 |
||||
|
LIQUID JAM MEETS THE LLAMA Friday 9th July, Garden Cafe Dressed to kill, talented Frome poets Crysse Morrison and Hazel Stewart performed their work - tear-tugging and rib-tickling by turns - to the sensitive and often witty accompaniment of Laurence Parnell’s guitar. Laurence also performed some of his own quirky songs; I’m still humming the chorus of Anguila Anguila which celebrates the life of Somerset’s eel population. Sam Moran from Salisbury gave us some tantalising samples of her incisive and acutely observed poems and Marcus Smycowski, the self-styled ‘prince of darkness’ cast a chill with his selection of angst and despair. Brian Tasker, ably assisted by the young Joshua, provided a soulful interlude, reading his Haikus interspersed with singing bowl gongs and other imaginative percussion. And the Llama? Will Angeloro of Handsome Llama Studios was there, making a live recording which will result in the ensemble’s second CD – out soon. Pippa Howell THE CHOLMONDELEYS AND THE FEATHERSTONEHAUGHS Friday 9th July, Merlin Theatre The Cholmondeleys (Chumlees) and the Featherstonehaughs (Fanshaws) have worked together throughout the past 20 years and for this new tour (Flesh & Blood/Double Take) have collaborated on a unique project, which sees them swapping dances (and clothes). Thus, the male Featherstonehaughs take on the work of the female Cholmondeleys while wearing dresses, and the Cholmondeleys perform Featherstonehaugh pieces in suits, shirts and ties. This provides an unusual take on pieces that might have been familiar from the previous repertoire of each of the companies, but are given new life when performed by unfamiliar dancers. Members of the original all-male Featherstonehaughs took to the stage first, performing the Cholmondeleys ‘Flesh & Blood’. This was originally created in 1989 for seven female dancers as their first full-length theatre stage work. The male dancers from the Featherstonehaughs, clothed in full-length dresses, gave a moving rendition of the work, which deals with the subjects of obsession and fanaticism. With smoke filling the stage and the dramatic music from Victims of Death washing through the auditorium, the audience was drawn in to a disturbing world of secrecy and introspection. The strength, precision and agility of all the dancers was breathtaking throughout the 45 minutes of the piece. After the drama of Part One, Double Take was full of lighthearted comedy. Even before the Interval had ended, the female members of the Cholmondeleys had wandered on to the stage, in their three-piece suits and hats, to set up lights, a table, a small video and screen, a microphone, chairs and to lay out their dance ‘space’ on the stage. This relaxed atmosphere continued throughout the rest of the show, with the male dancers wandering on to the side of the stage once they had showered and changed to watch their associates in action, and a waiter delivering a tray of beer to the band. The female dancers performed a selection of the Featherstonehaughs best works from the past 20 years, including the fantastic observational comedy of ‘Greetings’ and musical round-robin of ‘Strangers’, in which the dancers take it in turns to sing a line of ‘Strangers in the night’, passing the microphone from one to the next in a complicated ritual of movement and sound. Favourites from the Featherstonehaugh repertoire also included the gentle mocking of the lonely drunk in ‘Barstools’ and the backward nod to the King himself in ‘Elvis legs’, both of which were originally created for The Featherstonehaugh’s Go Las Vegas in 1995. Following an extended standing ovation, both companies engaged in what can only be described as ‘freestyle’ dancing, with all and sundry doing anything they felt they could and wanted to do. Although I am sure that this was partly choreographed, it gave an exciting and fresh end to what had been an exhilarating and inspirational evening. Food for thought, particularly for the younger members of the audience, was also provided in the post-performance discussion in the foyer. Let’s hope these dancers of the future take up the challenge from the companies, and feel inspired to make their own unique contribution to dance. This show can only be described as contemporary dance at its best, from the dramatic to the comedic, with performers from both companies demonstrating why they have been at the forefront of the UK dance scene for 20 years. Talented, animated and energetic, the dances that they perform are accessible to all, from the dance critic to the layperson; even after so long in the business, the Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs still remain subversive and at the cutting edge of contemporary dance. The event was staged due to the funding provided by Take Art! and the Frome Festival, for which all in the audience are truly grateful. It is not often that dancers of this calibre appear in smaller venues, let alone in a small Somerset market town, and we are happy to have been a part of it. It seems that the reception they received by those who were lucky enough to get tickets might have convinced the companies that a return visit might be in order. Make sure that if and when they do return, you buy your ticket well in advance. Nicki Marshall |
