Our Fellow Kiwi

Yesterday afternoon we went to a baroque concert put on by New Zealand's own James Andrewes and some of his friends.  James is the fourth kiwi we know in Bloomington.  Years ago he was the concert master of the New Zealand Youth Orchestra while Jbird played solo piano and sat in the viola section (at different times).  

The concert was pretty tasty stuff with the well known Correlli Concerto Grosso (Op. 6, No. 8), J.S. Bach's Concerto for two violins, and the less familiar Handel Concerto Grosso (Op. 6, No. 6).  All in minor keys as Jbird pointed out. He joked about coming home and playing a major chord to help cheer us up.

We studied baroque music throughout high school.  I've only seen it played on authentic baroque instruments a handful of times.  It was fun for me to note the awkward, small baroque bows with the lighter bow hold.  A few pretty carvings on finger boards.  The violins sans chin/shoulder rests.  James was the only one to have much left-handed shifting in the second slow movement of the Bach.  It was dare devil type stuff, shifting positions while merely pressing his violin against his neck.  I felt sure he'd drop his violin but he assured me he was used to it.  They were playing on gut strings, which can be hair raisingly hard to produce good tone quality.  They survived without too much squeaking.  

The concert hall was a small church which made for an appropriately intimate setting, surrounded by stained glass windows with the weak winter sun streaming through.