There’s something to say about Christian Dart – the man loves a Fringe and has the secret to unlimited energy. Part of the group, Bad Clowns, Dart has embarked on his own show, only 20 minutes after Bad Clowns HOSTAGE and still seems to smash it. (There is to say they have another show AND did a one off at 11.30pm the same night I saw HOSTAGE, recreating it with different characters… I mean… the sugar these chaps must be eating…)
After seeing Dart run out of HOSTAGE the night before to his own show, I did question what I was coming to see. But Dart doesn’t let on that anything is likely amiss and is on his A game throughout.
Bigger Than The Christmas Turkey brings together a stand up show, with music, a little like Tim Minchin but much more unhinged. We are transformed through Dart’s life, from a large baby, through break ups, break downs (over guacamole) and the injustice of Disney. The segue to each of these is clean and when it isn’t, it is owned up, purposeful and becomes part of the comedy.
Dart, like any comedian, is very interactive with the audience and this audience are ready for it. His confident and positive personality helps, engaging us as friends and leaving us feeling part of his life; with knowledge of the vulnerable parts and welcoming us to it. He isn’t afraid to be the butt of jokes, using real images and videos of his childhood and onwards, to tell his story. This candid retrospective is endearing and engages us as, likely, people who could not do that themselves. He is also quick witted with quips and creates new humour through the moment – jumping onto chairs in the middle of the audience to sing about guac, to see how far he could do with the mic lead, even creating new phrases which he owns up to. He is self aware and can easily use this to his advantage.
The only quibble to have is – there was no Turkey suit. Something I very much expected or at least as the finisher, it never comes. While dissappointed, as I write this I think… maybe this was too easy and predictable and actually, we are left wanting more? Only Dart knows the truth.
Christian Dart: Bigger Than The Christmas Turkey is a fun, intimate and hilarious satire of Dart’s life, but, we are very much part of the jokes and along for the ride.
I missed a rare, exciting Cardiff date at Fuel, we got the punk icon Lene Lovich here. I got to see here in Bristol the next night. Things were off to a ropey start when a somewhat familiar figure said to me I didn’t look the type to come to a goth event. What ever that means. God forbid an artist and journalist make discoveries!
The warm-up from Das Fluff was odd, fun and stirring. Dawn Lintern, the band’s writer and arranger melds with her long-time collaborator Christian Ruland. Lintern often delivered acidic vocals often funny and the spirt of punk never waning. Songs choice were stuffed with the ghosts of awful, past band members, a highlight was a left-field spin on quick footed drug addicts in Berlin. You never quite knew what was next. Ruland plays groovey keys and a modified theremin was a nice touch. The overall ambient vibe clashed with harsher rock protests, Das Fluff was everything it needed to be.
An all over giddy feel fell when Lene Lovich arrived after a break. With both American and English heritage, she has had an impact both sides of the pond. I can see her set going down well in New York. She often gets her freak on, with head gear looing like a veiled Dune extra, Vivienne Westwood and the darkened pigtails of fellow musical icon Meredith Monk. With a Number 3 hit with Lucky Number, she has made a mark especially in the punk era of yesteryear. Before the songs, surreal words and high vocalisations are the usual expectation.
Goth aside, ska in funky moments, fuse her songs with grit and poetry. The mood is abstract, yet each song was highly danceable, few songs were the slow ballad sort. Say When is another highlight, though the songs span decades and in her mid seventies, there is no sign of retirement. A mighty band also lifted things in to the air, some new members rubbed elbows with veteran musicians. Often a good time, the only slight was a uneven moment when it felt like a fight was going to occur in the concert goers, thankfully not.
Lovich’s voice is a fairly typical punk growl, I would like to hear more of her range, the little skats before songs show promise. Often the music is fiercely political, fed up and also thrilled to just to be here.
