This past Sunday night was the last night of the BBC Proms. It was something that I was told was one of the things to do while in London but to be honest I was resigned that to not make it. I have just been doing so many things and the Proms are expensive. Even so I ended up getting tickets for Friday Night to see Yo-Yo Ma with The Silk Road Ensemble. It was late Friday night but it was a treat to be able to see such a famous composer in the lush Victorian style surroundings of Royal Albert Hall.
The music was experimental and meant to represent the meeting of Eastern and Western culture, thus the name Silk Road Ensemble. The show opened quietly with musicians on either side of the stage playing bamboo flutes. Then some eastern style music was played on western instruments. Yo-Yo Ma performing on his cello which has made him world famous.
The composers talked about each selection played. Many of the songs were old and told stories of war or heartbreak. Sometimes the music was interrupted by the beating of drums. At one point there was even a long solo of a man slapping his chest, cheeks and legs to create rhythm and beats.
Yo-Yo Ma was upbeat and friendly with the audience who were very appreciative of his performance. It was an exciting show and definitely one of the highlights of stay in London so far.
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