than the material itself.
I wouldn't have gone out of my way to attend our concert, but there is a place for kitschy, accessible music, and it beats a lot of other loud, thumping noises that pass for music in the public arena.
Later this month we're going to be accompanying a musical comedy, and that will be a lot more interesting in every way.
1 comment:
the reality of ambivalence -- makes me nostalgic for the smells and vibes of the real complicated Jerusalem
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