An orchestra must play as an act of defiance. Few would deny this upon seeing the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra after their invasion from Russa back in 2022. The Songs for Ukraine Chorus are also made up one hundred and sixty singers, of those effected by the conflict. Prior to this all consuming concert at St Paul’s, a few speakers told of the importance of these musicians. Most telling, was General Valeriy Zaluzhny, UK Ambassador to Ukraine, who spoke of the utmost urgency of the events occurring in their home country. Having also followed other conflicts since, it really hit me hard just how impactful this has been to the world.
A fine opening with Bucha, Lacrimosa by Victoria Vita Polevá, which detailed the massacre Russia commit in spring of the year of invasion. With violinist Marko Komonko, this was deeply impactful…I was lost in the emotion the whole thing. Not dissimilar to Arvo Pärt and John Tavener, a feeling of the sacred minimalist took over the massive space. Terrifying metallic percussion stood out and possible electronics were a softer fiber in the overall orchestration. Komonko played stupendously. A gentle handling of the strings and their harmonics was another compelling element. Polevá took a bow at the end and proves she is a composer to watch out for.
Two hundred years have passed since the advent of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, sometimes dubbed the ‘Choral’. Often used as a marker during times of conflict, this was particularly hefty with these players. Conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson graciously led all through the epic piece: its primordial opening, melodic pixelations, piercing melodic bite and earthy ruminations. The acoustics of the cathedral did frequently blur the focus, yet other times its vapours were highly rewarding. I’d say the last three movement had passages were the sound worked but other bars were like mush. We can leave that aside thanks to the context of the evening.
Also sung in Ukrainian, adding extra layers and personal touches. The four soloists Olga Bezsmertna, Natalia Kukhar, Valentyn Dytiuk and Andrii Kymach wowed with their respective sung momentum. Kymach in his baritone, may have been at the mercy of acoustics, though often delighted with a burr, you’d expect from the range. Olga Bezsmertna had a frequent smile on her face, lost in the music, soaring notes she fared very well in and constantly engaged with the audience. Natalia Kukhar as mezzo added to the pot, her time with Olga some sweet, touching remembrances. Tenor Valentyn Dytiuk, got a famous, cheery solo with an almost ommpa band styling, towards the end, a voice that you want to hear again. Of course, the recognisable Ode to Joy, left me highly moved and this crowd loved what they heard. The lady sat behind me also remarked about the acoustic, though stated the concert was “symbolic”.
An encore by Yuri Shevchenko: WE DO EXIST! was a paraphrase to the melody by M. Verbytskyi (National Anthem of Ukraine) for violin and strings. All stood for what we assumed was a more traditional take in the anthem, though this version was eerie and chilling. A concert for the history books.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 30, 1949, Lili-Marlene Premilovich, later known as Lene Lovich, became one of the most relevant figures of the New Wave and Post Punk movement during the late 1970’s- Lovich moved to England when she was 13 and in 1978 she released her most popular album “Stateless” that produced the hit “Lucky Number”, her signature song. Side by side with German artist Nina Hagen, she became one of the earliest female singers to embrace the alternative side of the Punk culture. Lene Lovich remains active, touring and with several side projects and bands.
Preceding Lene Lovich’s emergence onto the music scene, with her 1979 hit new wave single “Lucky Number”, her existence was already engulfed by her insatiable appetite for the visual and performing arts. In autumn 1968, with her partner– Les Chappell, she went to London to attend art school. From there, Lovich attended several art schools and lingered through the London Underground; she also performed in cabaret clubs as an “Oriental” dancer and journeyed to Spain where she visited Salvador Dalí in his home. She continued to grab at any artistic opportunity that came her way, such as recording screams for horror films and writing lyrics for French disco star Cerrone (including the sci-fi dance smash “Supernature”, which Lovich later recorded). She also worked with various theater groups and a few short-lived musical acts, such as the funk group the Diversions, and an all-girl cabaret trio the Sensations. Alas, the new wave music genre disappeared as did Lovich but her distinctive persona continues to prevail as it has impacted several musicians and musical groups, such as Siouxsie And The Banshees, Gwen Stefani, Karen O, Björk, PJ Harvey, and The Dresden Dolls
Her hit single “New Toy” was written by Thomas Dolby. Dolby penned the song specifically for Lovich, after seeing her perform live.
