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David Porter » Entries tagged with "Music"

The Sensational 60s’ Experience

The Sensational 60s’ Experience at Marina Theatre, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 2 December 2014 A packed audience, mainly of a certain age, rocked and rolled the The Marina Theatre, Lowestoft, revelling in a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane. This 1960s’ experience showcases groups, some with surviving original members, performing songs from their own hit catalogues and sampling the massive range of timeless classics which were the cultural hallmark of that iconic decade, when the world was a very different place. Alan Mosca of Freddie and the Dreamers compered. Dave Berry proved himself much the same showman and song interpreter who first hit the charts fifty years ago. The Ivy League, Union Gap UK, The Swinging Blue Jeans and Herman’s Hermits entertained with banter and jokes as well as melodies, harmonies and … Read entire article »

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The Hollies

The Hollies at Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in Eastern Daily Press, 14 October 2014 60s’ pop legends bring back memories One of those rare 60s’ bands that never officially broke up, The Hollies, named after Christmas and/or in memory of Buddy Holly, are celebrating half a century since their first album. Drawing from a rich back catalogue with two newer songs, they played hits like Just One Look and Stay as originally recorded – three guitars, drums and singer. Other classics were updated in interpretation to make a thumping good evening. It was impossible not to sing along with Here I Go Again, You Got Me Going, Sorry Suzanne, We’re Thru, Listen to Me and after an interval to change clothes, Jennifer Eccles, Bus Stop, I’m Alive, The Baby, Sandy (4th July), Stop Stop … Read entire article »

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Nocturne

Voice Project Choir, Norwich Cathedral Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 16 December 2013 A nocturne is a picture evoking the night, lyrical, dreamy music. Ten songs from the Voice Project Choir filled the Cathedral’s chapels, cloisters and nave, evoking every emotion in the human heart. It was a promenade concert, the audience subtly guided by the call of a new piece in the near distance to move on to a fresh experience. Cloaked singers with candles lined the way, sustaining a haunting, repeated motif. Sharon Durrant, Rebecca Askew, Sian Croose, Helen Chadwick, Katherine Zerserson, Dave Camlin and Jon Baker, who also wrote much of the music, led, took solos and the intimate harmonies. In the opening chamber they were scattered among the audience, making us part of the performance, sharing the night of … Read entire article »

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Raymond Froggatt

Raymond Froggatt at Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 7 September 2013   Froggie welcomed back by adoring fans Feeling like a party crasher, I arrived at the Maddermarket with dozens of avid ‘Froggies’. These are his followers who take ‘fanatic’ to extremes, following him around Britain for gigs. He is on first name terms with half his audience, almost embracing them in mutual admiration if not sheer love. This review is as much about the phenomenon as his concert. Froggart is a singer-songwriter who’s been part of the music scene for decades. He reprised many hits he wrote for stars such as Cliff Richard, Dave Clark Five, Gladys Knight and Daniel O’Donnell. Other songs from his extensive and original catalogue ranged from extended ballads to upbeat clap-alongs. His unique voice, humour and … Read entire article »

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Tubular Bells For Two

Norwich Playhouse Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 8 July 2013 To every generation, there is given a classic album which becomes iconic, a voice for its age. And in 1973 there was Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. A pair of highly talented Australian musicians, Aidan Roberts and Daniel Holdsworth, recreate the 30 musical elements that Oldfield originally recorded one at a time and overdubbed. Remastered, developed and used in films and the Olympic ceremony last year, this multi-layered, polyphonic masterpiece more than stands the test of time. With the benefits of state-of-the-art keyboards and surrounded by carefully placed instruments, the nimble, barefoot players leaped around a stage choreography picking up one for a sequence, then another, singing, editing as they went. The acoustic, bass, electric, Spanish and fuzz guitars were there, with multi-timbral synthesiser, Lowry … Read entire article »

