Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Calling all Insomniacs, hispanic beauties and Japanese tourists !!


Today I went to attend an organ recital at the Westminster abbey along with a friend of mine from France. He is a keen follower of music and knows a fair bit of western classical music. I have learnt carnatic music for a few years but is a foetus when it comes to western classical music. We were sitting at a sprawling chapel, an area of the cathedral, in all its grandeur and eminence.

Part1:

The recital started with an introduction by the performer, a very learned gentleman with many coveted musical roles around the world. I was trying my best to aggrandize myself, knowledgeable and interested. The first piece, the prologue, seemed like initiating a foreplay with stately slumber for me. I looked around to see if anyone else is going through a similar intercourse with their instincts.. To my surprise 70% of the crowd were nodding away in glory of the peace at this Victorian cathedral, mind you in only the first piece.

Part 2:

The second piece was called 'fantasy' by J.S. Bach and it actually proved that the composer was indeed a genius. My body was vibrating with the rendition and I was carried away into a fantasy world. I began to wonder about organ recital etiquette. I was like the country commoner who didn’t know how to behave at an upperclass dinner. I wondered if nodding away in an organ recital was etiquette in utmost propriety. I still haven’t figured out if my assumption is true. It did truly make me wonder about attending such an event when they couldn’t focus on being awake, especially for an event that is as short as 30 minutes. To my utter dismay I then noticed that the women in the chapel were wide awake and pale. I did read quite a few faces, which were predominantly engrossed in something,not all music. Around the church I saw upright women with sagging men alongside. I wondered why that was happening.

Then it happened. My eyes set themselves upon a beautiful lady just a few rows ahead of me. The disinterest caused by the ignorance along with the magic of 'fantasy' was making me a poet. The Hispanic girl was perfectly chiselled with brown hair. Her cheeks were like ripe strawberries.

You are the cloud that covers a daffodil horizon,

Chandeliers of King Solomon,

The masterpiece that every artist yearns,

magical garment from God’s divine yarns.

You are the red of the setting sky,

green of the sparkling midday water,

The spring leaf that splatters the monsoon,

winds loving the grasslands in noon.

You are the cold waterfalls in a dark forest,

The deer decorating the vivid mother nature’s nest,

The sound of a distant sea bird,

The innocence of a white sheep herd.

Right then,the second piece got over.

Part 3:

When we were entering the cathedral, we saw three Japanese people walking in and asking the stern looking Christian security usher some question in Japanese. “Chow mein, feng shui?”. The security replied, “Organ recital! This way please”. I was clear that, it was only God and me that understood the conversation. For the uninitiated, “Chow mein, feng shui” means, “Can we go in and see the cathedral?” in Japanese. The Japanese tourists went along happily thinking that they can witness the magic of Westminster Abbey and be a part of History by stepping on the gravestones of great people like Shakespeare and Shelly, people who are widely revered in Japan. When the organ recital started they were squirming about in their seats, whispering chow chow mow mia pia bee jing hong kong. With my basic knowledge of Japanese, I understood that they were upset about their trampled plans and wanted to leave. After lots of Japanese whispers in the first two pieces, finally in the third piece, they did the eternal indecent act of leaving in the middle of an organ recital. I decided to follow them. (smart Indian). On their way out, the stern looking Japanese bloke told the security in Japanese, “Fung you, We wong seeng cathend, you bloong bastang , seng us watchong sleeping piang, you blong Britong, You cong to japang, I fung you , shong you bamboo violong and shove it on your assong and sell you in in marking. Thank young. Good bing.!

3 comments:

Ri said...

chow mein feng shui how the hell did it mean can we see cathedral??
anyway ur chinese/japanese style last sentence was grt, i think those were ur feelings and u too wanted too say any such thing to them, is it?
anyway sleeping thru music renditions is one of my forte n i hav the soundest sleep thru rabindra sangeet recitals (to my father's utter disappointment)

Cinderella said...

I dunno whether to laugh at the wit that graces the post or take in the lucidity with which you have poised it from the beginning to end.

I have never been to a recital - or even a concert of some band for that matter, I'm too lazy. Home is the answer for everything.

Loved reading this.
:)

Cinderella said...

Oh btw, about those consultancies os UK, I am sorry but I have deleted those mails. I'l surely let you knw if I get any further mail.