In 1989, after an absence of several years, she recorded the album, ‘March’ which was only moderately successful and was not released until nearly a year after the album’s single “Wonderland” had been issued and become an American dance hit. Lovich continues to perform in much the same style she did back in the 1970s and 1980s, with Les Chappell at her side. In 2005 she appeared on Hawkwind’s Take Me to Your Leader CD, as well as appearing occasionally on stage with them.
Lovich’s first album since March, entitled ‘Shadows and Dust’ received a limited release on Mike Thorne’s Stereo Society label on September 13, 2005.
She played at the Royal Festival Hall in London for the Meltdown festival, curated by Yoko Ono. The same year, she established her own publishing label, Flex Music, and released a re-mastered versions of all her previous albums in a limited edition box set. She made a guest appearance with The Dresden Dolls at The Roundhouse which is featured as an extra on their DVD Live at the Roundhouse. and contributed to the opera ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ (1991) by Peter Hammill and Judge Smith, singing the part of Madeline Usher.
Lene Lovich appeared on Hawkwind’s Take Me to Your Leader CD, as well as appearing occasionally on stage with them. Lovich’s first album since March, entitled Shadows and Dust, received a limited release on the Stereo Society label on 13 September 2005. She played for the first time in many years with a full band at the Drop Dead Festival in 2006.
In 2007, MVD Visual released Lene Lovich: Live from New York, a DVD featuring a performance Lovich gave at Studio 54 in 1981. In late 2007, both Lovich and Chappell produced a new edge recording of their hit “Lucky Number”. The version was performed by rock group Eastroad, and was used by the BBC for its coverage of the 2008 World Snooker Championship.
In 2011, Lovich sang the part of Eurydice in the songstory Orfeas by Judge Smith. In 2013 she sang on the albums Zoot Suit by Judge Smith and Gridlock by Mr Averell.
In 2012, Lovich began performing with a new band comprising Subterraneans frontman Jude Rawlins on guitar, bassist Lydia Fischer, keyboard player Kirsten Morrison, and Morgan King on drums. The band made their live debut at London’s famous 12 Bar Club on 29 October that year. In 2013 the band undertook their first high-profile tour, concluding with major sell-out shows in London and Berlin, and was the 5th act to be announced for Rebellion Festival 2013.
Lene Lovich is now working with her current line up and is continuing to play festivals and shows as demand is ever increasing for this much loved iconic performer!
Lene Lovich – Vocals
Stan Greenwood – Guitar
Val Gwyther – Bass
Morgan King – Drums
Black Marine – Keyboards
DAS FLUFF Biography:
DAS FLUFF is Post Punk Electro Filth
Erotic, Avant-garde and mesmerising … ever-changing mood swings, be it doom, punk, sexotic, hypnotic, or “I wanna kick your ass!”
(Ox Fanzine)
Das Fluff have stormed through a prolific decade of touring around the world with headline gigs and releasing 5 albums along with an array of countless critically acclaimed promo videos. The heady combination of Das Fluff’s trademark electronics and blade-like verse activate the adrenaline rush of dance or flight. Das Fluff is the feral spawn of frontwoman Dawn Lintern, the band’s writer and arranger.
Long-time collaborator, Christian Ruland, brings cutting edge creative electronic experimentation to the band’s live sound with ever-evolving combinations of media including theremin, pedals, samplers and Kaoss pads along with his distinctive projections.
Das Fluff have supported post-punk luminaries such as Viv Albertine, Lene Lovich, Toyah, Clan of Xymox and Lydia Lunch and toured extensively in Europe, the US and Asia.
