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Jan. 24th, 2014 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raincitygirlThe problem with the type of music popularly known as Gregorian chant is that it’s very…soothing. The Sequentia concert on Wednesday was held in Holy Rosary Catholic Cathedral, which was sub-arctic inside. I’m not sure if that’s the usual temperature or if they turned off the heat especially to make sure nobody in the audience was lulled into sleep. Sequentia were good (they’re a Paris-based 7 member all female group who specialize in medieval music, usually the kind composed for nuns). But I think I’m going through an off-again period when it comes to early music. This is the third concert in a row I’ve been to and not really enjoyed.
Part of it could’ve been the aforementioned sub-arctic temperatures, and the fact that the concert was held without an intermission (nearly 2 flipping hours of Gregorian chant and never a chance to stretch your legs. Whose genius idea was that?). Also, the cathedral is incredibly badly-designed. The only washrooms were out of the church, around the corner, up some very steep steps to the church hall. No provision made for wheelchair users, which I didn’t think was *allowed* these days. And no provision made for elderly people who don’t really want to go outside in the freezing wind and walk down the street so they can empty their bladder in another building. And it’s an early music concert, so there were lots of elderly people there.
Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, where Early Music Vancouver has held some previous programs, is much better designed, and I don’t just say that because I’m Anglican. The washrooms are in the basement, admittedly, but there’s a handy-dandy elevator for handicapped people to travel in. Also, it’s warmer.
Anyway, I think that’s it for me and early music, at least for a while. I’ve reached the point where I distantly admire the technical effort that’s going into a performance, but I’m still totally disengaged in spite of my admiration. I don’t need to pay good money to be bored. Maybe I’ll give it another shot in a year’s time. I feel like a bad culture vulture for admitting this, but I’d much rather be at a Vienna Teng concert than early music.
Part of it could’ve been the aforementioned sub-arctic temperatures, and the fact that the concert was held without an intermission (nearly 2 flipping hours of Gregorian chant and never a chance to stretch your legs. Whose genius idea was that?). Also, the cathedral is incredibly badly-designed. The only washrooms were out of the church, around the corner, up some very steep steps to the church hall. No provision made for wheelchair users, which I didn’t think was *allowed* these days. And no provision made for elderly people who don’t really want to go outside in the freezing wind and walk down the street so they can empty their bladder in another building. And it’s an early music concert, so there were lots of elderly people there.
Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, where Early Music Vancouver has held some previous programs, is much better designed, and I don’t just say that because I’m Anglican. The washrooms are in the basement, admittedly, but there’s a handy-dandy elevator for handicapped people to travel in. Also, it’s warmer.
Anyway, I think that’s it for me and early music, at least for a while. I’ve reached the point where I distantly admire the technical effort that’s going into a performance, but I’m still totally disengaged in spite of my admiration. I don’t need to pay good money to be bored. Maybe I’ll give it another shot in a year’s time. I feel like a bad culture vulture for admitting this, but I’d much rather be at a Vienna Teng concert than early music.
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Date: 2014-01-25 12:29 am (UTC)Gregorian chant is awfully soothing.
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Date: 2014-01-30 01:30 am (UTC)That's really interesting to know that churches are exempt from retrofitting for the handicapped.
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Date: 2014-01-30 01:53 am (UTC)My mom's church comes to mind as a place with stairs at both entrances; she's attended that church since the '80s, but the steps are getting too much for her (she is actually better with stairs than ramps because her feet are damaged). And the bathroom's location is practically a secret.
I try not to think about what that says about the church attitude toward the disabled. (I do get that money is a problem.)
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Date: 2014-01-25 10:29 am (UTC)I was a chorister, and you had to have an iron bladder for some services. First thing that always happened when we (my family) got home was a race for the lavatory, because this was the 1970s, and we only had one...
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Date: 2014-01-30 01:34 am (UTC)Sorry it took me so long to reply. Darth Real Life has been kicking my ass.