[concert] The Tyburn Tree: Dark London [04-Mar-14]
Monday, March 10th, 2014 08:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranthThe Tyburn Tree -- John Harle and Marc Almond
Saw this at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge. Although we were right behind the sound desk, the sound was sub-optimal. A lot of the second half was too loud to hear, and made my ears crackle. Might be that I'm too old to do live music :( or might be that moderate ear damage from infections and a misspent youth mean that I'll need earplugs in future. Either way, I didn't feel that I had heard the concert. Also, waaaay too dark to read the programme, so I don't have many specific notes.
The first half ('Songs of Earth and Alchemy') featured John Harle with soprano Sarah Leonard, and felt like a blend of modern classical, prog rock and folk. And, unfortunately (for me), jazz. Some of it was gorgeous (sax and vocal duets, 'Main Diable La'): some was not.
The second half ('The Tyburn Tree') featured a cassock-wearing, almost burlesque Marc Almond. (His voice is still excellent.) Twelve songs about the darker aspects of London life and death, including a rather nasty variation on 'London Bridge is Falling Down', and several songs about famous murderers. Finished with an interesting setting of Blake's 'Jerusalem'.
I'm tempted to buy the album so I can actually listen to the music: only then could I decide whether I actually liked it.
Saw this at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge. Although we were right behind the sound desk, the sound was sub-optimal. A lot of the second half was too loud to hear, and made my ears crackle. Might be that I'm too old to do live music :( or might be that moderate ear damage from infections and a misspent youth mean that I'll need earplugs in future. Either way, I didn't feel that I had heard the concert. Also, waaaay too dark to read the programme, so I don't have many specific notes.
The first half ('Songs of Earth and Alchemy') featured John Harle with soprano Sarah Leonard, and felt like a blend of modern classical, prog rock and folk. And, unfortunately (for me), jazz. Some of it was gorgeous (sax and vocal duets, 'Main Diable La'): some was not.
The second half ('The Tyburn Tree') featured a cassock-wearing, almost burlesque Marc Almond. (His voice is still excellent.) Twelve songs about the darker aspects of London life and death, including a rather nasty variation on 'London Bridge is Falling Down', and several songs about famous murderers. Finished with an interesting setting of Blake's 'Jerusalem'.
I'm tempted to buy the album so I can actually listen to the music: only then could I decide whether I actually liked it.
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Date: Monday, March 10th, 2014 09:26 am (UTC)