If you danced your hearts out to Trent Reznor’s works and listened to Soft Cell in your bedroom then this is for you.
(Fighting Boredom)
Adding punk edge to the surging beats of Numan and Depeche Mode inspired electro, with a bit of Throbbing Gristle chucked in for good measure.
This type of electronica is providing more lyrical and stylistic risk taking which Das Fluff and others such as The Knife and Gary Numan are willing to take.
Dawn of Das Fluff: COLD SLICE are Leon Brown’s thought provoking Electro Blues project from London Town. This tour will see him perform his own unique material and will be his first solo tour since his last project All Flags Are Grey!
A hefty evening at Wigmore followed after Jan Lisiecki the night prior. It was a more laid back affair, myself being the only critic in as they all appeared to be at the First Night of the Proms. American by heart, the Attacca Quartet added flair and thrills to this evening.
You usally know what to expect with Phillip Glass and here was no different. This String Quartet No. 3, dubbed ‘Mishima’ from 1985 is standard fare. You’ve got to like arpeggios to get Glass, as you hear a considerable amount in each of his pieces. I’m taken with the playing of Attacca, is was almost like a gig as opposed to a concert proper. Sweetness melds with nostalgia in what is the soundtrack to the film from Paul Schrader.
John Adams with his 2nd String Quartet is another big, American sell. Acidic flips in classical forms are transformed with his erratic bouts of energy and a reeling consciousness. Its was fun just watching the quartet, cellist Andrew Yee really gets into things it was if as we were at a rock concert, head banging abound. The four together have a snapping focus, musically very touching. On viola, Nathan Schram is so charming, he introduction to the music is insightful, his overalls and trainers a trendy statement.
We’ve been hearing more from Caroline Shaw at present. The American gentleman sat near me said she is played extensively in Chicago. One can see why, as her music has an easy appeal and is often quite inspiring. Within 3 Essays you get the spirit of the hymn and the fiddle, taking several points of reference as its starting point. She is unafraid to have moments of discord, gently sliding back into tonality, the playing near the bridge of the instruments creates screeching, singing sounds. Shaw will be getting a lot more presence as a welcome addition to programmes either side of the pond. I would like to hear more.
Paul Wiancko is a new name to me, though Yee stated the music us life changing. I’d agree to an extent, more country themes are spread throughout the score. Frantic flustering is heard and seen in his LIFT, stated in the programme as being “a very American piece”. It pretty much is, though any more than the rest of the bill is debateable. Attacca Quartet gave Wigmore the most interesting and liberating concert for some time.
A late night concert shortly followed. An hour of American spirituals was a fine way to end the night, thanks to the efforts of Reginal Mobley & Baptiste Trotignon. Mobley is a countertenor and an impressive one at that, sweet voiced and endlessly vibrant. Heard in Handel and Bach, he is also keen to make part of the larger canon the importance of the spiritual. We feel for him, the weight of these songs under slavery in American history, reain a great resource. Some are recognisable, ‘Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen’ is one moody example, whilst others exude the most wonderful air. ‘A Great Campmeetin’ has an infectious charm, ‘Save Me Lord’another powerful song that left me moved.
On piano Frenchman Baptiste Trotignon is equally happy in this or jazz, his improvisation also noteworthy for its effortlessness. Other important composers of colour: Florence Price and Harry T Burleight are also here, their contribution to the perseveration of spirituals and the creation of their own songs also standout. The last set featuring ‘Deep River’ ‘I got a robe’ and ‘Bright Sparkles in the Churchyard’ add to the religious fervour. Its amazing how well these songs end, they seem to tuck themselves in, as the medley is wrapping up. It’s always satisfying and this concert shall be well remembered.
Combination of post punk revolution and ancient Chinese tradition and story telling, this mash together of what would seem like very different genres comes together in this small but atmospheric production.
