Louis Andriessen in the sky with diamonds


Ecstatic illumination is the goal, the paths to it may include the spiritual, physical, chemical or, as at Snape on Friday, the musical. The video installation seen above inspired by Matthew Welton's poem Virtual Airports was the vehicle for an open session by Aldeburgh Young Musicians (8-18 year olds) curated and conducted by cellist extraordinaire Oliver Coates. Two semi-improvised works created by the young musicians framed a performance of Louis Andriessen's Workers Union. Except it was more ecstatic illumination than performance, with Andriessen's twenty minute exercise in interpretative freedom constrained by ensemble discipline played with a commitment, precision and sheer slam that totally belied the age of the musicians. Such was the clalibre of the playing that everyone I spoke to in the audience after the concert reported the same Louis in the sky with diamonds experience. Friday's ecstatic illumination was the culmination of a week's intensive work by Oliver Coates and the Aldeburgh Young Musicians and it proved resoundingly that education is not about the teacher reaching down to the pupil, but rather about the pupil reaching up to the teacher. Repeated at Southbank Centre, London on March 20 and not to be missed. More ecstacy inducing young musicians here.

Photo is (c) On An Overgrown Path 2011. My ticket for the Snape concert was bought at the box office. Report broken links, missing images and errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk Also on Facebook and Twitter.

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