In spite of the misery of the cold night and no shower, with a great degree of interest we headed to Bloomsbury Baptist Church for Sunday morning worship. The large church is a 10 minute walk for us, is located near the British Museum, and is surrounded by the traditional taverns, restaurants, and businesses. In my forward Texas manner, I arrived early hoping to join the choir during the service.
Surprised by the extensive crowd outside the church, I walked to the front doors and found them locked. A nice gentleman glanced at me, let me inside, and informed me that many of the homeless were lined up to get tickets for the free lunch offered to 25 people after the service. I quickly realized two things: 1) I did not look homeless, and 2) I would not get a free lunch! When the man then asked me why I was so early, I sheepishly mentioned that I knew a little about music and would enjoy singing in the choir if I were allowed to do so. He brightened and said yes and introduced me to the choir director/organist.
I was ushered in and gathered around the piano for a rehearsal of the Introit and an anthem. The Introit was familiar, The God of Abraham Praise, but the anthem was new to me. In fact, all the hymns were unfamiliar and had a type of high church quality to them. Singable melodies with great texts and musical complexities in the accompaniments gave the music global quality with an artistic timelessness. The lack of a formal music minister, no instruments other than an organ, and extensive corporate readings and prayers made the service feel rather formal and Anglican. Yet the message emphasized social problems, Christian service and responsibility, and the role of directed emotions in dealing with immediate issues. At the conclusion of the service, many of us offered prayer concerns, some personal and others external, giving the service a kind of hybrid Methodist, Baptist, Anglican mix. In a way it felt like a classic Baptist church drawn from an older tradition. It was quite meaningful and reminded all of us to avoid the trappings of selfish motivations in our faith and, instead, to apply God's teachings in the world around us.
Knowing that an important experience in the Rock and Roll class I am teaching is to attend an actual Rock concert, it was with some personal misgivings that I encouraged and then required all in the class to go hear Snow Patrol. In James Michener's The Drifters, a marvelous tale of teenage rebellion, an adult works to understand the music of a younger generation. While at first the environment, the bass thump, the screaming, and the roar of guitars and drums felt painful, dark, confusing, and incoherent, after a time the narrator shifted and began to get it. He began to relate to the sounds, he began to feel the music, and he found the pleasure in the experience. Rather than approaching it with criticism, he suddenly understood the appeal and in the process discovered a part of himself that could express without fear of reprisal.
With this thought in mind, we jumped on a bus for the hour long trip to the amazing facility known as the 02 Arena. The 02 is a modern area with restaurants, shopping, technical marvels, The British Music Experience Museum, and the Arena. The dome-shaped building holds over 23,000 people and has been the host of sporting events and musical concerts for the last several years.
Snow Patrol, in existence for 17 years, from Ireland, is considered an alternative rock band known for the song "Chasing Cars" and "Just Say Yes." I personally enjoyed the musical content of "Crack the Shutters" and the great song "Run". The crowd of over 20,000 included all ages with nearly 10,000 of those people standing on the floor. A little concerned I would be one of the older people in the crowd, it was with great comfort that I saw many older mature ladies and gentlemen enjoying themselves at the concert. Maybe there was some hope for me after all!
Without excessive theatrics, but using solid guitar technique and full vocal range, Snow Patrol kept us entertained with pure Rock and Roll music. The incredible sound system coupled with a high energy and progressive light show enhanced the solid musical production. Nothing was extreme but it was all well-done and full of vigor from beginning to end.
Not necessarily in my training sphere as a classical musician, I must admit to enjoying myself the entire concert. I found that fun zone and I understood the appeal and, like the character in the Michener story, I relaxed and had a great time. Moving around to the beat and joining my new concert friends around me, I felt the music inside me as it generated energy throughout my being. In short, it was a blast! I was also stunned by the masses as they sang along on every song, clapped their hands, jumped around, and expressed themselves freely within the expected social constraints. I saw no criminal activity, nothing rude, and nothing out of the ordinary except for over 20,000 people having fun.
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