The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience looks at the racial politics around British Chinese people, what it means to have the contrasting cultures and embrace them both, but also when you’re “not Chinese enough”.
The story flicks back and forth between traditional, ancient stories to more modern situations. While it is understood why they do this (predominantly that it is one of the main focus of the story and title itself) it becomes slightly hard to distinguish. Perhaps there’s an element of my lack of knowledge and naivety in the culture and history, but I do feel that theatre should teach and give a sense of learning to those outside its realms and this only left me in want.
Characters swap between the performers and it becomes a little difficult to follow – are they different characters, or the same played by different performers? It’s never really that clear. Between this and the jump between time and sometimes space, the main ethos and point of the production gets a little lost.
It is indispersed with original punk rock music and this is fun, exciting, catchy and new and adds another theatrical element. But without being too clear on the narrative, it just feels like a helpful break. There is, what unusually and one i’ve never heard of, a 5 minute interval. Only enough to run out and hardly seems worth it, but the lack of time to decompress and try to understand the first half would have been helpful.
The performers themselves are fantastic – in whatever they do, from acting to playing an instrument, they are fully in the show and there is passion and realism in the hardship they portray. Not to mention their talent and fantastic composition of music which is definitely worth its own space to grow fans.
The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience is certainly that – an experience. It has all the elements to be a fantastic piece of work but there is something lost in its narrative and therefore lacks in educating those of us who are not from that society.
The Welsh National Opera delivers an excellent production of Il Trittico by Giacomo Puccini, where singers, chorus, and orchestra perform beautifully with skill and pathos. This is no small feat for a sophisticated and yet underrated work, consisting of three one-act pieces of starkly different registers. One only hopes that management will rethink the misguided cuts to the wonderful chorus and orchestra.
The night begins with Il Tabarro (the cloak), dark and intense, is perhaps the most refined musically of the three pieces. It tells the story of Giorgetta (Alexia Voulgaridou), dissatisfied with her life with Michele (Roland Wood) travelling from place to place on a barge. She falls for kindred spirit Luigi (Leonardo Caimi). Michele realises Luigi is Giorgetta’s lover, kills him, and forces her to look at her dead lover.
Roland Wood as Michele in Il Tabarro (photo credit Craig Fuller )
Contrary to Toscanini’s dismissal of the opera as grand guignol, Il Tabarro never indulges in sensationalism. Puccini’s mature music combines passion and restraint. Voulgaridou, Wood, and Caimi all deliver the haunting drama with great emotional depth.
A splendid Alexia Voulgaridou gives voice to the pain of Suor Angelica, the second piece. The story of a woman forced to become a nun after giving birth to a child. Her Princess aunt visits to tell her that her son is dead. Angelica kills herself in the hope of being reunited with him, then she despairs as she realises that her suicide condemns her to hell. In in her final moments of anguish, she experiences hallucinatory or mystical transcendence, and embraces her child.
The subdue and soft music lets the tension between Angelica’s suffering and her hope unfold. Voulgaridou delivers Angelica’s irrational demise or transfiguration with striking pathos, doing justice to a much misunderstood Suor Angelica.
Alexia Voulgaridou as Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica (photo credit Craig Fuller)
The night ends with the unadulterated fun of Gianni Schicchi, where a family is left penniless as the patriarch dies and leaves his fortune to a monastery. They engage the wits of peasant Gianni Schicchi (Roland Wood), who pretends to be the deceased and dictates a new will to the notary. As he does so, he makes sure the largest part of the family fortune goes to him.
Haegee Lee as Lauretta and Roland Wood as Gianni in Gianni Schicchi (Photo Credit Craig Fuller)
Roland Wood performs with humour and sagacity, Haegee Lee, as Lauretta, sings Mio Babbino Caro beautifully. The three pieces have an excellent cast all around, including Tichina Vaughn (The Princess in Suor Angelica and Zita in Gianni Schicchi), Wojtek Gierlach (Il Talpa in Il Tabarro and Simone in Gianni Schicchi), and Oleksiv Palchykov (Young lover in Il Tabarro and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi), who entertain and enchant the audience.
