BY CELINE CHONG
Hidden Dome: Beginnings
Simply for Strings, 30 July
Audience members slowly trickled into the hidden dome. The space was a-buzz with eager anticipation. In the beautifully refurbished church, now home to the well-loved stringed instrument store Simply for Strings, Flora Wong’s new concert series was off to a magical start.
The music promised to be intimate, varied, and engaging; a celebration of diversity in the arts and of the unexpected-yet-enthralling. And the stellar line-up of erhu player Jasmine Leung, singer-cellist Monique Clare, and neoclassical trio Sprout definitely delivered.
It was Jasmine who opened the evening with an improvised performance on her erhu. However, instead of the familiar bowed sound of the erhu, Jasmine pushed the limits of this unique instrument by improvising at extremely high pitches in its register. The spontaneity of her display was a testament to her skill, as she weaved the delicate threads of sound – intertwining, entangling, and ultimately unravelling into silence. Though the unfamiliar timbre was at first strange, there was no denying its ability to captivate us as an audience.
After a short interval (complete with cheese, crackers, and strawberries!) where we were free to stretch our legs and chat, Monique took the stage, singing original songs while accompanying herself on the cello. Hers was clearly a performance from the heart, with her raw and honest lyrics speaking to each person in the audience. Her cello playing was dynamic and engaging, having a rhythmic drive that only enhanced each song.
Lastly, Sprout entertained us with a set of sleep inspired pieces, written by their double bassist Helen Svoboda. Despite being clearly inspired by minimalism, the pieces had energy and momentum from the bubbling rhythmic and melodic patterns; always familiar, yet never exactly the same. Understandably, restrictions on space and venue meant that an electric keyboard was used, but no doubt even an upright would have enhanced the performance.
As its name suggests, Hidden Dome was as intimate as it was inviting, and it was heart-warming to see a full audience of Brisbane’s arts-loving community gathered in support for this great initiative.
READ NEXT: Celine chats with Hidden Dome founder Flora Wong about this diverse new concert series.
Images supplied.
