Blank Canvas July 9th 1 Month ago
Our hearts sank on Sunday when the BBC began reporting another summer of gloom and rain for the UK, with Wednesday July 9 - the evening of our long-anticipated classical club night - among the most miserable days expected.
Thankfully a lively crowd ignored the forecasts and took their cue instead from Time Out, which featured Blank Canvas on its Critics Choice list, and the Evening Standard which ran a big feature on the Elysian Quartet that day. As a result, they started dripping in (ha ha) at 7 on the nose, serenaded by Dominic Murcott's classical DJing, and by 8:30 when the live music began the place was buzzing.
Pianist Will Dutta kicked off with Debussy's Pour le piano suite. Dominic's 'Installation for String Quartet' put the quartet members' backs to the audience so we were all looking up at two large screens. The cinematic effect was occasionally interrupted by the disconnect between the projected conductor's movements and the music itself, provoking laughter from the audience. And the premiere of Sean O'Hagan's lovely, pop-y quartet set the tone perfectly for the improvisation that closed the evening.
Many thanks to everyone who made the event a success, from Flo the door-man to all the musicians - and everyone in the audience.
London is marginally dryer now, but in the Dilettante office we're suffering the effects of the anti-climatic silence. More buzz soon to come though. Promise.
Thankfully a lively crowd ignored the forecasts and took their cue instead from Time Out, which featured Blank Canvas on its Critics Choice list, and the Evening Standard which ran a big feature on the Elysian Quartet that day. As a result, they started dripping in (ha ha) at 7 on the nose, serenaded by Dominic Murcott's classical DJing, and by 8:30 when the live music began the place was buzzing.
Pianist Will Dutta kicked off with Debussy's Pour le piano suite. Dominic's 'Installation for String Quartet' put the quartet members' backs to the audience so we were all looking up at two large screens. The cinematic effect was occasionally interrupted by the disconnect between the projected conductor's movements and the music itself, provoking laughter from the audience. And the premiere of Sean O'Hagan's lovely, pop-y quartet set the tone perfectly for the improvisation that closed the evening.
Many thanks to everyone who made the event a success, from Flo the door-man to all the musicians - and everyone in the audience.
London is marginally dryer now, but in the Dilettante office we're suffering the effects of the anti-climatic silence. More buzz soon to come though. Promise.
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