In the expert hands of Carlo Rizzi, the WNO orchestra brings together the three pieces giving them a sense of continuity. They excel at balancing the restrained with the emotional thus delivering the intensity of Puccini’s music and drama. As Puccini would have wanted.
Hi Sophie, great to meet you. You are currently studying Music Performance (Flute) at RWCMD, Cardiff, can you give our readers some background information on your career to date?
Hi Guy, it’s lovely to meet you too! I have been playing the flute for 13 years, previously studying with Berkshire Music Trust, (a registered charity who support everyone to have access to music education regardless of their background) …or Berkshire Maestros as it was known back then! Throughout my time with them I played in numerous ensembles, the most senior being Berkshire Youth Symphony Orchestra, Newbury Concert Band and Newbury Flute Choir.
Since joining the RWCMD in 2020, I have been part of the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra and also formed the Eira Quintet and the Corriera Trio with other members of the college.
So, what got you interested in the arts?
I have always been interested in the arts as a whole, singing was one of my hobbies from the moment I could get words out of my mouth! It was actually my mum who got me interested in playing the flute, as she had her old one in the house and let me have a try when I was 8 years old. I fell in love with it straight away and have never looked back since.
What importance does music have in your life and how have you combined the life of a student musician and opportunities to perform live in your professional career?
Music is at the heart of who I am. There is not much I do without having music of some description either playing in the background, or playing it myself. It is something that I use to help regulate my mental health, as I believe music can be so empowering regardless of whether you are the listener or performer. The college provide us with many opportunities to sign up to perform, both inside the college and out in the community, so it is all about finding a balance and being disciplined and realistic with how much you can take on alongside the mandatory work that comes with the degree. Alongside this, I often go to schools or learning centres with my ensembles to do community workshops, which is something I hope to continue doing throughout my professional career.
The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is a Conservatoire, some of our readers may be unfamiliar with this term, how does this differ to study at a University?
That is a great question! Studying at a conservatoire is a lot more performance based than studying Music at a university. We have two solo performance recitals per year (one short, one long), a technical exam specific to our instrument, an orchestral excerpts exam and an ensemble recital. There is still some written assignments each year, however these aren’t as heavily weighted.
Along with the members of The Eira Quintet you are part of one of the RWCMD, Woolcott Residencies, these provide students with the tools, support and mentoring needed to set themselves up as creative businesses working in a collaborative, entrepreneurial manner. They are an innovative training programme designed to support RWCMD students working within the community, and to give local people a sense of ownership of the arts. Your Residency is based at St Johns Church adjacent to The Hayes, Cardiff. How did you come to be involved in this project and what are your ambitions for its delivery?
The opportunity to become the artists in residence at the church was advertised to the students at college, so we applied and were lucky enough to be offered the position! We have a few different plans for concerts to deliver at the church, including one hopefully collaborating with the choir, as well as workshop ideas for local schools and members of the community. We were also honoured to perform as part of the St David’s Day service and hope to be involved in more of the church’s events across the residency.
As part of the Woolcott Residency, each ensemble will be encouraged to curate and nurture their own relationship with a venue, delivering regular educational workshops, concerts and participatory sessions for at least a year. You will be performing in the Church in the near future, how do you approach performing in a church and what has the response been so far?
Yes, we are really looking forward to this performing, we have some really fun music lined up! Performing in a church definitely brings some challenges due to the boomy acoustic, so we have to make sure we over do any detail in the music for it to come across. Also, as the venue is a sacred place, we always make sure to have conversations with the church clergy to make sure they are happy with the music we perform and the way we use the space. So far we have had a very positive response from both the clergy and the members of the community towards our performances, as well as from the Mayor of Cardiff and staff from the Cardiff and Vale Music Service.
