Protest Pianist
Rage , fury and protest : not the first words that come to mind after a typical school evening concert .
In January , the Pamoja Hall witnessed the 2020 Piano Showcase concert , consisting of an excitingly modern and innovative programme ; a unique theme of the concert was an exploration into music , not merely as a form of entertainment , but as a force for social change . Throughout the showcase , this was passionately conveyed by all the performers , with impressive interpretations of various challenging ‘ protest ’ works , played by a variety of ensembles , as well as solo pianists , on the Pamoja Hall ’ s Steinway grand piano .
The concert opened with a captivating rendition of Workers Union from the Dutch iconoclast Louis Andriessen , by the Sevenoaks School Space Ensemble ( 11 performers playing a range of instruments , from bass drum to oboe ). This composition is a controversial , picket-like piece that parades the socialist agenda of communist workers . Following this , the audience listened to Jerry Xiao masterfully romping through Chopin ’ s Etude in C Minor (‘ Revolutionary ’), then Columbus Sandor ’ s improvised jazz chords in his fantastic own arrangement of ‘ Swing Low , Sweet Chariot ’,
56 PERFORMING ARTS