A couple of months ago Jean and I went to the NZSO's National Youth Orchestra. An annual pilgrimage to hear richly orchestrated, exciting works played with professional, disciplined exuberance. Ravel's Alborada del gracioso, Roussel's Bacchus et Ariane, Suite No. 2 (didn't know it at all - great stuff), Five Cantaloupe D'Auvergene Chants, an impressive new commissioned work, Feverdream, by eighteen year-old Tabea Squires, and Stravinsky's Firebird. 96 players on stage for a thrilling concert; once again a Canadian conductor, Jaques Lacdombe (hence the froggy works to begin with).
My cynical self is heartened by this event for it seems to give some hope for civilisation - that this many young people, about the size of the NZ Olympic contingent to Beijing, strive not to compete against each other or against other nations but,if anything, against themselves. Rather they came together to cooperate in achieving something which gives so much pleasure and can oly be achieved through cooperation. Would that even a fraction of the many millions we paid for our Olympic team could go to enterprises like this.
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