You also recently performed in The Old Library as part of Pamela Howards, Welcome to Wales Exhibition. The exhibition had a theme of retracing the stories of immigrants who’ve travelled through and to Cardiff. As young musicians how can you reflect contemporary society?
I think our work at the exhibition reflects the positive direction that society is going in in recognising the struggles that have happened in our history and working on preventing them from happening again. We are very fortunate to have the luxury of studying at RWCMD, so I think it is fantastic that these stories are being given the setting to be shared both with us as students and the wider community. We always strive to include a diverse range of composers in our repertoire to reflect how society is moving in this direction.
If you were able to fund an area of the arts what would this be and why?
If you had asked me this question a couple of years ago then I would have said music education without a doubt, as I believe that it is so important both for a child’s development but also for the future of the arts as a whole. However, in light of recent events I would now choose to fund professional orchestras and venues as they are now the organisations that are struggling with a lack of funding.
What currently inspires you about the arts in the Wales?
I find the Welsh Government’s attitude to music education very inspiring! They see the importance of music in schools and have put a plan in place to allow children of all ages to participate in musical activities and/or learn an instrument without any limitations of cost. I think this is exactly what the future of the arts needs and it brings a lot of hope into the sector.
What was the last really great arts event that you experienced that you would like to share with our readers?
I may be biased, but I recently went to the “Opera Double Bill” at the Sherman Theatre. This was a performance of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Resphigi’s La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco by RWCMD’s David Seligman Opera School. As far as I know, everything from the set design to the musicians on and off stage was done by college students, and it was all to such a high standard. I enjoyed it so much that I went every night!
If you are interested in study at RWCMD you can find out more about future Open Days here
In this short article Priscilla Addey-Blankson, Race Council Cymru, Windrush Cymru Elders, Project Officer gives an overview of the collaborative work of Race Council Cymru and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to connect communities through the arts.
Hi I am Priscilla, I work for Race Council Cymru and hold the role of Windrush Cymru Elders Project Officer. I am originally from Ghana and I have dedicated the past year and a half to working closely with the Windrush Elders community.
In my capacity, I act as the primary point of contact for the RCC, Windrush Elders and their associated projects. My responsibilities extend to planning and coordinating various events and activities for the Elders, actively collaborating with them to develop, promote, and implement enriching projects. I am deeply committed to supporting and enhancing the well-being of the Windrush Elders community through my role.
The Race Council Windrush, Cymru Elders meet every Thursday at RWCMD, the group often have speakers and share information about activity in their community. The group recently had a visit from Anna Mudeka who played the role of of legendary South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba in Mama Afrika which was performed in College recently.
Anna shared the compelling narrative of her life journey, delving into her musical pursuits and cultural heritage. She captivated everyone with the introduction of the Nyunga-nyunga, a traditional musical instrument, explaining its details and how it works, gladly fielding the Elders’ inquiries.
https://youtu.be/pE9HtMGr2Qg?si=7QmB9sP1vqIsXiAg
Ms. Mudeka shared her personal challenges, drawing inspiration from her icon, Miriam Makeba, and emphasizing the profound impact Makeba had on her own musical journey.
https://youtu.be/AyA4tytL9pg?si=BLw7h-7hCKXHEoOl
The session unfolded with Anna Mudeka’s enchanting Swahili music, actively involving the elders in the Hakuna Matata song. The interactive nature of the performance allowed The Elders to proudly shout out their countries of origin.
In a delightful moment, Anna Mudeka introduced The Elders to the distinctive click sounds used in her songs, offering a brief tutorial and incorporating it into her performance. The session further featured a recitation of poignant poems by Nelson Mandela and Miriam Makeba, concluding with the lively Dance Pata-Pata music that had The Elders joyfully swaying.
