Exciting news: the NEO is coming to the Town Hall, Birmingham, on Saturday 21st April 2012! To whet your appetite, here is an article about our last visit to the Town Hall, written by Hattie Parker:
I rush inside the warm lobby of the hall to get out of the abrupt wind and sideways rain. The clean calm contrast and welcoming warmth of the entrance make a restful place for me to finish the end of my white chocolate muffin before I collect my ticket. Excited chatter saturates the air and I am taken by a sense of familiarity as friendly faces greeting each other lure me inside.
On three towering walls the hall is crowned by high windows that have shutters concealing the calamity of January weather roaring outside. At first sight, Birmingham Town Hall’s impressive interior captures my attention over the twitterers and shufflers moving eagerly to their seats. The regency cornice coils in soft peaks like icing on a wedding cake, peppered by classical style spears, axes, helmets, blooms and ocean waves. I find an out of the way space on one of the choir stall benches behind the stage. This cheaper alternative perspective proves to bring delightful insight into the NEO experience. Not only can I see the director Nigel’s animated expressions, I can witness every twitch in the eyes of the mass of faces as they soak in each moment.
There’s a hush of expectation, moments after, the musicians enter and the lights dip. A single figure slides to the centre, his presence so natural, as if he was at home there. Nigel smiles anticipation, like the smell of bread fresh from the oven. The music begins. An intimate, delicate Bach piece opens out in timely unison. The audience raise their heads in avid attention. As the first round of applause bursts through the hall, many of the audience members enthusiastically converse with one another. Nigel grins in excited congratulation to the musicians and speaks to the audience of friends with a joyous voice. He sets the scene for this enchanting evening as we are ‘going off in search of the joy of God’.
The second piece commences and the musicians are smiling in enjoyment. I can sense that there is a loving rapport between players. I’ve sat in the audience of some occasional concerts where I’ve noticed some pretentiousness and a sense that the performers think a lot of themselves. In this orchestra they think a lot of one another. They are remarkably talented yet humble in their approach, purposefully serving God with every note. My position in the choir stalls amplifies the inspirational awe that transpires from the music. I am completely saturated by the sound, yet at the same time I see the audience as the performers see them, each with their own personal reaction to the music. The powerful impact of this double insight dapples my arms with goose pimples. This being my first experience of the NEO in concert, I am a mix of dumbstruck wonder and excitement at their extraordinary quality.
An amazingly varied repertoire unfolds, Nigel intuitively places every beat and his passionate yet delicate and very expressive conducting even continues with his eyes and head whilst he is playing keys.
At different points the audience are encouraged to clap along, they giggle at the animated characters of a male duet, while Living Bread moves them to a powerful silence. The dancing girl’s reflection flickers in their eyes and they sit entranced, only to explode into a fountain of applause the moment the piece is over.
As the J S Bach Triptych commences, the singers’ stand in unison like a volcano erupting, the sound pauses in the air and then as they break into song a wonderful sound-lava consumes the consciousness of every audience member, who sit cheerfully being melted by the music. All too soon the evening comes to an end.
Throughout, the musicians have given every ounce of their bodies to the music and now in reply a standing, clapping, stamping, smiling crowd, riot with every muscle in praise. I felt as though I had come into the hall poor and I walked out rich.