 |
|
THE GLEN MILLER ORCHESTRA Friday 9th July, Marston House The crowd pick-nicked as they listened A tenor and soprano The Fly-past by a Spitfire This lovely park was crowded I thank the organizers for J. Moody PAUL WATSON - A LIFE IN TELEVISION Saturday 10th July, Merlin Theatre FilmFrome screened two of his most renowned fly-on-the-wall documentaries, Malcolm and Barbara, about a couple coming to terms with the onset of Alzheimer’s, and The Fishing Party, about four rich friends who innocently reveal their ignorance and prejudices on a halibut expedition in Scotland at the height of the Thatcher era. Watson officially launched the Frome Community Film Project, which is calling on the town’s residents to film their stories over the next nine months with the help of equipment supplied by the Media Arts Centre at Frome Community College; the aim being to cut a documentary ready to screen at next year’s festival. “We want stories of ordinary lives. Someone having a baby. Someone getting married. Someone on the dole who gets a job. Stories from schools, public services, even the local allotments. There are lots of things going on and it’s all material that could make a story. “Frome has a lot of creative people and a lot of hard working people. All these areas and voices and thoughts need to be pulled together. Let’s get the young making films about the old and the old making films about the young. “We want to take the temperature of this town because it is probably being replicated up and down the country. It’s a chance for the British public to talk in their own words about the present. “Every so often I will turn up and look at the material filmed so far and offer guidance. It is a wonderful opportunity, so start filling out those questionnaires,” said Watson, who has relatives in the town. Questionnaires need to be completed by the end of August so the best story ideas can be selected in time for a camera workshop in early September. Those not selected to film their story can still take part by filming other content for the documentary. For a questionnaire, contact Nicki Marshall at FilmFrome on 01373 303874 or Frome College’s community media arts officer Howard Vause on 01373 469012. Stephen Tate
VERDI REQUIEM Sunday 11th July, Cheese & Grain The school is dependent on a strong team of professionals, including orchestral tutors, but the role of Adrian Partington, as chorus master, was critical in the way that this festival chorus surpassed previous performances and managed to achieve so many moments of outstanding success. From the outset, the chorus’s performance was arresting. The opening bars of the Verdi Requiem comprise sustained, unaccompanied singing and the hushed atmosphere the choir generated was chilling. It was stylish, controlled and well articulated. It also looked good, as the staging with sopranos and altos fanned outwards to the sides made it appear semi-theatrical, entirely in keeping with the operatic genre which made Verdi so rich and famous. Ignoring the religious text, the sound of this piece is that of one of his last operas. The quartet of soloists was first class and the ensemble work was consistently of the highest order. The ‘quam olim Abrahae’ sections of the Offertorium, for example, were stunningly beautiful. Stephen Foulkes (bass-baritone) was as solid and dependable as ever, with warm heroic tone. Andrew Yeats (tenor) had a strong rich voice and always sang with passion. Penelope Davies (mezzo soprano) had immaculate control in huge phrases with seductive tone and communicated warmly with the audience. Lesley-Jane Rogers (soprano), however, not only shared these attributes: she was the archetypal Verdian soprano and her performance of the ‘Libera me’ (Deliver me, Lord) at the end, as she breathlessly chanted her desperate fear of the day of judgement, was electrifying. Verdi is regarded primarily as a composer for voices who often relegated the orchestra to second-class status. However, in this piece the instrumental colours and textures are varied and wide ranging. There was some charming hushed accompaniment of the soloists on many occasions, such as in the ‘Quid sum miser’ trio, and in the ‘ingemisco’ for tenor, which showed the players off as highly sensitive accompanists in what seemed at times like ‘a little night music’. The most exciting moments came when chorus and orchestra combined in pyrotechnical sound at the end of the ‘Sanctus’, which virtually raised the Cheese and Grain roof, and in the final Dies Irae, where the sense of desperation was passionate, thrilling and overwhelmingly committed. Music to die for! Bravo, Jason Thornton, and every single performer who made this an outstanding climax to this year’s festival. Alan Burgess |
|
