Yet more concerts

If you want me to write about things other than the musical events I attend, feel free to make requests!

The Sunday before last, I went to Katie O'Reilly's recital at St Mary's church in Charlestown. I saw the recital posted on Facebook and since Charlestown is just a short walk from my house, across the railway and under I-93.

The recital was excellent: even better than I had expected. The first half was reasonably traditional (the people in front of me felt it was a little too cerebral). The second half comprised newer music, including the premiere of a song cycle based on antiphons from the Sundays of Lent. I don't always like modern music, and when the composer introduced it as "not so much songs as a series of sounds" I was worried, but it was actually very good. There were some unusual sound combinations and gimmicky techniques (e.g. playing the piano from the inside), but the composition (and performance) was effective.

I then enjoyed an afternoon's walk along Boston Harbor and up the part of Mass Ave I don't usually frequent.

On the succeeding Thursday, I went to see The Phantom of the Opera with a group of MIT students. I found this a contrast with the above: it was good, but not up to my expectations. One of the problem is that too many things go on and not enough happens. The title song's theme on the organ is very catchy, but on the whole it was more forgettable than I was expecting. Worth the price and time, but I would have been disappointed had I paid the full ticket price.

Then on Saturday, I sang in a concert. It was put on by my friend Eli, who is a music student at Berklee. He invited various friends to perform, mostly original music. I sang in a small choir, performing Christina's Compline and Nik's Ave Maria and O Light Divine. It's always nice to sing new music: the hymns we sing at Mass are pretty familiar by now and that's the main time I sing (I do have the upcoming G&S show, but that music is very familiar to my ear if not my voice, and I don't have much harmony, which is the more interesting).