Five Concert Journals - Essay Example

?Concert Journals Order No. 606618 This journal comprises of the five concerts I had attended Church Service in Westminster Abbey  The Westminster Abbey is a royal structure that has stood the test of time and is magnificent both on the inside and outside. I visited here somewhere during the end of September and attended one of the daily services. Each year, a lot of people visit the Westminster Abbey seeking God’s blessings and healing. Many of them attend the sacrament of reconciliation and for anointing their sick. The atmosphere inside the Abbey was so peaceful and quiet and was conducive to prayer. Service began with the whole congregation joining in a hymn, as the priest took his place at the altar. I found that music played a major role in the activities of the Abbey and so did the Choral services rendered by the Choir of Westminster Abbey which is one of the best choirs that is renowned world wide. The choir comprised of twelve professional adults singers also called as Lay Vicars and 30 dedicated boys who belonged to the Residential Choir school. James O’Donnell, the Organist and Master of the Choristers directed the choir very meticulously. The singing by the soloists and the choir was of a very high standard showing that a lot of hard work had been done to achieve it. The chief instrument used was the organ. All the hymns were sung by the soloists and choir and alternated between slow and medium paced rhythms. I really enjoyed attending the service at Westminster Abbey and was really impressed with the singing. 2. The second journal is about my visit to the Royal Free Music Society on Saturday the 15th of October. I went for both the rehearsal and concert of Mozart’s Mass in C minor conducted by Benjamin Wolf. The conductor Benjamin Wolf was welcomed as the main vocalists took the stage in front of the orchestra. The piece began with the Kyrie, softly with the violins and then the choir joined in unison. The soprano was quite talented and used good vocal techniques. After the soprano had rendered her lines, the whole choir reciprocated, by joining flawlessly in unison. The singing by the soprano and the choir alternated with each other and was strongly backed by the orchestra. The tempo that was maintained throughout was medium paced with good rhythm and ended in a soft chorus. The Gloria that was performed by the orchestra was filled with energy and enthusiasm from the beginning to the end. The piece began with a loud chorus where everyone joined in. As the piece progressed it alternated between the sopranos and altos on one hand and the tenor and bass on the other. In between were spots of softly sung music backed by soft playing of the orchestra. The instruments used to play Mozart’s Mass in C Minor were violins, cellos, double bass, saxophones, drums, trumpet and the trombone. I liked Mozart’s Mass in C Minor for its brilliance in construction as well as execution by the singers and the orchestra. I really enjoyed witnessing the rehearsal as well as the concert. 3. On Thursday the 27th of October at 1pm, I visited St. Johns Smith’s Square to see Jonathan Vaughn playing on the organ. The lunchtime concert comprised of the J.S Bach Prelude in Eb BWV522. Three Chorale Preludes on Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland; Canonic Variations on Von Himmel Hoch, da komm ich her BWV769; Fugue in Eb BWV522, Liszt Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H  The J.S Bach Prelude in Eb BWV522 began brightly by Jonathan Vaughn with an apt use of rubato alternated with slight tempo variances to make it more effective. It was a technically brilliant piece that needed a lot of skill and effort to make it sound pleasing and the organist did an excellent job which proved his skill and ability at the organ as well as his mastery over the piece. Three Chorale Preludes on Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland by Bach –Busoni was a soft organ recital that was so mellow and uplifting. The piece was very melodious and the rhythm alternated between slow and medium paced. Liszt Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H was a very challenging piece which was filled with a lot of chromatic notes. The instrument used for this piece was the organ which was soft and mesmerizing at times and loud and fast paced in certain places. The organist showed great mastery over the piece even though it was very lengthy and challenging. The piece was filled with a lot of trills which demanded speed and accuracy. I was happy that I came for this concert as it made me understand that hard work was necessary to excel. 4. On Sunday the 20th of November, I went for the Renuad / Gautier Capucon at Wigmore Hall. It was a very memorable concert where the playing as well as the sound of the instruments was of a very high caliber. The piece was a short one, less than 2 and a half minutes and even though it had a fast paced rhythm, it was played flawlessly by the musicians. The instruments used in this piece were the piano, violins and the cello. The musicians as well as the instruments complimented each other and that’s what made the piece not only interesting but really enjoyable. The tone of each instrument was mellow and lent a roundness to the whole piece. I really enjoyed this piece as it was filled with high energy and was played flawlessly by all the musicians. Every musician lent a different color to the piece and even though it was so fast paced, yet they were so accurate in their playing. Besides playing so effortlessly, what I admired about all of them was the great enthusiasm they exhibited and the dedication with which they rendered the piece. 5. On 11th November I went for MAMMA MIA, at the Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is one of the most sophisticated and beautiful theatres in London. It was completed in 1937 and is in the heart of the shopping and entertainment area. The show was all about the songs by the famous group ABBA. Some of the songs performed by a group of singers and dancers were MAMMA MIA, Dancing Queen etc.. The performers sang and danced to some of the most popular songs of ABBA the iconic music group that created history in realms of music. The costumes were so bright and vibrant which gave a lot of energy to the performance. The entire cast was highly talented and besides singing and dancing they got the audience to interact to the song. The music was very rhythmic which made us want to dance. ABBA has left us a rich legacy in music which never fails to entertain us to this day. I really enjoyed the show for the music as well as the choreography and understood that good music is what entertains and stays with us for a very long time. References Church service in Westminster Abbey  Saturday 15 october : Rehearsal and Concert , Royal free music Society (BW Conducting) Mozart C Minor Mass  Thursday 27 october, (NB1pm) St Johns, Smith Square, Jonathan Vaughn (Organ)  Sunday 20 november , Renuad / Gautier Capucon at Wigmore Hall.  November 11 MAMMA MIA, Prince of Wales Theatre (All the above were found on Youtube) Read More