give me a beat

this evening i had planned a nice trip to millennium park to listen to the northwestern percussion ensemble. when i had initially heard of the performance, i only knew that it would be solely percussion instruments and possibly some jazz. i had intended to go by myself, hoping that since attending alone i would definitely be able to obtain a seat in the pritzker pavilion and not have to sit in the grass. as it is memorial day weekend i feared that the park would be packed, and that as soon as the music started people would flock in droves to the pavilion.

i spent the earlier part of the evening with a friend who just happened to be in town, so i invited him along. he had previous plans but went with me most of the way to the park. even before getting on the el i knew that it would be frightfully cold at the park. i decided to press on in hopes that the weather would keep others from attending this event.

i was not wrong; the pavilion was marginally full. not the packed that i had expected. i found myself a seat just as the first piece was ending. i'm not sure what i expected from the ensemble but what i heard was quite entertaining. the first two pieces, that i heard, were by the argentine composer piazzolla known for his work with the tango. they were interesting pieces led by a type of accordian. an instrument that i did not expect to be part of the percussion group. next was an african drum number showcasing the conversational style of west african music. commonly refered to as call and response. next were a collection of medleys, each utilizing the xylaphone. the first was a 1920's collection. the second was, i believed, named the bye bye medley, as it contained two songs each with the title including the words "bye bye". the third, was a sweet compliation of state songs, last of which was a heartstring puller, "california, here i come".

after this i unfortunately had to leave. just as the weather kept people from attending, it kept people from staying. some people were leaving just as i got there. kind of depressing since the music had just started. maybe they were hoping for something more typical. but i wanted to hold out. using the blanket that i had brought just in case i did have to sit in the grass, i wrapped myself as tightly as i could. this would last for a piece or medley. but i have to admit that the wind was too much for me. and so i left right at the end of the first half.

i really wish that i could have had the strength to stay, but another hour of freezing to the bone couldn't be tollerated. i do hope that, for the performers' sakes, people were able to stick it out to the end. it was a marvelous performance. another great experience at the pritzker pavilion.

i highly recommend any of the performances at the pavilion and you can check out the schedule at www.millenniumpark.org/parkevents/
and you can check out the northwestern's percussion ensemble at www.pickstaiger.org/