CLASSICAL CONCERT REVIEW: Flamenco Experience - The Cathedral, Manchester.

 

It was a very cold early evening with a shallow but crisp layer of snow underfoot, and in January it is already dark by 6pm, the starting time of this concert, and the nave of Manchester's magnificent cathedral was aglow with faux-candles. From a distance they looked almost real; but obviously for health and safety, real candles could not have been used. However, the look was impressive, and even without that olfactory sense, you were still transported back to a pre-electricity era. 

This evening we were gathered to watch and experience the delights of something which is so intrinsically wreathed in the mysteries and folklore of Southern Spain, that this artform has become a must-see spectacle for any music or dance enthusiast who has either already travelled there or has yet to do so. I write of course, about Flamenco. The history of the artform is obsure, yet it is clear that it comes out of the people, the peasants, the workers, and their need to relate to each other their travails and their desires. Dance and song have been associated with relaxation and communication since man started to walk on two feet, and Flamenco has been developing (indeed, continues to develop) ever since. The music is steeped in the traditions and customs of the region, and of course from the people who populated it; and so it is easy to distinguish Moorish and Jewish influences within the tunes, as well as see the countryside, towns and their people in your mind's eye. 

This evening was a one-hour non-stop bath of song (Angel Del Toro), guitar (Javier Pastor), and dance (Monica Tello), as they played, sang, and danced their way through 8 traditional pieces giving us a broad overview of the history and development of the artform. Tello had a different costume for each dance, and moved seamlessly between cloak, fan, and castanets. (although the castanets are not traditionally a part of Flamenco, since they inhibit the all-importnat hand gestures, they have become quite popular nevertheless). 

There are two downsides to the use of this venue however. The first is that the seating is not raked, and, with it being a church it suffers from a lack of heating and poor sightlines (pillars etc). I was seated on the third row in the central nave, and still had difficulty seeing anything below shoulder height of the three performers on the raised platform erected for them in front of the church's screen. This was a huge pity, since a large part of the Flamenco experience is the footwork of the dancer, and although I could hear it, I was never once able to see her feet at work. The second problem is the lighting. Yes, I KNOW this is a candlelight concert, but the 'candles' themselves are insufficient. The two musicians wore black all evening and so they were little more than shadows and we were unable to see their faces, and

although we could just about make out Tello as she danced, again the lack of light on the stage

diminshed the performance and our enjoyment of it. It was only during the encore pieces (which seemed somehow spontaneous although I know they were not) when the church lights were put on again were we able to see the three of them properly. When one needs to SEE the performers, then some light and some consideration needed to be given in the regard.

It was, nevertheless, an enjoyable hour in their company, and it was clear that all three of them were consummate and dedicated, providing us with an evening of truly authentic Southern Spanish culture. Muchas gracias.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 19.1.24