Mozart at St. Martin's

Last night I went along to see a night of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert at St. Martin in the Fields, the gorgeous church on Trafalgar Square.

The church is intimate with a very light interior, not at all dreary or serious. In place of the usual stained glass, the window is a strikingly modern abstract cross-style design that melds gloriously with the atmosphere of the church. It was created earlier this year to replace the existing window of stained glass that shattered during WW2. It is a stunning fusion of contemporary art and classical architecture by
Shirazeh Houshiary, a female Iranian artist, and was redesigned along with the rest of the main interior. In the evening, the center of the abstract cross glows opalescently, providing a gorgeous backdrop for the performance.

And the music did not disappoint. The acoustics were incredible, prompting me to close my eyes and simply enjoy. The highlights of the evening, for me, were the Beethoven Romance and the main Mozart Symphony in G minor. Being a pianist means that I tend to be drawn to the more emotive, evocative pieces from the likes of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Debussy but I have to say that I appreciated and enjoyed the Mozart symphony, more so than I have in the past, particularly the 1st and 3rd movements.

I hope to return to see either a choral concert or piano concerto in the future. I have a hankering to hear Rach's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in a live setting....

Devil in a red sequined jumpsuit

Saturday the 13th... not unlucky like Friday the 13th but perhaps a little more weird and wacky. Collision 08 drew more visitors on their closing night then ever - cavernous warehouse space, mysterious little corners and rooms set the scene for an interactive music and art festival showcasing the work of artists, musicians, performers and filmakers. I went with Alex, Anna and Maya, Ranjan's daughter, a lovely girl too wise for her years.

It was a fantastically laid back, entertaining night. Guests were free to wander around the amazing space to find the little pieces of art, almost a treasure hunt. Every now and then a bugle-type of instrument sounded as an announcement and group of ushers in fancy-dress would draw attention to a particular event taking place, leading a pied-piper parade into different parts of the space. Small huts and tiki torches decorated the outside space, set in a former timber yard in Peckham. One hut held a lovely old chestnut brown upright piano, inviting people to play and become part of the exhibition. I was tempted, but it was very popular with everyone and the poor thing was subjected to bad renditions of The Entertainer and a brief clip from Rach's prelude in C sharp minor. Next door, a beautiful web of metal provided the frame for dangling empty oxygen canisters, becoming a musical instrument as bystanders made use of the wooden sticks provided. I gave it a lash - so theraputic!! Nothing better than taking swipes at inanimate metal objects.

The highlight of the night was heralded by some provocative and enthralling movements from a stunning red devil on stilts holding a flaming torch. She sinuously twisted and turned in the air, moving with grace, poise and flexibility. Her stilts were extensions of her legs which ended very appropriately in hoofed feet for a devil. I wanted to be her. After a few unsuccessful attempts to part the crowd with hand gestures she suddenly cried out 'Move! Get out of the WAY!'. We didn't know what was going on until hooded men ran straight for us pulling a double decker bus, spray-painted black as midnight. It stopped right in the middle of the crowd where helpful hands lit tiki torches. An acrobatic dancer performed on the top and sides of the bus, using fireballs on chains at one point to enthrall us. The she-devil walked around the bus holding up a flaming torch to help light the dancer. 

We were then invited in small groups to climb the stairs and enter the dark, claustrophic top deck of the bus. Everything was pitch black and very creepy with people pushing and rubbing against me while strange hooded characters added to the oppressive atmosphere. I almost did a runner.

Right at the back of the bus was a performance installation that made me wish I was back outside sipping on my acidic wine. A headless body was sat on a chair, with bloody hands twisting and tightening on what looked like intenstines. Creepy stuff.... very impressive but not quite my cup of tea. Anna saw it, and then just shouted out 'Mary, I'm going'. I legged it down the stairs after her.

The rest of the night continued on and got better and better - eclectic bands and music, poetry, dancing, drinking, even a little smoking... fantastic experience.