Amazing bass, how sweet the sound
The Boyan Ensemble of Kiev came to sing in our town last night, and Kate and I went along to listen to them.
The programme started with the most spine-tingling moment I’ve witnessed on stage for some time; a falsetto soloist’s voice pierced the semi-darkness (at this point the stage was lit by little more than a few candles) while the ear-poppingly deep basses boomed and haroomed in the background. I’ve never heard a true falsetto live on stage before, quite an experience.
The rest of the first half was sombre, classical pieces, full of atmosphere. The audience was almost too hypnotised to applaud; no-one wanted to disturb the mood.
After a break, the choir returned to the stage in Ukrainian national costume and zipped through a series of folk songs. This was much more jaunty, more informal and relaxed. The conductors and singers were really getting into it and having fun. One highlight was the short instrumental piece played entirely by hitting three sword-shaped percussion things with metal sticks. One moment it was tribal rhythm; then next it was not far off from hip-hop beats. Astounding.
The Ensemble is touring the UK for most of November. Go see them if you have the chance.
Labels: singing
