Sergio A. Mims writes from London, where he attended Saturday's final rehearsal and Sunday's debut performance of Chineke! Orchestra, founded by double bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku:
There are many great concerts but very few can be
considered great but also historical and groundbreaking
as well. But such was the case with the premiere concert
of the Chineke! Orchestra at the Southbank Centre in
London Sunday night.
Conceived by the esteemed double bass musican
Chi-chi Nwanoku just six months ago, she pulled off the
Herculean efforts to creating an orchestra of 60
orchestral and freelance professional musicians made
up from black, Asian and people of color from 28
countries around the world led by the remarkable
Wayne Marshall, the chief conductor of the WDR Radio
Orchestra Cologne in a program of Samuel Coleridge-
Taylor, contemporary composer Phiilp Herbert, and
standard repertoire of Brahms and Beethoven.
From the very moment the players took their positions
on the stage it was very clear to everyone in audience
from their energy and confidence that this was going to
be a special evening. Despite the fact that most of the
players had met for the first time only less then a week
earlier, days of hard work in marathonrehearsal sessions
led by Marshall, the players played with a solidness of
tone style, assuredness and professsionalism that would
easily rival many of the world's leading orchestras.
With the vibrant and incredibly talented violinist Tai
Murray as the orchestra's concertmaster, the concert
began with an electric performance of Coleridge-Taylor's
rarely heard or performed Ballade for Orchestra Op 33.
The work with its unexpected shifts of tones and
syncopations and vibrant orchestral colors was a rousing
opener for the concert.
It was followed by a searingly poignant performance for
18 string players of Philip Herbert's haunting and beautiful
Elegy: In Memorium - Stephen Lawrence who was
obviously deeply moved by the audience's warm reception
when Marshall bought him up to the take his bow.
The final two works, Brahms Variations of a Theme by
Haydn and Beethoven Symphony No. 7, were compelling,
exciting, edge-of-seats performances with Marshall and the
orchestra brought out the grand majesty of Brahm's work
without ever once becoming pompous, which is a trap
many conductors fall into while the Beethoven symphony
was propulsive and energetic but with subtle nuances in
the work brought out by maestro Marshall that are usually
overlooked.
But it was more than just a concert, it was something else.
A look into the future of things yet to come, the sight of
seeing musicians of color of every shade with every
conceivable hairstyle playing with an authority and solid
professionalism was groundbreaking that anticipates of
things to come. Regular symphony concerts with the all
or nearly all white players will never be looked at the same
way again. Things are changing and for the better.
The sold-out concert hall leaped to its feet several times
with ovations and as a surprise encore the orchestra once
again played the Ballade to an enthusiastic reception.
Both Marshall, who reportedly has agreed to become the
Chineke! permanent music director and Nwanoku spoke as
well to the audience about the importance of the concert
and what it means to the future of classical music and of
the need of diversity in order for this music to survive as
well as to erase barriers of what is possible
I would be also remiss if I did not mention the earlier
afternoon performance of the Chineke! Junior Orchestra
made up of some of the most talented young musicians of
African heritage from across the country aged 11 – 17 who
performed movements 1, 2 and 4 from Schubert’s
Symphony No. 5 conducted by Marshall. Despite their
young age, the players played with an excellence and true
mastery that belied their ages. The capacity audience for
the free concert were enraptured by the performance and
the young musicians and gave them a warm and genuinely
enthusiastic response.
It was a great day being totally immersed in great music
performed by great musicians and that changed how music
will be looked at from now and in the future.
Sergio