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The Voice Project

Ideas of winged flight taking off The Voice Project at Norwich Cathedral part of Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2013 Review published in Eastern Daily Press, 13 May 2013   Swirls of ideas and flocks of birds taking flight, soaring to emotional and intellectual delights, came together sublimely in the Voice Project’s work in the great Cathedral arena. As darkness fell outside, the sense of bird above was palpable. The one hundred-strong choir, the brilliant Trio Zephyr, cool saxophonist Andy Sheppard, tenor Jeremy Aris, sopranos Rebecca Askew and Sianed Jones used ten poems about birds from all manner of poets to interpret the wings of flight. Music was variously composed by Karen Wimhurst, Orlando Gough and Barbara Thompson, from differing backgrounds and musical streams. The result was eclectic and rivetting, sometimes quirky and humorous, then sombre and dark. Jonathan … Read entire article »

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Oliver Coates

Oliver Coates at Norwich Playhouse part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2013 Review published in Eastern Daily Press, 13 May 2013 Up and coming cellist Oliver Coates treated the audience in the acoustically apt Playhouse to a stunning masterclass. His virtuosity and the variety of works complemented each other perfectly. The cello fairly sang in harmony and jangled in disharmony, in turn. From Britten’s Ciaccona (Suite No.2 Op.80) to a pair of Bach Preludes (in D major, Cello Suite No.6 and in G major Cello Suite No.1), Coates was in flamboyant interpretative form. He then moved to Block’s ‘Prayer’ from ‘Jewish Life’ and three fragments from Kurtag, including a fascinating two-bow ‘Hommage of John Cage’. David Fennessy’s ‘The room is the resonator’ grew from one note to 12 to one, a dialogue of pitches in a … Read entire article »

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Unfinished Masterpieces Can Be As Compelling As the Originals

Works of art are often left incomplete through war or artists’ death. Some are finished by other people; but most are made interesting by being abandoned.   On the April 2011 publication of David Foster Wallace’s novel, The Pale King, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst wondered in Britain’s Sunday Times at the attraction of unfinished works. ‘You don’t buy a jacket with one arm, so why seek out what amounts to a creative stump or narrative doodle?’ Wallace’s book came from 200 pages left stacked on his desk when he committed suicide in 2008, intertwined with fragments from his bin. For many readers, it’s a suicide note revealing the man’s state of mind. Douglas-Fairhurst also cited Henry James’ short story The Middle Years about a novelist on his deathbed dreaming of the stories he might … Read entire article »

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Blonde on Blonde Revisited and Reinterpreted for Today

From a man as controversial as Bob Dylan, who reinvents himself regularly, it’s hard to choose one album to mark a pivotal turning point, but this is it. In a 2006 review of the All-Time 100 Albums on Time, Alan Light included Blonde on Blonde (1966), coming at the end of a 14-month period of creativity from Dylan, that he never equalled. Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited preceded what became labelled ‘rock’s first significant double album’. Significant it was, and remains a seminal work. Light described it as having ‘a tense, shimmering tone’, and after the ‘tiresome’ opener, Rainy Day Women 12 and 35, it went on to achieve Dylan’s greatest heights, ‘the very pinnacle of rock’. British Dylan devotee Roger Ford agreed, publishing a major work, reconstructing … Read entire article »

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Concept Albums That Defined Their Eras and Inspired Generations

The concept/themed musical collection has been around for decades. Some of them are known classics; many still have profound musical and cultural impacts. A concept album is broadly a collection of musical and/or narrative material which is unified by some theme. There is debate over whether the genre subdivides into ‘theme’ and concept’, but that may be merely semantics. In commercial and artistic justification, the concept becomes a major part of the culture of the band or artiste. Many albums have defined an era, for commentators, music buyers and performers themselves, living on in music collections, frequently adopted by children of the original fans. Early Claimants to the Title In Feb 2011 radio station WNYC raised one of its weekly music debates, started with two people from prog-rock band Porcupine Tree, asking: ‘are concept … Read entire article »

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