Mozart and Mr Jones – A weekend of Concerts in Contrasting Settings

Rehearsals for last week's concert 

 By Chris Billingham 

As many of you know a week ago today Southern Sinfonia performed with up and coming soprano Sarah-Jane Lewis and our Patron Sir Roger Norrington. The concert took place at St. Nicolas Church in Newbury and was without a doubt, a fantastic way to start the weekend. The orchestra played both Mozart and Beethoven beautifully and Sarah-Jane Lewis stunned the packed crowd with her fantastic voice. As stated in the Newbury Weekly News, “the applause was rapturous with many cheering and stamping”.

A weekend of live music continued with a trip to Birmingham on Saturday to see American rock band Counting Crows at the city’s 02 Academy. Whilst this evening juxtaposed Friday in a number of ways (a little louder perhaps!) it was an equally thrilling concert with every instrument complimenting each other and playing in a harmony that matches the musicianship needed in an orchestra. Whilst the genres were different, for me the performances sat together in terms of excitement and spectacle.

The one unavoidable contrast that was apparent however was the venues, one a parish church built in the 16th century and one a music venue built in the 1970’s and recently renovated to hold concerts and act as a nightclub. Arguably both of these buildings are perfect for the concerts they held but why is that? If it’s the performances that matter the most why is a concert venue so important?

American rock band Counting Crows

First and arguably foremost are logistical reasons; because of the way crowds commonly react to classical music (discussed in last weeks fantastic blog by Richard Brewer) they are less likely to disrupt a church building. At rock/pop concerts however a crowd is more likely to be on their feet and moving, actions that can be dangerous in historical buildings! 

Surroundings create a certain atmosphere and that atmosphere can often lend itself to the pieces being performed. An example of this could be seen on Friday night, the captivating images of both the crucifixion and miracles of Christ featured on the stained glass windows reflecting the dramatic themes of Beethoven’s Aria: Ah, Perfido! Whilst the themes in the piece (the despair of a woman abandoned by a Greek hero) aren’t necessarily religious, the intense images created by the music become amplified when surrounded by dramatic images. In the same vein the sing along chorus of Counting Crows hit Mr Jones matches the atmosphere created by an audience of silhouettes directed to spotlights on the stage singing lyrics such as “Smilin' in the bright lights, Comin' through in stereo, When everybody loves you, You can never be lonely”. 

This connection between music venues and their impact on the music being performed doesn’t mean that certain genres have to be tied to certain venues. It also doesn’t mean that venues can’t be both. Brixton 02 Academy and Oxford Town Hall are two locations used for rock/pop concerts that I would love to see classical music performed in. The interiors of both buildings are incredibly striking and would compliment the power of Mozart and Beethoven brilliantly. It’s fantastic to see that classical music is already being performed in a number of venues that wouldn’t be seen as traditional venues for the genre. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment have taken ‘The Night Shift’ to a number of contemporary locations including pubs such as The George Tavern and The Vauxhall Green.  The Multi-Story Orchestra have also been true to their name and performed in a number of car parks throughout the country! 

There is definitely a place for venues to both compliment the atmosphere of the pieces being performed and be unique and create a new and existing experience for concert attendees. The only think that should never happen is when a venue distracts from the music for negative reasons (whether its being trapped in the mud at Glastonbury or bad acoustics distorting certain movements!). Luckily for me, both of last weekend’s venues and performers were on amazing form, creating a fantastic few days that will be hard to beat tomorrow and Sunday! 

The interiors of Brixton 02 Academy (left) and Oxford Town Hall (right) 

Southern Sinfonia’s next event is our café concert ‘Brass Unwrapped’ on Friday November 21st. A continuation of the popular 'Secrets of the Orchestra' series, this concert focuses on the convivial yet complex brass section. To find out more including ticket details please click here. 

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