day 3 at womadelaide - sunday - midday start - compulsory attendance
the buzz was out - this outfit had performed already and had wowed 'em
they are a polyphonic group - which i think otherwise means acapella
the big appeal for me is that a favourite cd of mine is another french group
coure de berra from the pyrenees - these lads from the city of marseilles
they are on the large stage 2 this afternoon - it's looking a bit sparse
as they are introduced they take up seats and start their singing
each one of them equipped with a tiny head-mounted microphone
it's a beautiful sound they make - exquisite vocals and harmonising
first impression is that they are seriously well rehearsed
there's not a note out of place as they sing it up magnificently
gorgeous, lush, strong, rich, powerful vocals - though in french
so no chance of focusing on the lyrics - it's the delivery that is the trick
at the end of the first tune it's wild applause all round for them
and possibly a few in the audience like me wondering about longevity
specifically how they will sustain interest for an hour or so
the answer given in the next tune with the inclusion of percussion
several of them now armed with hand-held drums or tambourines
adding a sound that sits below the vocals on the next few tunes
it's a great mix of sounds but there's also something else going on
a deep, solid bass drum sound coming from somewhere on stage
then i notice 2 of the lads moving their right legs quite energetically
hitting the stage at the same time as the bass drum sound comes out
so some foot-stomping going on to provide this bottom end sound
all very infectious really as the crowd moves into dance mode
lots of shrieks, knees-ups, clapping, as the tempo goes up a notch or 3
a few tunes like this and then another change in pace
they rise from their chairs and gather in a circle centre stage
what came next was possibly the best group vocal performance i have seen
6 men in black t-shirts, brandishing tattoos and skinheads going sweet
10 minutes or so of the most unbelievable vocal harmonising imaginable
the tune itself very complex with many changes in tempo and structure
and it's not just words they are singing - various other sounds are made
one memorable section being the sound of a swarm of bees in flight
the voices note-perfect throughout as they remained in position
and just when you thought it was over they would go to another level
drawing chuckles from the audience as the clapping falsely started
then in the final end an eerie silence as their voices trailed off
the audience waiting longer than usual to get the signal of tune's end
then ecstatic applause erupting for a very moving piece of music
and so it goes on - no chance of boredom - variety is the trick
the big finale sees the crowd linking hands and running in circles
as the band goes crazy on vocal and percussion on stage
the biggest bass drum sound, percussion and harmonies
wild and long applause as they take their bows
a unique womadelaide performance
...possibly the one for 2009