Anna said of the activity “I really enjoyed meeting The Elders and I knew straight away that this would be a learning experience for me too. I loved listening to them talk about their love for Wales. It was a joy to share some time with them all.”
Anna Mudeka centre and the RCC, Windrush Cymru Elders
The entire experience evoked nostalgic reflections, with Elders sharing amusing childhood stories. A particularly resonant quote emerged from the session: “It’s not the reports that are going to change the world; it’s taking a plate of food to your neighbour and listening to music together.”
You can find out more about the Race Council Cymru, Windrush Cymru Elders here
You can find out more about the work of the Communities Engagement Partner at RWCMD here
The WNO’s production of Death in Venice by Benjamin Britten is a symphony in black and white with minimal staging, effective choreography, and powerful singing. It’s a beautiful and haunting painting that conveys the internal anguish of the protagonist at the core of Britten’s extraordinary music.
Death in Venice is based on the novella by Thomas Mann, where Gustav von Aschenbach is a famous author who travels to Venice to find inspiration. There, he develops an attraction for an adolescent boy, Tadzio. Disciplined and ascetic in character, Aschenbach is torn between his sensual desire and his detached reason. As his attraction becomes an obsession, Venice is taken over by cholera. His passion makes leaving impossible. A glance from Tadzio makes Aschenbach rise from his chair only to collapse and die.
Aschenbach’s travel to Venice is as internal as it is physical. The initial confusion of the mind that makes him unable to write is lifted at the sight of Tadzio, whom Aschenbach sees as the embodiment of ancient Greek beauty. Yet, the aesthetic appreciation quickly plunges Aschenbach into an internal conflict between his rational mind and his passion for the boy.
Mark le Brocq as Gustav von Aschenbach. Photo credit Johan Persson.
Olivia Fuchs, who directs this production, weaves together the different elements of music, video, acrobatics, costumes, and song with great efficacy. A black and white video is projected onto the background. It alternates depictions of the sea, at times choppy and at times smooth, Venice almost as a shadow, and Tadzio up close. The most intense moment is when Aschenbach, played by a wonderful Mark Le Brocq, is alone and the scene has nothing but a picture of Tadzio. Throughout the opera, Le Brocq excels in intensity and harrowing beauty.
Alexander Chance as The Voice of Apollo, Mark le Brocq as Gustav von Aschenbach, and Roderick Williams as The Voice of Dionysus. Photo credit Johan Persson.
Aschenbach’s internal anguish mirrors the Nietzschean theme of the conflict between Apollo, god of reason, and Dionysus, god of passion. The battle between Apollo and Dionysus unfolds musically in the contrast between the countertenor voice of Alexander Chance as Apollo and the deep baritone voice of Roderick Williams as Dionusus. This is heightened by the juxtaposition of Apollo, dressed in a golden suit, and Dionysus, in a red suit, against the black and white background of the chorus, dressed in white when playing the hotel guests, and in black as Venetians.
Baritone Roderick Williams and countertenor Alexander Chance are equally enthralling. Tadzio has no voice; rather he embodies beauty through movement to a percussion music which Britten developed drawing on Balinese gamelan. The choice of sensual acrobatics performed beautifully by Anthony César of NoFit State Circus, directed by Firenza Guidi, conveys powerfully the Greek idea of beauty. The homoerotic acrobatic duel between Tadzio and another boy, performed by Riccardo Frederico Saggese, is allusive yet restrained. The result is mesmerising.
On a minor note, the production could have made better use of light design to emphasise Aschenbach’s internal turmoil. Overall, it is one of the best productions the WNO has given us.
Antony César as Tadzio, Riccardo Frederico Saggese as Jaschiu, and the cast of Death in Venice. Photo credit Johann Persson.
Creating opportunities for a diverse range of people to experience and respond to sport, arts, culture and live events. / Lleisiau amrywiol o Gymru yn ymateb i'r celfyddydau a digwyddiadau byw
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