Before I embark on a book for the after dinner treat, a book given to me by my very good mate, Stephen, and written by Sue Taylor I must enthuse about the Apollo Chamber Music organisation. I had seen a promotion in the Hackney Empire email shot for a school children’s concert at The Hackney Empire. Now, I love that Empire and it’s one bus ride away. The advert said tickets were free and I felt silly as one person wanting one ticket to a concert where very likely would attend all the performers’ parents and grandparents. Nothing like trying and it turned out the email for bookings was not correct. In the end I got myself a ticket for the morning one-off performance which coincided with my daughter having her time with her baby son in the PictureHouse opposite. We were all near each other in a favourite borough.
I thought the concert was to be school children playing recorders and other instruments on stage in a collaborative intergenerational performance. Nah! It was proper culture, proper symphony orchestra with David Chernaik, our host and orchestra leader, explaining all the sections of the orchestra and the sounds they make.
Five minutes until curtain up and bundles of primary school parties found their seats. Fifteen seniors made up the invited adult guest seating area in the dress circle.
Hackney Empire is majestic and plush in its reds and golds. David lost his audience through the explanation of “Hansel and Gretel” but everyone loved the size of his major instrument forgotten the name.
Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony was a pure delight, passionate in its delivery. Many little feet were kicking my chair from behind and there was much whispering and fidgeting. I was caught up in the music and the reds of the violins and the velvetted lap of one viola player.
Gig done and we shuffled out amongst stretched yawns and mutterings of “That was shit, man”. Even if one hijab-ed youngster picked up an appreciation of a different way of making sounds for emotion and pleasure then David’s job is done.
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