I had the most unexpected delightfully beautiful musical treat this afternoon.
I went to the local Catholic church with my parents to see a free concert given by a choral group up from Sydney. Free! And what an amazing, incredibly amazing gift to experience this for free.
They are a group of Australian Russians who call themselves “Chesnokov Chorale” (after Chesnokov, the composer). I think they may all hail from the Russian Orthodox Church, as this concert was, in the main, Russian Orthodox music. But music composed by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff (who knew he did choral work? I didn’t) and Chesnokov.
I cannot believe how good these people were, especially considering it was their inaugural concert. They often had that ringing of overtones that happens, when everyone is perfectly perfectly on pitch and in harmony. It was goosebump-making, close-your-eyes-and-listen music. So so beautiful. The accoustics in the church were amazing, given that it was just your average country church.
I don’t listen to choral music hardly at all, particularly classical (um, considering I am in a chorus myself, my bad… cringe … although we don’t do classical). But I will be buying their cd when it comes out, and I will be going to listen to them every time they come up here. Apparently they have a soft spot for the place. God knows why 
They are having a concert at St Pauls in Burwood on 20 May, should any readers from Sydney wish to check them out. If you love beautiful music, they are more than worth going to see. Honestly.
The only negative thing about the concert had nothing to do with the music or the people performing it. It was that I was left feeling incredibly frustrated and edgy, not having sung myself since Christmas. I’m desperate for our group to start back up again and there is still no sign of when we will. I did however find out that there is a group of musicians calling themselves “Sinfonia” around here somewhere. I don’t know where they are based … I don’t know whether they are actually a tiny little orchestra or what … but I want to find out and ask how they are going for percussionists. Although … there was an offshoot of them that played at this concert also today .. “Stringfonia”, and, um, well if they are any indication of what the Sinfonia is like I don’t think I’d bother. God bless’em, they did the sloooowest rendition of a little bit of Peter and the Wolf I’ve ever heard. 
And, well, I don’t know how well they tuned up beforehand, let’s just say that 
Here’s a question for you .. if Tchaikovsky were alive today, would he be a country & western musician?
When the conductor introduced a Tchaikovsky piece he remarked how it was in the usual style of Tchaikovsky – that he was most definitely a pessimist and the glass was always half empty for him. So I turned to the program and looked at the ‘lyrics’ (they were written in both Russian and English). They were so hilarious I couldn’t help chuckling out loud (bad audience member). I heard my Dad having a good laugh as he read them too. Here they are for your amusement:
T’was not the cuckoo in the damp wood that cuckooed sadly,
but the young maid in her bright chamber, who heavily sighed.
T’was not the fair falcon who in the skies hunted for swans,
but the young man who in his foolishness chased after skirts!
The fair falcon was caught, his wings were clipped in his captivity…
the young man became a soldier, and was killed, beheaded on the field of battle.
The cuckoo in the damp wood, cuckooed among strange nests,
and the young maid was left in the town, in empty, sad corners to sigh.
Yep, c&w indeed (blech)