The Musical Silkroad Project at Perth Concert Hall

Mar 16 2010 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE second horizon-broadening concert of last week was the misleadingly entitled Requiem for Travellers performed on Friday in Perth Concert Hall. Given in association with the iMap Ensemble, director Kimho Ip, by over 100 pupils from Perth and Kinross schools, it was the result of a creative workshop series: the Musical Silkroad Project. I say ‘misleading’ because, particularly in the superb final section, it celebrated life, movement and the joy of dance.

It was in five movements divided into nine sections, the first eight were paired movements: the iMap Ensemble followed by a movement from the various schools. The first movement, Away From Home, began with the Ensemble in an evocative piece with the three cellos scrubbing and virtuoso contributions from Kimho Ip, yang ch’in (a Chinese Dulcimer, sounding a little like a cimbalom) and Filip Davidse, soprano saxophone – his life imbued playing being the highlight of the evening. Landscape 1: Leaving Home was the Crieff High School contribution, the mixed ensemble coloured by the xylophone.

Travelling 1 – Desert and Wind saw the yang ch’in and sax joined by the group’s choreographer Coral Lee in a solo dance with two handmaidens. She made startling use of the elongated sleeves of Chinese dance and in the latter part the two girls handled their long white flowing canopy effectively. Perth High School’s piece, Wind, was of a processional nature, an impressive tuba rhythmically impelling it onwards. The wind was symbolized by the noteless blowing and rattling of the instruments.

Travelling 2 – Rivers and Ripples saw Kinross High School in an aptly undulating piece reminiscent of Minimalism. Praise can only be due to Rector Dick Keatings for joining in his school’s ensemble. An odd addition to this was a 12-ftt high stilt walking cellist, Louise Martin. Noteworthy, but it did not really add to the piece.

Movement 4: Thinking About Home had Kimho Ip using a Chinese travelling musician’s tune in Moon Reflection on a Fountain. In the second section all the schools joined with the ensemble in Refrain: Where Three Landscapes Cross. Better ensemble and tuning were noticeable in this less static, less repetitive piece.

Best of all came last in Movement 5: New Home – The Dance of the Yao People. In this energetically played lively piece Coral Lee had come up with some wonderfully effective, stylized choreography for the nearly 30 dancers from Perth High and Kinross High, divided into three groups. In flowing Chinese-style trouser suits of basically white with decoration and blue, yellow and green they went with great verve through traditional gestures at one point two groups leaving the platform and spreading up the aisles.

In this exciting piece the true enjoyment and fun of learning about things new was entrancingly displayed. Not only did all taking part look enthused, but those in the audience also applauded rapturously.

Ian Stuart-Hunter