Monday 30 November 2015

More musical memories - Sheeran and Sonatinas

Exactly a year ago I wrote a piece about a piano concert and a rock concert. HERE  I didn't realise that my life was such a pattern of predictability as here I am twelve months later writing about the same things.


Yesterday was the annual piano concert for the pupils of a couple of local piano teachers. This is Sibs's fourth year and as usual there was an incident that we now come to associate with this concert. 
Year 1 - playing an octave or two too high
Year 2 - forgetting her music
Year 3 - the flyaway ponytail
....and then there's year 4

This year it all started well. She was pleased that she was one of the first to perform so that she could enjoy the other players. 
A few minutes into the piece there was a stray breeze and her sonatina music fluttered before dancing off the piano onto the floor! It threw her off guard for a moment but she kept going. 

So another year, another story.

there goes the music...

On the theme of music, the previous night we were at Suncorp Stadium enjoying slightly different sounds. Ed Sheeran was in Brisbane supported by Passenger and Rudimental.  I had managed to get some tickets when I was back in the UK in April and surprised Sibs with them for her birthday a few months ago.

I had heard that he was a good live performer but I was surprised how good one man and a guitar could be. It takes some guts and self-confidence to perform a stadium show with no fancy stage set up and just a guitar and a loop pedal. There were a few screens behind him, as to be fair if you were seated any distance away he would have been an ant sized spot! No-body seemed to mind this pared back look though.

I was familiar with his music but his live performance plays around with this familiarity. I was seriously impressed. His songs grew on stage with layers upon layers being added via the loop pedal and the crowd loved it. Whatever Ed asked, they obliged. It was a beautiful sight to see the sea of arms punching the air to 'Bloodstream' and then phone lights illuminating the stadium during ' The A Team'.



Here's a little clip of the 'The A Team'. (I'm not sure if it works on mobile phone view)




Every single time Ed Sheeran has performed in Brisbane it's rained and of course Saturday was no exception. It didn't deter the enjoyment though and my plastic poncho stayed in my bag so I just got a little bit wet!
He worked hard to keep us entertained and the show was over way too soon for my liking.


Sibs was seated some rows behind me with a friend and I glanced back a few times to see her on her feet with arms in the air. During the de-brief in the car on the way home I loved the fact that she has become as much a people watcher as me and had to smile when she told me all about the antics of the couple in front of her.



Great weekend of music.
Making memories.



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