The Green Hornet

I made it out to The Chan Centre two Fridays ago to catch the Vancouver Chamber Choir's season opener, Baroquefest, a celebration of the music of Handel and Bach. This time I sat in the orchestra section to check out the acoustics [good, as it turned out]. The audience reminded me of my astronomy club, that is to say, consisting predominantly of old folk. I was a relatively young buck.

I am a novice when it comes to the classics. I'm making up for lost time by putting out feelers—listening to XM Pops, XM Classics and Vox!, and attending live performances—to see what strikes my fancy. Since I've always been partial to Bach and Handel, Baroquefest seemed a sure bet. Well, quite frankly, I'm glad my unaffected take on the concert corroborates with Alexander Varty's negative comments from a generally favourable review in the September 28th issue of The Georgia Strait: "It added to very little...", "...nowhere in this concert was the audience challenged or enlightened..." Maybe I should give myself more credit for picking up on this.

Watching the harpsichordist soloing on the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 was eye-opening. She tore through what sounded like a million effete little notes, with the help of a fellow musician whose sole role was to flip the numerous pages of sheet music for her. Maybe it's because the instrument doesn't have the power and sustain of a piano, so that the only way to keep a listener's interest is to play lots very quickly.

What did impress me was the small stand of trees and plants just outside the lobby. It was a clear night so I exited through the main doors to check out the campus before heading back to the parking garage. What struck me was the quality and direction of the lighting playing on the ferns and cedars. It would be hard to capture on film. The first thing that came to mind was the cover of an old Gold Key Green Hornet comic handed down to my oldest brother from our uncle, which, thanks to the Internet, you see right here (issue #3). That's Bruce Lee as the Hornet's sidekick, Kato. I spent countless hours as a kid looking at that cover. Just one of those magical things that sticks with you.

And yeah, being under the sheets of bottom-lit, scented pine needles wasn't at all shabby. I just love it out there at UBC.

Baroque You, Man!