Well, what a truly Edinburgh day. After spending the afternoon trying to entertain lively three year old twins (including watching my first children's show) it was time to rush to another production.
Feeling hungry and thirsty we were surprised (to put it mildly) to be approached on the steps to the venue and asked if we were prepared to be on fire extinguisher duty for the evening. We are nothing if not game and armed with a carton of juice ( to quence my thirst and not to be used in case of fire)and a muffin we headed into the auditorium.
This being Edinburgh they were still tearing down the set of the previous show as we entered, naturally passing a perspriring Liza Minelli look-alike. After receiving our fire-fighting instructions my wife and I were duly placed at opposite ends of the theatre and despite this being a large and plush venue the first other audience member demanded to sit next to me in case she needed a quick exit. Later, I discovered in the kerfuffle that I had inadvertently knocked over my drink, not only causing a nice puddle of liquid to ooze from under my seat but ensuring that if any fire broke out ( it didn't) my area was already protected.
So, once my pre-show activities were complete I could finally concentrate upon the matter in hand. "Moon" is a modern piece of music by Gordon Hamilton, using a poem by Venero Armanno and sung by The Australian Voices, a group of male and female singers. Together they tell the story of Sam, a sickly boy, dying in his bedroom,but Diana, the Moon, sees him and falls in love. The ending could be sad yet somehow, here is uplifting as he finds peace, happiness and love.
At festival time Edinburgh as a 100 miles an hour city which never seems to sleep. As I know from experience it is easy to get caught up in the frenetic lifestyle. "Moon" is an increasing rarity, an oasis of calm and beauty amongst an increasingly noisy and mad world outside.
To be honest I am not a great fan of choral music but the sound they made, individually and collectively was truly wonderous to hear. They were helped by the musicality of the score but I must stress this wasn't just a treat for the ears. Sam's story was enhanced by screen projection and although most of the words was easy to follow, the visibility of the lyrics was a bonus.
The liveliness of the piece was also helped by placing the conductor in an aisle so his enthusiastic, physical presence was a additional piece of theatricality. The choir wasn't just restricted to static singing, using their bodies they helped to explain the action by movement, swaying, lying down and even writhing on the ground when the situation needed it.
The fringe is about taking chances. This one more than repaid our gamble. Even if you miss this performance in Edinburgh check their website as they are about to embark on a tour of the Kingdom, singing a mainly classical repertoire. I hope to catch them in October in Cardiff.
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