30 August, Second Day

One of the days that lying in my bed and I can say, this was good, very good. The conductors worked through al the percussion parts, and get so much information that I think they are able to make there own version of percussion accompaniment in their own situation. Jury is really a hero. I knew that in my cooperation with him during the several performances we did. I know now better. He is a very good teacher, who can make things simple that seems very complicated. He brings down my percussion production on the CD to simple lines that can be played by good amateurs. And also in that way the poverty requiem is a peace that can be performed by everyone and not only by educated people. (look what I wrote about that subject in my blog making music democratically on the home page of the povertyrequiem site. )

And there was another hero this second day of the workshop. She is Mirjam from Oxfam Novib. She was in the workshop to feel and to see what happened so she could write an article. On a moment, Falou from Senegal would say something. And he asked for a translation from French to English. Marieke did it very quick and good and solved the language barrier for Falou and for us. Falou said touching things about the situation in his country (look to the second blog of David) and give us the imagine of the performance in his country on 17/10. With a procession through Dakar and working with a big childrens choir. But…. Falou said, it is really necessary that there will be a translation of the lyrics of the poverty requiem. Because the people in Senegal don’t speak and read English. After this statement Mirjam went to Falou, sat beside him, took the text book, and translated the whole requiem for him in two hours. And Falou understood from that moment much better the meaning of the libretto. I hope Mirjam and I can find some moments to fit the French words on the rhythm of the several parts, so Falou can start working with his people when he is home.

And Sylvia, she is a hero. She explained for the conductors, the meaning of making the requiem. She gave a very good insight in her passion and anger about the injustice of poverty in the world and how she succeeded to put that feeling in some text lines. Her approach is very moving and gave a intensification on the working on the poverty requiem in this workshop.

29 august, the first day

That was pretty hard working this First day. It was my plan to go through al the five parts of the Poverty Requiem. To let it sound. And to give al my experience of working with different choirs in different situations to the conductors who are in the workshop.
Fortunately there were besides the conductors also several singers, so we formed a choir of about 25 people. So we could realize the real situation of studying and performing.

It sounded beautiful in this small formation. Michelle en Petronel did as soloist a very good job. Because Petronel didn’t prepare, there was also the real situation of working with soloists.

Maybe it was some information overload this first day. There is so much to say about how to study the requiem. And how to solve the little problems you have to tackle. But I’m convinced that these marvellous people of all over the world will succeed there own. After dinner they went to the hotel. And I’m sure they fall in their beds with a head full of music and full of ideas. Just like me.

First meeting with the conductors.

This evening I saw the faces behind the names. After a long period of preparation, of interchange e mail, of organizing visa and tickets, there they are. Life in the Netherlands: the conductors of all over the world who will make it happen. The performance of the Poverty Requiem on 17 oktober 2007, on different places in the world on the same day. To raise our voice against poverty, to let them hear that we disagree with this needless disaster.During the few hours we spent in the Hotel I strongly felt the enthusiasm from the participants in the workshop. It’s trilling when people talk about the music and the lyrics and how they work with it in their own situation. It is trilling when they start to sing the melodies I wrote a year before. All the people are really different. Jumana from Palistina, a dancer. In her head she has the outline of a performance with a lot of dancing. David from the USA who will work with the Requiem in high school with students during a month. Ramon from Suriname, who has planned the biggest musical event in Paramaribo. And Falou from Senegal, who will force me to speak slow English during the workshop because he speaks French. And all the others; Malou from the Phillipines, both Phillip and Lungani from the UK, Moses and June from Kenya, Myguel from Portugal and Robert from Gambia Tomorrow there will be another three conductors to join us. So I will work with 14 conductors.I’m looking forward to the next days we will study the poverty requiem and we learn each other the different ways of rehearsing and performing the poverty requiem. I’m a little nervous too. It is so exiting to work with these motivated people.